Safe school: 60 Police personnel selected for training in Gombe

… as FG identifies vulnerable schools, communities in Nigeria

A total of sixty police officers have been selected for training as officers for the Safe Schools Protection Squad (SPS) in Gombe State, after which they will be deployed to schools across the state.

The disclosure was made by the National Coordinator and Commissioner of Police in charge of the SPS at the Force headquarters, CP Abayomi Shogunle, during a stakeholders forum in preparation for the training and launching of the School Protection Squad (SPS), a specialised unit dedicated to safeguarding schools and preventing attacks in Gombe state.

The engagement, which brought together relevant stakeholders in the schools’ security sector was tagged: ‘Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of host communities in the Protection of Education’.

Shogunle said, “This does not mean that other Police Officers in the state will not respond to threats. The Force is ready and we have trained the Officers on early warning signals so that they can be proactive and tackle these threats before they occured.”

According to him, the establishment of the SPS marks a shift in the country’s approach to securing the education sector, which has faced increasing threats from banditry, insurgency and criminal activities across the country, thereby impacting negatively on the education sector.

He assured that the SPS will focus on surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid response to security threats in and around school environments.

The SPS National Coordinator added that the initiative seeks to strengthen security resilience and to integrate host communities into the security architecture in the protection of education.

Shogunle explained that, “The implementation of the plan is in phases with Gombe state being one of the pilot states.”

Also speaking, National Coordinator on Financing Safe Schools, Hajiya Halima Iliya, disclosed that the Federal Government has identified schools across the country that are vulnerable to threats and has properly planned to protect and enhance the safety of schools across the country.

We have the data for all the vulnerable communities, which we have adequately planned for. We have written to all the States for them to take ownership and to provide information on all vulnerable communities because, if you look at the geopolitical zones, they all have their peculiarity, and we are ready.

“We are working with intelligence bodies to provide us with threat analysis, which we are aggressively working on,” she said.

Commenting on the SPS, Halima Iliya stated that the Schools Protection Squad is part of the plans of the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) as well as part of the obligation of the Police as contained in the national plan.

In his address, Gombe State Police Commissioner, Bello Yahaya, emphasised the importance of creating a safe space for students and educators for impactful learning and teaching.

He said, “Education is the backbone of our nation. Ensuring that our schools are secure is not only a priority but a responsibility we must all share.”

Gombe State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Abdullahi Bello, assured that the government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of schools and communities across the state.

The Commissioner stated that the Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, is standing firm, ready to support the implementation of the SPS initiative in the state.