Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – The Nigerian Police Tuesday ordered the immediate appraisal of the safety measures and other defence parapets as well as the related concerns in all secondary schools in Nigeria in order to forestall future incidence of security breaches and kidnapping of students.
The Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, said in a statement that all Command Commissioners of Police must “immediately commence security audit and threat analysis of all boarding schools nationwide. The outcome of this exercise will greatly assist Police authorities and other security agencies in the task of designing security strategies that will help in promoting safety and security in the schools.”
Over 200 school girls from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, in north eastern Borno State, were abducted on 14 April, a situation that has triggered worldwide reaction and the attendant negative publicity for the country.
In addition, Boko Haram insurgents have also allegedly written to two boarding secondary schools in Makurdi, central Benue state, that they would soon attack them and abduct their students.
The move by the Nigerian Police is to ensure the security of all secondary schools in Nigeria.
The Police boss said the expectation is that the result of the consultations, threat analysis and the attendant security awareness campaigns will help in reducing the vulnerability of the schools and strengthen an otherwise soft terror target as there would also be security awareness campaigns around the schools.
Abubakar said that the State Commissioners of Police are expected to work in conjunction with other security agencies, the Ministry of Education of the various states across the Country, the management and staff of the schools, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), the host communities and other stakeholders “so as to obtain the most reliable intelligence, and ensure a workable synergy.”
