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The National Safe School Response Coordination Centre Commander, Hameed Abodunrin, has bemoaned the security state of over seventy percent schools in the country, calling for adequate security to avert incident of kidnapping.
Abodunrin, made this known while discussing the issue of the various kidnapping incidences.
He disclosed that approximately 70 per cent of Nigerian schools are without adequate security measures, making them susceptible to frequent kidnapping incidents.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund report recently, over 1,680 children were abducted and about 180 killed in attacks on Nigerian schools by non-state actors in the last 10 years.
Abodunrin said, “The essence of our center is to coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders, including security agencies and educational authorities, to address these deficiencies.
“Initially, schools were hesitant to register with the national database, fearing additional taxation, but the focus has shifted towards enhancing their security through better coordination and rapid response capabilities.
“Registration helps us to quickly locate and reach schools during emergencies without needing to ask for directions, thanks to technologies like Google Maps.”
He called on Federal governments to ensure that all schools across the country were properly registered and protected.
He added, “The Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the center, is now urging governors across the country to ensure all schools are registered and adequately protected to enhance the safety of schools and their students across Nigeria.”
