A School Protection Squad was established by the Nigeria Police Force’s (NPF) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command to stop attacks on public and private schools located in the six area councils of Abuja. At the Police Strategic Stakeholders Forum on School Security in the FCT, FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh introduced this project, which aims to include host communities into educational protection operations and build Security resilience. The Commissioner emphasized that school security is receiving more attention from the government.
This attempt is the result of repeated attacks that have scared parents, teachers, and students to the point that schools have had to close. The command is dedicated to protecting the safety of the local schools, especially in remote areas, and has mapped out every school in the area. The FCT has not yet seen any documented attacks on educational institutions. In 2022, the Safe School Protection initiative was introduced nationwide with the aim of lowering the quantity of children who are not in school.
Approximately 1,500 students were abducted in 2023 alone.
The Nigeria Police Force, through the Schools Protection Squad (SPS), is dedicated to protecting schools across the country, as highlighted by DIG Ede Ayuba, Deputy Inspector General of Police. The purpose of this conference is to promote collaborations between law enforcement, security firms, and local communities in order to establish a secure educational setting. Through a representative, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stated that the Administration is willing to work with Security Agencies to make sure that schools are safe. Multi-stakeholder engagement is important, as the FCT Mandate Secretary on Education emphasized.
More so, this includes parents, community leaders, NGOs, and law enforcement in securing schools and fostering a secure learning environment. Attacks against schools in Nigeria, especially in the north, have had a big impact on the Educational System there. Similar mass kidnappings have targeted other schools since the Boko Haram Chibok Girls Kidnapping in 2014. Approximately 1,500 students were abducted in 2023 alone; most of them were let free after being paid a ransom, however some are still held captive.
Many parents are reluctant to send their girls to school.
As a result of the ongoing danger of violence, over 11,000 schools have been closed since December 2020. Mass shootings and kidnappings have discouraged many parents from bringing their kids to school. Nigerian children who are not in school now number over 18.5 million, up from 10.5 million in 2021. Girls make up a sizable number of these kids, particularly in the northern areas where gender inequality is made worse by insecurity. Because they are afraid their girls will be kidnapped and abused, many parents are reluctant to send them to school.
In order to improve school security, the School Protection Squad (SPS) has stepped in in a number of states, training local law enforcement and working with community leaders. The creation of the SPS has been essential in stopping other attacks in areas like Kaduna and Niger, although obstacles like financial constraints and logistical problems still exist. Parents and educators have diverse opinions; some are comforted by the heightened security, while others are still worried about how long these measures will last.
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Lack of funds, scarce resources, and the large number of schools that require protection—particularly in isolated locations—are possible obstacles for the School Protection Squad. In order to solve these problems, there has been a rise in government support as well as community cooperation. The success of these initiatives depends on community involvement. To make schools safer, parents, educators, and local authorities are urged to take an active part in security forums, offer suggestions, and work with law enforcement. By working together, we can drastically lower the number of children who are not in school and boost public trust in the educational system.