By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has advocated for the training of school children on security to reduce cases of kidnapping in schools across the states.
The Ondo state NSCDC Commandant, Dr. Hammed Abodunrin, who made this known while officially presenting the command’s officers of the corps’ female special squad to Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ondo state, Mrs Oladunni Odu, on Wednesday in Akure, also advised parents to be vigilant and build security consciousness in the minds of their children.
Abodunrin said that as the operatives attending to security issue in schools, it would go beyond daily and weekly policing.
He said, “We should see it beyond policing them 24/7 because there is the need to teach children to be conscious of their environment.
“On our part, we are going to give the children tips so that they will know how to also handle their own security.
“We are not saying that they should start pursuing armed robbers or bandits, but to know something about personal security.
“As we are teaching our students moral lessons in classes, we should also teach them about security and vigilance, because schools and children have become critical national asset, while human resources are great assets.”
While stressing that children were the future of any family as well as the nation, the NSCDC boss, however, said there is needs for them to be security conscious.
“If anything happens on the street of London or New York, within one to two minutes, operatives will get to the roots, not because of technology alone but because they have conscious population. That is what we are trying to build upon our population,” he said.
Abodunrin said that “The NSCDC Commander-General, Dr Ahmed Audi, established the special squad, in line with the UN 2001 Security Sector Reforms.
“He further said that the female special squad would be deployed to various schools in the state to confront any security challenge.”
Responding, Odu appreciated the NSCDC Commandant-General for establishing the squad, saying that it was a welcome development for women to contribute their quota to nation building.