NGO tasks FG, State Govts on school security

The African Youths Assembly for Peace (AYAP) on Friday called on State and Federal Governments to beefed up security in and around institutions of learning in the country, especially secondary schools.

Mr AbdulAziz Yusuf, AYAP Head of Research and Publicity, Nasarawa State Chapter, told newsmen in Abuja that this was to checkmate kidnapping of secondary school students.

Reports said that in December 2020, suspected bandits stormed the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina and abducted 344 schools.

They were, however, rescued unhurt a few days after.

Also, on Wednesday night in Niger, gunmen seized 27 students and 12 family members from the Government Science College in Kagara town, after killing one other student.

Yusuf said there was a need to take urgent steps to protect students and prevent criminal elements from gaining access to the schools.

He also called on stakeholders, especially school authorities to partner with the police and host communities to ensure adequate security for the schools.

“They must embrace community-based participation in security of schools to address the threat posed by bandits.

“Security and safety of our schools have become an important issue in view of recent abductions of school children.

“Members of host community must be part of the security team,’’ he said.

He urged parents, religious and community leaders to mobilise and sensitise their children and subjects to alert security agencies whenever they notice suspicious persons and movement in their domains.