NSCDC: Schools Would Be Safe When Security Agencies Work in Synergy

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The need for synergy and collaboration of all security agencies towards safety of schools across the country, is not negotiable, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has said.

Speaking at the training of 91 officers of the NSCDC on viable strategies to keep schools secure in the country, NSCDC’s Commander of the National School Security and Emergency Response Centre, Dr Tersoo Shaapera, said the creation of a team to respond to distress call from schools by all the security agencies was important as security of the schools was uppermost.

He said the various teams across security agencies should be able to work together during emergency to prevent attacks on schools or confront threats on schools.

The NSSRCC Commander said participants would be taught the basics of safe schooling, with communities and schools taught strategies to keep school safe.

He disclosed that instructors would be trained on how to educate schools to get registered with the corps to promote visibility, adding that the School Protection Response Squad that had been launched by security agencies would help in tackling reports of insecurity in schools.

“The responsibility of the centre is to alert the squad, when the need be to either tackle kinetic or non-kinetic crisis,” he said.

Disclosing that the experts saddled with the responsibility of the training the participants were drawn from the Armed forces, Department of State Services (DSS), NSCDC amongst others, the NSCDC Commandant-General (CG) Dr. Ahmed Audi, said the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) was determined to develop capacities of instructors for the safe school training programmes.

Represented by Deputy Commandant-General (DCG) in charge of Crisis Management, Nnamdi Nwinyi, he said the workshop was a train-the-trainer workshop, intended to enhance the competencies of instructors and facilitators.