The Commissioner of Police in charge of the School Protection Squad at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Abayomi Shogunle, has stated that the Safe School Stakeholders’ Forum on Security of Schools in Osun State was not a reactionary measure but a proactive step to safeguard learning environments.
Shogunle also noted that the programme, organised by the Nigeria Police, focused on training the Police School Protection Squad and encouraging collaboration among all security agencies responsible for education and security.
He made this known during the second day of the stakeholders’ forum aimed at improving school safety and preventing attacks, which was held at the State Government Secretariat, Abere, on Tuesday.
The event brought together top security officials, community leaders, and education stakeholders.
Speaking during an interview with DAILY POST, Abayomi Shogunle revealed that the aim was to strengthen the preparedness and response capacity of the state in the face of potential security threats to schools.
He said, “This is more of a proactive approach in security to ensure that we prevent ugly incidents from happening. We are not waiting for things to go wrong. We are working together to ensure they never happen in the first place.”
He explained that the forum was designed to bring together all relevant actors, including security agencies, school administrators, community leaders, and local authorities.
“It is not just the police or the military. Everyone who has a role in keeping our schools safe is represented here. That is the essence of this stakeholders’ forum,” he added.
Shogunle revealed that invitations had been extended to a wide range of security bodies, including the military, Department of State Services, Osun Amotekun Corps, vigilante groups, the local government neighbourhood watch, and other voluntary organisations.
He confirmed that they had all honoured the invitation and sent their representatives.
“One of the major takeaways from the event was the need for inter-agency collaboration. Security agencies were advised to synergise their efforts and improve intelligence sharing.
“This includes knowing what to look for and how to act swiftly when a threat is detected. That is key to preventing school attacks,” he noted.
“Technological tools are also being deployed as part of the strategy. We are using drones for intelligence gathering and for responding to potential threats around schools. These drones are being actively deployed in Osun and are part of the new approach to school protection,” Shogunle said.
He stated that the police initiative was aimed at ensuring the complete protection of schools across Osun State.
“We want to stop incidents before they start, but should anything occur, we are training our personnel to respond with both capacity and efficiency,” he remarked.
