In renewed effort to protect schools in the country from kidnappers and other attacks, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), has trained a special team of personnel known as the Safe Schools Response Team, under the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Center, (NSSRCC).
Commandant General of the Corps, Dr. Ahmed Audi said the special response team is sole responsible for the protection of all schools, which he said are critical national assets and infrastructure.
He made this known at a Capacity Building Programme For Safe Schools Response Team, tagged themed ‘Exercise Safe Schools 2023,’ at the weekend in Makurdi, Benue state.
He said “To avert cases of attacks and violence in schools in the country, the tasks ahead of the Centre is enormous and therefore requires effective synergy and collaboration.”
Audi x-rayed the dimensional complexities and challenges schools nation wide are exposed to saying those were the main reason behind the setting up of the national safe schools response coordination centre, by the federal government.
Executive governor of Benue State Rev. Fr. Dr Hyacinth Alia said the choice of the state as venue of the event was commendable.
He said “There are key roles you can play to avert crisis and gang violence, so our children can seat in the classroom and learn without anxiety”
Presenting the keynote address, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Senator George Akume emphatically expressed the commitment of the federal government of Nigeria in stemming and curbing the issues of insecurity around Nigerian Schools.
Represented by Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi, Permanent Secretary Special Services Office at the Presidency Abuja, the SGF said “You will correspondingly empower teachers and others within the school community with the appropriate skills to respond to emergencies,” a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, (PRO), of the Corps, Babawale Afolabi, contains