IGP Inaugurates School Protection Squad in Jigawa

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has officially inaugurated the School Protection Squad in Jigawa State, aimed at enhancing security around schools and ensuring a safer learning environment for students.

The event, which took place in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, was represented by AIG Ahmed Ammani of Zone 1, Kano. In his address, Ammani highlighted the growing security threats to schools across Nigeria, including the killing of teachers, abductions, and the destruction of school properties. He explained that the new initiative was launched by the IGP to secure school environments, which is in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, ensuring that every child has access to a safe education.

The National Coordinator of the School Protection Squad, CP Abayomi Shogunle, further emphasized the alarming situation, noting that over 600 teachers have been killed and more than 2.9 million children are currently out of school due to security challenges. He described the IGP’s initiative as being built on three core strategies: establishing rapid response infrastructure, enhancing community involvement in intelligence gathering, and collaborating with other security agencies to manage threats and secure school environments.

“Schools are sanctuaries for building the leaders of tomorrow,” Shogunle stated, reinforcing the squad’s commitment to securing school environments to safeguard Nigeria’s future prosperity.

As part of the initiative, over 160 personnel were trained to form the School Protection Squad in Jigawa.

Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa also spoke at the event, reiterating his administration’s dedication to improving education in the state. He shared that his government had already made significant investments in the sector, such as constructing and renovating classrooms, providing learning materials, recruiting teachers, and undertaking other educational reforms.

Namadi welcomed the timely launch of the initiative, emphasizing its importance in maintaining peace in Jigawa, a generally peaceful state, and safeguarding the educational sector from potential threats.

The Jigawa State government has contributed over N350 million towards the initiative, providing necessary resources including a fully-equipped secretariat, two Toyota Hilux vehicles, and motorcycles to support its implementation. The governor also pledged continued support for the goals of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.