NSCDC trains vigilantes to secure 821,000 vulnerable schools

In a bid to secure schools and schoolchildren, the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said vigilantes and teachers from surveyed 821,000 primary and secondary schools across the country would be trained in security.

The NSSRCC, which was established by the Federal Government, is saddled with the responsibility of coordinating safety and security responses against violence in schools and host communities.

Personnel of the NSCDC and other security agencies have undergone specialised training and have been deployed to various communities and schools for proper engagement largely centred on prevention and protection.

Terrorists and bandits have in recent times increasingly targeted schools for attacks and abduction of students and teachers.

Last week, suspected bandits abducted five pupils of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, three teachers and the school bus driver in Ekiti State.

The Commander of the NSSRCC, Hammed Abodunrin, in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, said different stakeholders, including teachers, private security guards, vigilantes and local hunters, would be trained in February 2023 at the state level to help tackle the rising insecurity bedevilling the country.

Abodunrin noted that 821,000 schools surveyed for vulnerability assessment would benefit from the training, adding that at least one teacher per school would be trained at the community level and in turn, the teacher would train others.

 He said, “This year, we are starting with train-the-trainers before the end of February. This would be done at the state level.  Those to be trained include stakeholders, vigilantes, and local hunters, among others. Those trained will take the initiative and skills gathered to the communities.

“For schools, at least, a teacher per school would be selected at the community level and then, they will go back to their schools and domesticate the training.

“Already, the corps has surveyed 821,000 schools but it will be difficult to get to all the teachers in these schools except they are trained in phases.”

The commander added, “At the Safe School Centre, we will monitor these schools at the local level whether they are complying with what we told them to do. The issue of security is personal. The best security is provided by oneself.

“If the communities are protected, the schools will be protected.”