SAFER SCHOOLS INITIATIVE: IMO CP HOLDS ONE-DAY SECURITY WORKSHOP, DEPLOYS PROTECTION SQUAD ACROSS VULNERABLE AREAS

..Safety of Students, Educational Institutions Key Concern to Police Says CP Danjuma

In line with the initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokum, Ph.D., NPM, aimed at enhancing the safety and security of students, teachers, schools, and educational institutions across the Federation, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, *CP Aboki Danjuma* has today, 21st March 2024, organized a one-day Safer School Workshop for personnel of the Command, staff of educational institutions and other relevant stakeholders in the State.

The workshop with the theme: *Achieving a Secured and Conducive Learning Environment for every child in Imo State* was held at the Senior Police Officer’s Mess Owerri. It provided an opportunity for Principals of Secondary Schools and Staff of Tertiary Institutions to be enlightened on common safety tips that will enhance the security of their students and educational facilities and equipped personnel of the Command’s Safer School Squad with the prerequisite knowledge to effectively respond to the security challenges facing educational institutions in the State.

Speaking at the workshop, the Commissioner of Police stated that the safety of schools and educational institutions is of key concern to the Nigeria Police Force and the Command will continue to deploy all available human and material resources to mitigate the danger students and staff of educational institutions in the State are facing in recent times.

CP Aboki Danjuma affirmed that at the end of the workshop, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) would replicate similar training at their respective divisions. He ordered the immediate deployment of School Protection Squad operatives to embark on robust patrols around the vulnerable, primary, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions in the State and charged the operatives to uphold the highest standard of transparency and professionalism while providing security in schools.

The CP appreciated the Executive Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, for his constant support and provision of logistics to the Command. 

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, of Imo State Ministry of Education, Barrister Chinyere Ibe, expressed her profound gratitude to the Commissioner of Police and his management team for organizing such significant workshops. She highlighted that the workshop is the first of its kind in Imo State and will go a long way in fostering a symbiotic relationship between school administrators and the Police in the onslaught against insecurity in schools and host communities.

Present at the significant workshop include the Principals and Students of Secondary Schools in Owerri, PTA Chairmen, Staff of Education Institutions, representatives of the Military, Airforce, NDLEA, Civil Defense, and other sister security agencies in the State. They were also lectured on the effects of cultism, intake of hard drug substances, and other vices that trigger students into criminality.

To this end, the Commissioner of Police calls on the general public, particularly the residents of Imo State to support the State Government, the Police, and other stakeholders for the actualization of this important initiative. He affirmed that through collaborative efforts, we can build a robust educational system that guarantees a secure and conducive learning environment for every child in Imo State.