The Head of Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Chidozie Nwafor has urged the
Nigeria Police Force (NPF) toeverage on modern technologies for effective safeguarding of students, teachers and school environment in Anambra State.
Prof. Nwafor commended Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for setting up the special security team for the protection of schools across the country, adding that the impact would extend to communities and society at large.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that Nwafor in a lecture entitled “Security Agencies and Community Partnership in Safeguarding Nigerian Schools” held at Nibo, Awka South Council Area of the State during the training of School Protection Squad (SPS), stated that access control system such as biometric authomatication, smart card or RFID will assist in making the in achieving the objectives of the initiative.
The Don maintained that servelliance camares; IP cameras, CCTV and video analytics are all essential tools that will increase efficiency in the set out goal of
IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
” Interusion detection system; motion detectors, sensors and alarms are all need. Emergency communication system; panic buttons, mass notification systems,
Including cybersecurity solutions; firewalls, antivirus software and network monitoring should also be provided if possible.
Prof. Nwafor listed communication and collaboration tools such as mobile app; school safty app for reporting incidents, social media monitoring, tracking social media activity for potential threats, two-way radios for securing communication for staff and security personnel and incident management software for streamlining response and reporting as essential equipment for the task.
” Security agencies and community partnership play a crucial role in safeguarding Nigeria schools and consistency in being ethical.
“Partnerships will enhence security. You need information and corporations and it will make it easy to function.
” Benefit of partnerships are enhanced security, collaboration ensures effective utilization. Information sharing where by community provide valuable intel on potential threats will help the police perform better.
“Trust building fosters mutual understanding. Quick response enables joint efforts ensure swift response to security breaches”. Prof. Nwafor said.
Speaking on the roles of security, Prof
Nwafor maintained that providing training and capacity building for schools security personnel, conducting regular security assessments and drills, developing personnel to high-risk schools and investigating and prosecuting security breaches is very important.
He listed Interusion detection system; motion detectors, sensors and alarms,
emergency communication system; panic buttons, mass notification systems,
cybersecurity solutions: firewalls, antivirus software and network monitoring as important arsenal for improved security.
Nwafor outlined communication and collaboration tools such as mobile app; school safty app for reporting incidents, social media monitoring, tracking social media activity for potential threats, two-way radios for securing communication for staff and security personnel and incident management software for streamlining response and reporting is important tools.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Security, Air Vice-Marshal Ben Chiobi (rtd), pledged the support of the state government to the IGP’s schools’ protection initiative, stressing that it would further enable them to earn the confidence of the society.
On his part, the SPS National Coordinator, Lanre Ogunlowo, a Commissioner of Police, explained that the initiative was launched to address challenges posed by conflict and insecurity to safe schools, in consultation with local and global stakeholders for a holistic and sustainable security.
Ogunlowo added that the implementation of the plan is in phases with Anambra State being one of the pilot states.
“The plan has a national investment response aimed at protecting schools, learners, teachers and non-teaching staff from attacks in Nigeria and was designed to achieve measurable outcomes such as reducing the number of out of school children and improving Nigeria’s rating in the human capital index in the long run.
“The policy also provides guidelines and a framework for ensuring safe and secure learning environments in schools nationwide.
“Its objectives include: strengthen security resilience and integrate host communities into the security architecture in the protection of education, enhance the school community’s capacity to protect education, create an effective and efficient national school security and emergency response infrastructure, enhance the capacity of security agencies to gather intelligence, prevent and respond to attacks on education as well as provide assistance to survivors of attacks on education.”
Contributing, ACP Ofili Felix of Federal Operations, Police Force Headquarters Abuja, commended members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm (journalists) for promoting the activities of the Nigerian Police Force and urged them to do more in the Safe Schools Initiative in Anambra State.
Responding, the State Chaitman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu represented by the State Treasurer NUJ, Comrade Ogemdi Ozoemenam promised continued partnership with the Anambra State Police Command in it’s onerous task of protecting lives and property of Anambra people.
He assured the Force that journalists are in support of the Safe Schools Initiative and would do their best, through timely news publication and dissemination of information, to ensure that the programme succeeds in Anambra State.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the command would work in synergy with sister security agencies and other stakeholders to realise objectives of the squad.
