Kogi Police Reaffirm Commitment To Safer Schools Initiative, Deepen Stakeholder Collaboration

The Kogi State Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the security of schools across the state through deeper collaboration with key education stakeholders under the Nigeria Police Force’s Safer Schools Initiative.

The commitment was restated by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, during a strategic stakeholders’ engagement held in Lokoja aimed at improving security architecture around educational institutions.

The meeting brought together major actors in the education sector, including the Executive Chairman and Permanent Members of the Kogi State Senior Secondary Education Board (KGSSEB), representatives of secondary school principals, officials of the Kogi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and teachers from both primary and secondary schools.

Discussions at the engagement focused on strengthening crime prevention mechanisms, improving intelligence sharing, and enhancing coordination among schools, security agencies, parents, and community leaders.

CP Kankarofi said schools remain critical national assets that must be adequately protected to ensure a safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning.

He noted that the rising threats of school attacks and student abductions by criminal elements require a collective, proactive, and sustained response from all stakeholders.

According to him, preventing the abduction of students and school personnel remains a top priority of the Nigeria Police Force and a central objective of the Safer Schools Initiative.

The commissioner stressed that the success of the initiative depends on effective collaboration between security agencies, education authorities, communities, and government institutions.

He called for improved security measures within and around school environments, stronger information sharing, and the establishment of early warning and rapid response systems to detect and prevent potential threats.

During the interactive session, stakeholders identified several security challenges affecting schools, including unauthorized access to school premises, youth-related criminal activities, vandalism, and other emerging threats.