- Organizes workshop on safe schools’ initiative for strategic police managers
The Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, unveiled the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual for the Schools Protection Squad (SPS) and orchestrated a workshop centered around the Safe Schools Initiative for Strategic Police Managers on August 9, 2023. The event took place at the Abuja Continental Hotel, situated in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
In accordance with ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, this initiative follows the recent establishment of the Schools Protection Squad, a specialized and prominent unit designed to ensure the safety and security of educational institutions across the nation.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual stands as an all-encompassing document, offering lucid directives for the effective implementation of the Schools Protection Squad (SPS). It delineates the unit’s organizational structure, guidelines for mobilization, and a code of conduct applicable to officers assigned to this specialized unit. Additionally, the manual delineates protocols for collaboration with other security agencies, aimed at fostering a synchronized approach in addressing threats targeting schools and educational establishments.
The IGP elaborated on various strategies to be adopted by the Nigerian Police Force in fulfilling the mission of the School Protection Squad. These strategies include generating information and intelligence, establishing partnerships through community policing, fostering cooperation between the police and the public, promoting collaboration between different agencies, managing security and administration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), deploying logistical resources, providing humanitarian assistance, and delivering training to school administrators, teachers, and community members to equip them with knowledge about their roles in emergency scenarios.
The Inspector-General of Police underscored that the initiative will commence by focusing on 18 pilot states that are particularly vulnerable, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He assured that the Police Force will dutifully shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding educational institutions against potential risks and threats. He also called upon all stakeholders to rally behind the Federal Government, the Police Force, and other partners in their joint effort to realize the objectives of this initiative.
