By Milcah Tanimu
In a recent workshop on school safety held at the 1 Division Nigerian Army headquarters in Kaduna, Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to creating a secure environment for educational institutions across the country. The workshop, themed “Providing a Secure and Safe Learning Environment for the Advancement of National Development,” focused on strengthening measures to protect schools from criminal attacks.
Represented by Maj.-Gen. Emeka Onumajuru, Chief of Defence Training and Operations Defence Headquarters, Gen. Musa emphasized that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would continue collaborating with other security agencies to safeguard children and educational facilities. This initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s policy aimed at ensuring violence-free schools.
The workshop was designed to enhance inter-agency cooperation, providing troops with essential resources such as motorcycles and communication tools to improve response times to emergencies. It addressed the need for a unified approach to tackling the rising incidents of school attacks since 2014.
Maj.-Gen. Mayirenso Saraso, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigerian Army, urged all stakeholders to work together to achieve the goals of the safe schools initiative. He encouraged participants, which included police, NSCDC members, armed forces personnel, and local leaders, to leverage the workshop’s insights for effective implementation.
Kaduna State’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, highlighted the state’s challenges with school abductions from July 2021 to March 2024, underscoring the importance of the workshop’s objectives.
The event underscored the collective effort required to enhance school security and ensure a safe learning environment for Nigerian students.
