Oyo Assembly Seeks Increased Security Deployment To Schools

 

The Oyo State House of Assembly has called for the immediate strengthening of security in public and private schools and educational institutions across the state following the recent abduction of students and teachers at Community High School, Esiele, and L.A. Primary School, Yawota, in Oriire Local Government Area.

The resolution followed a motion moved during Tuesday’s plenary by the lawmaker representing Ibadan South West State Constituency II, Hon. Oluwafemi Oluwafowokanmi, who urged the Executive Arm of Government to deploy operatives of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to schools across the state.

Moving the motion, Oluwafowokanmi expressed concern that recent security breaches around schools, particularly the disturbing incident in Oriire Local Government Area, had raised serious concerns about the safety of students, teachers and educational facilities.

He noted that public schools are increasingly becoming vulnerable targets for criminal activities, including kidnapping, vandalism, cult-related violence and other forms of insecurity.

According to him, the prevailing insecurity challenges in the country, particularly the increasing vulnerability of schools to criminal activities, have become worrisome. He warned that growing threats to school safety could discourage parents and guardians from sending their children to public schools.

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“What then will be the hope of children of the less privileged and low-income earners whose only available means of education lies in public schools? At this moment, we cannot afford to keep silent on the need to take proactive security measures that would prevent the recurrence of the Oriire school attack elsewhere in Oyo State,” he said.

The lawmaker further argued that the deployment of trained security personnel to schools, particularly those located in rural communities and areas bordering forests, would strengthen surveillance, improve intelligence gathering and guarantee a rapid response to security threats.

He stated that such measures would help restore the confidence of parents and guardians in the safety of their children and ensure that fear does not prevent access to education.

The House subsequently commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his commitment to the security of lives and property and his continued support for security agencies and the Amotekun Corps.

Lawmakers unanimously urged the Executive Arm of Government, through the Amotekun Corps, to commence the phased deployment of trained security personnel to public and private primary and secondary schools across the state, with priority attention given to schools in rural areas, border communities and locations adjoining forest reserves.

The Assembly also called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) to collaborate with the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies in conducting comprehensive security audits of all public schools in the state.

As part of broader efforts to safeguard educational institutions, the House urged the establishment of a School Security Initiative that would provide dedicated security personnel, communication gadgets, emergency alert systems and other security infrastructure for schools.

The lawmakers further recommended the development and enforcement of minimum security standards for all public and private schools, including perimeter fencing, controlled access points and adequate lighting.

The House also advocated sustained public awareness campaigns under the “See Something, Say Something” initiative to encourage the prompt reporting of suspicious activities around schools and communities.

In addition, the Assembly called for the establishment of functional emergency response and quick-reaction units in each education zone in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Amotekun Corps.

The lawmakers equally urged the integration of security education and safety drills into school curricula to equip students with basic safety awareness and emergency response skills.

During deliberations, members observed that the current strength of approximately 2,500 Amotekun personnel may not be sufficient to effectively secure all schools across Oyo State.

Consequently, the House recommended the recruitment and deployment of additional security personnel, including trained local hunters and community-based security operatives, to complement the efforts of the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies.

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