The Federal Government has charged the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to immediately develop a robust scheme for school protection across the country.
This it said, was borne out of its resolve to ensure children’s safety everywhere, especially within the school environment, from kidnappers and armed men.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola gave the charge on Monday, March 1, 2021 in his Office in Abuja when he decorated Ahmed Abubakar Audi as the new Commandant- General of the NSCDC.
According to him: “Children are a specially protected social category. They are innocent and, at the same time, vulnerable. They are as vulnerable to external circumstances as to their own wiles.”
While expressing sadness over the spate of kidnappings of students, Aregbesola
urged the NSCDC to continue to work in synergy with other security agencies to immediately restore peace and security in the country, particularly within the school environment.
The minister reminded the new NSCDC boss that he was mounting the organization’s saddle at a critical time.
“It is going to be rough but that, as a motivational speaker once wrote, it is great challenges that produce heroes and men of history,” the statement added.
Aregbeslola further charged the leadership of the corps to develop a robust scheme that would not only check the menace in the schools, but also ensure the protection of critical national assets, such as pipelines, electricity pylons, stations and cables, telecommunication mast, cables and installations.
“Another scheme, like the Agro Rangers, should also be developed to cover full agriculture and offer protection to all categories of farmers. Protecting crop farmers and pastoralists is a matter of national food security”, he said.
