Ex-principal urges school owners to prioritise safety of students

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A retired school principal, Mr Isaiah Olatunbosun, has urged operators of private schools to give priority to safety of students by providing adequate security in their institutions.

He said this would check cases of kidnapping of students.

He made the call on Friday while reacting to the recent abduction of three female students in a private secondary school in Lagos State.

Olatunbosun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikole, Ekiti State, that cases of children abduction in schools were creating fears in the minds of parents and children, especially those in boarding schools.

He said the situation might force some parents to withdraw their children and wards from schools that could not guarantee their safety.

He observed that some of the private schools gave priority to school fees and other monetary gains received from parents than hiring skillful security operatives to protect the innocent children.

“They prefer engaging old men who could hardly walk as security guards because of stipends they receive as salary, making school compound accessible for all kind of people.“

He appealed to the federal and state ministries of education to review the criteria for issuance of approval certificate for establishment of private schools, to compel the operators to provide adequate security before the take-off of such schools.

Olatunbosun also urged security operatives to intensify patrol on all roads to check kidnapping nationwide.