The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has tasked Private Guard Companies (PGC) on timely grassroots intelligence gathering to ensure adequate protection of schools in the country.
Dr Ahmed Audi, Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said this on Tuesday while playing host to the Financing Safe School Secretariat and Technical Working Committee on national schools’ security.
Audi said that the Corps had trained over 3.5 million private guards and advised that the Committee properly utilise PGCs in intelligence gathering due to their training and community spread.
He also advised the team to deploy technologies that might not solely rely on network providers to disseminate information.
The CG made available to the team an office space for the set up of a Schools’ Security Emergency Response Centre.
“Two permanent sites are also allocated for the building of national schools’ security and emergency response centre readily available within the premises.
“There is a national centre designed for the construction of the safe school and will be made available to see if you decide to site the safe school here,” he said.
He, however, said that to protect schools, the corps introduced the School Community Vanguard which established the Female Special squad, Integrated Electronic Arrest Reporting System (I-EARS), among others.
Audi appreciated the team for their support, commitment and synergy with sister agencies towards ensuring that schools are secured.
Team Lead of the financing committee, Mrs Halima Iliya, appreciated the Corps’ donations and promised to utilize the infrastructure provided.
After inspecting the donated office workspace, Iliya said that the committee would remodel the office as it lacked funds for construction of the undeveloped donated sites.
She said that a lot of advocacy would be carried out in rural areas as she advocated for the importance of community response.
