The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has expressed optimism that the country would never again record mass abduction of students from schools by criminals elements following the formation of the Response Team.
The SGF disclosed this on Thursday during the ceremony marking the end of the Capacity Building Programme for the Response Team held in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, completed the training of 364 personnel of the Safe Schools Response Team for the protection of schools in the North Central zone as well as Taraba state.
Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties in the SGF’s office, Shehu Shinkafi, explained that with the launch of the Response Team, the incidents of abduction of students from schools across the country had become a thing of past.
He said, “the Safe School initiative is not just about securing physical spaces, it is also about securing the future of Nigeria. It is about ensuring that every child has the opportunity of acquring education without fear. It is about the protection of our youths so that they can become the leaders of tomorrow.
“Today as we celebrate the successful completion of the training programme, let us also look forward to the future, let us continue to sustain the gains we have made and continously improve the safety of our schools. It is our hope that never again will we record mass abduction of students from schools by criminals elements.”
Speaking, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar, said that the Response Team was the first of its kind in Africa pointing out that the task before the Team was enormous.
The Commandant General cited that available records indicated that the NSCDC since his assumption of office had thwarted over 30 kidnap attempts in schools in the country assured that the menace would be confronted headlong with the coming of the National Safety School Response Centre.
He urged the Benue State Government to support the team to succeed and also donate an operational base for the team in the state.
The Commander of the National Safety School Response Centre, Dr. Terso Shaapera said, “365 participants attended the programme which is a baby of the Commandant General.”
He listed the responsibilities of the squad to include, “undertaking regular responses to distress calls as maybe directed by the Commander of the Safe School National Coordination Centre and other responsibilities.”
He charged the participants to put to practise all they had learnt in order to ensure a safer environment for school children in the country.
In his address, the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia who commended the initiative noted that education was the right of every child and not a privilege.
Governor Alia who approved a building in Makurdi for use as the operational base of the team stated that the government “is committed to addressing all issues of insecurity in our schools to ensure conducive learning environment in our schools.”
Members of the Response Team were drawn from the NSCDC, Private Security Guards including the teams from Taraba State, among others.
