The Federal Government has concluded plans to train some newly recruited personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as the School Safety Protection Squad.
According to The PUNCH, the Commander of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre of the NSCDC, Hammed Abodunrin, disclosed this.
Abodunrin said it is in a bid to halt cases of abduction of schoolchildren from their schools.
Abodunrin said, “The Federal Government has declared zero tolerance on kidnapping for ransoms and has resolved to empower security agencies more to prevent reoccurrence. Equipment is being procured, such as vehicles, motorcycles and ICT facilities while more personnel are being employed to tackle the challenges squarely.
“For instance, the centre will soon train some of the newly recruited personnel of NSCDC across the 36 states of the federation and FCT as the school safety protection squad. This team will be able to provide a quicker response when needed.
“They will work with the corps’ female squad nationwide as well as with the police and military resources where available and when required.
It would be recalled that the Defence Headquarters said troops rescued 137 abducted pupils of the LEA Primary School and the Government Secondary School Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna, within Zamfara State.
This came as President Bola Tinubu welcomed the news of the release of the Kuriga schoolchildren, as well as the release of pupils of a Tsangaya school in Sokoto State, commending all the parties involved in the feat for their valiant efforts.
The Defence Headquarters announced that 137 Kaduna schoolchildren were rescued but it did not explain what happened to the remaining as 287 pupils were kidnapped from the schools on March 7, 2024.
But the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen, Buba, in a statement on Sunday, stated that the victims were rescued in the early hours of Sunday by the troops with support from local authorities and government agencies.
Buba put the number of the rescued victims at 137, comprising 76 females and 61 males, adding that they were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed to Kaduna where they would be handed over to the state government.
