BY VICTOR BUORO – Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has mandated the Katsina State Police Command to deploy tighter security around schools across the North West state as part of efforts to safeguard students, teachers and educational facilities from security threats.
The directive, delivered on behalf of the IGP by Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Finance and Administration, Sulaiman Abdul, covers increased patrols, heightened intelligence gathering, and an expanded rollout of the state’s School Protection Squad to safeguard students and educational facilities.
Speaking during a two-day operational visit to Katsina State, the DIG said the Police Command has the mandate to strengthen surveillance, and sustain a visible security presence at educational institutions across the state, saying the initiative is designed to deter criminal activities, improve emergency response capabilities and ensure that schools remain safe environments for learning and academic development.
DIG Abdul, who visited the Police Children School and the Government Girls Technical and Commercial College in Charanchi Local Government Area as part of the assessment exercise, evaluated existing security arrangements and infrastructure in the schools to appreciate areas for necessary improvement.
In carrying out a comprehensive on-site assessment, the DIG evaluated critical security infrastructure, including perimeter fencing, access control points, and guard posts, to verify the operational readiness and tactical deployment of police personnel tasked with securing the schools.
Also, as part of measures to gain actionable insights into localized vulnerabilities, the Police Chief convened strategic debriefings with school administrators and management teams, directly addressing the immediate security challenges impacting the institutions.
Focusing on measures to improve school safety, the high-level discussions culminated in the formulation of proactive safety protocols designed to fortify institutional resilience, streamline inter-agency coordination between educators and law enforcement, and establish a robust defense against both existing and emerging threats.
