FG Unveils New Measures to Tackle School Abductions, Strengthen Safety in Schools

The Federal Government has introduced new measures aimed at addressing school abductions, insecurity and other emerging threats affecting basic education across Nigeria.

 

It said issues such as school safety, education in emergencies, climate change and gender-based violence have now been integrated into revised operational guidelines for School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), in a bid to strengthen community participation in protecting schools and ensuring uninterrupted learning.

 

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, disclosed this on Monday in Kano at a three-day training programme on the revised SBMC operational documents for stakeholders from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

 

Represented by the Head of Community Engagement and Social Mobilisation at UBEC, Patricia Uche, Garba said rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and attacks on schools informed the review of the guidelines.

 

“One of the major updates is education in crisis. We are talking about recent cases of banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges affecting schools and communities,” she said.

 

Uche explained that the revised framework is designed to mobilise communities to take a more active role in safeguarding schools and supporting efforts to keep children in classrooms.

 

She noted that many public primary schools remain unfenced and vulnerable, stressing the need for communities to help identify risks and push for stronger protection measures.

 

“We have also introduced safe school initiatives because many public primary schools are not fenced and remain vulnerable. We want communities to become more involved in identifying risks and advocating measures that will make schools safer for learners and teachers,” she added.

 

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has intensified security deployment across the state following a reported threat suggesting a planned attack on schools.

 

The notice, which reportedly circulated in a school, sparked concern among parents and residents.

 

However, the police said preliminary assessments found no verified intelligence indicating any imminent attack in Lagos.

 

The Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, had ordered an immediate security review and the deployment of additional personnel to schools, strategic locations and vulnerable communities as a precaution.

 

“The Command wishes to reassure parents, guardians, school authorities and residents that there is currently no verified intelligence indicating any imminent threat of such an attack within Lagos State,” she said.

 

She added that security agencies are working jointly to prevent any criminal attempt to disrupt public safety, warning that those behind acts capable of causing panic would be dealt with according to the law.