Centre prevents 48 security threats on schools in 8 months
The National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) has prevented 48 security threats on schools across the country from February to date.
Dr Tersoo Shaapera, Commander of the NSSRCC said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
NAN reports that NSSRCC which was inaugurated on Feb.18, is situated at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) headquaters, Abuja.
He said that through collaborations, coordination and operations with relevant stakeholders and security agencies, the center had averted some attacks on schools especially in the North and South-East.
“That is the little I can say as we don’t share such information because it is a work in progress,” he said.
“This is not to say that security agencies have not been doing anything as there is a lot that the Police, NSCDC and the Military has been doing over the years.
“This figure is however relative to what the center has been able to achieve so far through its creation and mandate,” he said.
He said that in order to minimise physical responses, proactive measures are in place to effectively prevent and tackle the menace on schools and host communities.
He said that protection and response to schools was a collective responsibility of all personnel notwithstanding the departments or unit.
The commander said the NSCDC had deployed surveillance personnel to schools and host communities for information gathering and community engagements.
He added that the information gathered, gets shared to the center which is a combination of security agencies thereby harnessing security actions.
“Schools have channels of communication with security agencies and the Centre, that is why their data is on the security eco-system map which they use in contacting the Centre when need be.
“Schools that are under threats have through the channels communicated to the Centre and other security agencies and we are working on such information in line with our protocols,” Shaapera said.
Shaapera further said that the Center in collaboration with the Ministry of Education had written letters to schools informing them on how to effectively convey messages to the Centre.
“The Ministry sent letters to the Permanent Secretaries , Commissioners of Education at state level and the states sent to Local Government authorities before being sent to designated schools,” he explained.
He said that school authorities had been directed to register on NSSRCC website; nssrcc.gov.ng for effective and efficient communication process between the center and schools.
He urged schools yet to provide details of their schools to register with the Centre through the platform to aid the fight against insecurity experienced by schools.
The commander frowned at the nonchalant attitude and refusal of some citizens to share credible information that will aid in the fight against threats with security agencies.
“The situation seems to be changing through the sensitization, advocacy, trust building drive that we are on now.
“We have gotten promises from different organisations locally and internationally on partnerships so we are hoping that we are on the right path and the needed support will come based on the promises because the federal government cannot do it alone,” the Commander said