Boko Haram: Lagos Orders Security Beef Up In Schools

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, July 14th, 2014

Following bombing of a Tank Farm in Apapa, Lagos recently, the Lagos State Government has ordered security beef up in all public schools across the state to forestall any attack by the Islamic insurgents.

The government urged principals and head teachers of its secondary and primary schools in the state to be safety and security conscious in their schools.

The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoja and the State Head of Service, Mrs. Josephine Williams who interacted with the teachers at the weekend noted that the advise became imperative in view of the prevailing security challenges being experienced in some parts of the Country.

They noted that government was concerned about the security of pupils and students in their schools, adding that everything must therefore be done to prevent any security breaches in public schools in the State, hence the renewed call on schools’ managers to be security conscious.

According to Olukoga, the lives of the pupils and students were entrusted into the care of the school managers from the time they assembled in the Schools in the morning till afternoon when schools closed for the day, hence the need for the managers to be security conscious at all times so that the state would not experience serious security breaches as being experienced in some states in the country.

“School managers are not to allow any strange person or occurrences happen within their school without challenging such a person and at the same reporting such activity to the appropriate security agency that are better trained and equipped to handle such an occurrence.

“I wish to specifically charge Principals of Boarding Schools not to release their students to anybody that is unknown to them and the child, even the drivers except their parents. Schools’ Managers should always be conscious of the next person beside them. Government is concerned about our safety, security and the general well being of every Lagosians,” Olukoga said.

The Head of Service, Williams stressed that the renewed call on Schools’ Managers to be security conscious was not informed by any suspected imminent untold security breaches in the state, saying there was the need for people to be security conscious at this particular time in the nation’s development cannot be over emphasised.

She added that it was imperative for everybody to learn from the experience of what is happening in other states so that such would not happen in Lagos State, adding that School Managers of the state primary and secondary schools should continue to inform the pupils/students to also be more aware of what happened within their surroundings.

Williams urged people to desist from spreading unverified security related text messages to their friends, family members or neighbours as they could not do anything about the contents of the message but rather forward such messages to security agencies who could do something about such text messages.

She disclosed that government on its part would step up on the improvement of infrastructure in schools, particularly perimeter fencing of schools in order to beef up security in the schools.

The Head of Service implored the school managers to always educate their pupils/students not to pick what did not belong to them and that whenever they observed any strange item, they should report same appropriately just as she urged the school managers to also educate their staff and food vendors on the need for safety and security consciousness.