Revive the Schools Protection Squad Before Another Tragedy Strikes -By Kelvin Adegbenga

The horrifying abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State on May 15 has once again exposed the frightening vulnerability of Nigeria’s educational institutions. The raid on three schools, which reportedly led to the kidnapping of about 32 persons, including the gruesome beheading of mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, is not just another security breach. It is a national emergency and a painful reminder that terrorists and criminal gangs are steadily expanding their reach beyond Northern Nigeria into the South-west.

For years, mass abduction of students has become a dark pastime of terrorists operating in parts of Northern Nigeria. From Chibok to Buni Yadi, Kankara, Kebbi, and Papiri, schools have repeatedly turned into theatres of horror. Innocent children have been stolen from classrooms, teachers murdered, and communities traumatized. Sadly, about 91 of the Chibok schoolgirls are yet to be rescued 12 years after their abduction. Nigerians are tired of condolences, excuses, and routine assurances that never translate into lasting security.

What happened in Oyo State proves that no region is immune anymore.

This is why the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force must urgently revive and strengthen the Schools Protection Squad (SPS), an initiative launched by former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on July 31, 2023. The Schools Protection Squad was not merely a ceremonial security programme; it was a proactive initiative specifically designed to enhance security and safety in educational institutions across Nigeria.

The SPS was part of the former IGP’s broader policy aimed at protecting lives and property, especially the safety of schools, students, teachers, and educational infrastructure. At the time of its inauguration in Abuja, former IGP Egbetokun also unveiled a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) handbook for the Safe Schools Programme. The special unit was tasked with safeguarding students, teachers, and school facilities within the Federal Capital Territory and across the country.

Unfortunately, like many laudable initiatives in Nigeria, the momentum appears to have faded after the retirement of its initiator. That should not happen.

The Schools Protection Squad should never end with the retirement of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun. Good policies must outlive individuals because national security is a continuous responsibility. The current police leadership under the IGP Disu administration must immediately reactivate, fund, and decentralize the SPS structure nationwide.

If effectively revived and strengthened, the SPS can significantly prevent attacks on both private and public schools and create a secure and conducive learning environment free from fear, panic, and violence. Security around schools must become intelligence-driven, technology-supported, and community-based.

One of the most commendable aspects of the initiative was the establishment of a 24/7 Command and Control Centre where distress calls could be processed and acted upon immediately. This is the kind of rapid-response mechanism Nigeria desperately needs today. In many of the past school attacks, delayed response from security agencies contributed heavily to the scale of the tragedy.

The present police management should urgently convene stakeholder integration meetings across all State Commands to ensure that every one of the 774 local government areas participates actively in SPS collaboration. Security cannot be left to the police alone. Effective school protection requires cooperation between the police, local communities, traditional institutions, the presidency, civil society organizations, school administrators, parents, and local vigilante groups.

Beyond reviving the SPS, Nigeria must also confront the broader debate around state policing. Many underserved and rural communities lack adequate security presence because the Nigeria Police Force remains overstretched. Establishing state police structures would provide more personnel and localized intelligence capabilities, especially in vulnerable communities where federal policing alone has proven insufficient.

The killing of Michael Oyedokun should shake the conscience of the nation. A teacher whose only mission was to educate children was abducted and brutally murdered in cold blood. That barbaric act has sent fear across Oyo State and beyond. Parents are now afraid to send their children to school. Teachers feel unsafe in classrooms. This is dangerous for a country already battling an education crisis.

The government must rise beyond rhetoric and act decisively. The abducted Oyo pupils and their teachers must be rescued immediately before the situation deteriorates further. Nigerians have lost patience with official explanations that produce no results.

Schools are supposed to be centres of learning, hope, and national development, not hunting grounds for terrorists and kidnappers.

Reviving the Schools Protection Squad is no longer optional. It is an urgent national necessity.

Kelvin Adegbenga is a public affairs analyst and writes from Ibadan, Oyo State. Email: kelvinadegbenga@yahoo.com X: kelvinadegbenga