A total of 2,814 primary and secondary schools in the country were said to have registered for the Safe Schools Response initiative to protect their students and teachers from violent attacks by bandits.
The Safe Schools Response was initiated by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in response to the increasing cases of attacks on schools by armed men
The Commander of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, Hammed Abodunrin, however, decried that the figure was not encouraging since the portal for registration was launched six months ago.
The National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre was established by the Federal Government saddled with the responsibility of coordinating safety and security responses against violence on schools and host communities.
Following the resurgence of the mass abduction of pupils, the Federal Government said schools in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, were at risk of attacks by bandits and insurgents.
The states include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Yobe, Katsina, FCT, Kebbi, Sokoto, Plateau, Zamfara, and three others.
An estimated number of 465 pupils, teachers, and women abducted in the past weeks are still in the custody of their captors.
Fifteen pupils of an Islamiya school in Sokoto State were kidnapped two weeks ago, less than 72 hours after, 287 school children and teachers were abducted from the LEA primary school and the Government Secondary School both at Kuriga, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Recall that Friday last week, the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, had called on state governors to establish Safe School Response Coordination Centres to forestall attacks and kidnappings in schools.
Abodunrin, who spoke with journalists, noted that the registration by schools was a continuous effort, adding that the Federal Government was writing to state governors to remind the schools of the need to register.
“The Safe School project took off simultaneously in all states but in phases. It is a four-year project that is designed to address the issue squarely between 2023 and 2026. All security agencies are involved. It began with sensitisation and training of security personnel late last year.
“Schools are to register on www.nssrcc.gov.ng detailing their addresses and at least a phone number. Registration is free. Any registered school will automatically be on the database with their coordinates for easy accessibility.
“Registration is a continuous process. As we speak, some may be registering. We have already informed the Minister of Education (State) and he is writing all governors to remind the schools in their states.
“We found out that some people are worried about taxes as a result of their registration. This is untrue. When needed, it’s for prompt action and early warning.
“More than six months after the website was up, the number of people who registered is still significantly lower than expected,” he said.
