The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has assured parents across Nigeria that the Nigeria Police Force is taking measures to protect children and strengthen security around schools nationwide.
Disu gave the assurance on Thursday during the flag-off of the Police Community Relations Committee’s Safe School Initiative in Abuja.
Represented at the event by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, the Inspector-General said the police had taken responsibility for strengthening security around schools and had developed internal warning and response mechanisms to enable institutions to quickly alert security authorities to emerging threats.
“I want to assure parents that our children are safe,” Disu said, stressing the need for stronger security measures amid concerns over the targeting of vulnerable locations by criminal and terrorist groups.
The Safe School Initiative is being implemented by the PCRC in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force and other stakeholders. The committee said it would mobilise 10,000 volunteers across the country to support efforts to protect schools and their surrounding communities.
The PCRC National Chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Ibraheem Olaniyan, said the initiative was designed to strengthen community participation in school security and move the committee beyond its traditional support for police formations.
According to Olaniyan, volunteers would work with the police, community leaders, vigilante groups and other stakeholders to improve security around schools, particularly those located in rural and remote communities.
He said the committee had also commenced the deployment of CCTV cameras as part of efforts to improve surveillance and early detection of suspicious activities around schools.
In the Federal Capital Territory, the PCRC national body is providing three CCTV cameras, while the FCT chapter is expected to provide an additional three. The committee plans to expand the surveillance programme to schools across the six area councils of the territory before extending the model to other parts of the country.
Olaniyan appealed to individuals and organisations to support the initiative by providing CCTV cameras and other resources required to improve security around educational institutions.
He explained that the cameras would allow authorities to monitor activities around schools even when the facilities were not occupied and could assist in detecting suspicious movements at an early stage.
The initiative will also focus on protecting teachers and addressing social vices among young people through sustained engagement with pupils and students.
The PCRC chairman said the committee would establish stronger links between schools and former students who have become professionals, including lawyers and judges, to provide mentorship and serve as role models for younger students.
The latest security measures come days after the Police raised concerns over intelligence indicating possible attacks on schools, places of worship, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations as the 2026/2027 academic session resumes.
The Police had said intelligence suggested increased mobilisation of terrorist elements and surveillance of potential targets by suspected insurgents and their collaborators. Security formations were consequently directed to intensify surveillance, patrols, access control and rapid-response arrangements around vulnerable locations.
The concerns have also prompted state-level security measures. In Anambra State, for instance, the police command recently announced enhanced deployments around schools and strategic locations as schools resumed for the new academic session.
The Anambra Police Command said the deployment was intended to improve security around schools, sensitise students on personal safety, assist children with safe road crossing and strengthen cooperation among police officers, school authorities, parents and host communities.
The PCRC urged communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies, emphasising that school security requires cooperation among government authorities, security agencies, school administrators, parents and local communities.
The Safe School Initiative therefore represents an effort to combine police presence, community participation, surveillance technology and early-warning mechanisms to reduce security risks around educational institutions.
As schools continue their new academic session, the police and the PCRC are calling on parents and communities to cooperate with security agencies while remaining alert to potential threats.
