Don advocates special security coverage for schools
By Abubakar Imam
The Head of the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, University of Ilorin, Dr Monsurat Isiaka, has enjoined the Federal Government to swiftly inaugurate a special security arrangement that would take care of educational institutions, particularly in rural areas, across the country.
Dr Isiaka gave this advice last Tuesday (June 2, 2026) while speaking with UNILORIN Bulletin in her office on the recent abduction of some students and teachers in Oyo State.
The security expert, who condemned the abduction of innocent teachers and students from their schools, said that every hand must be on deck to ensure that such occurrence is effectively stopped.
Dr Isiaka noted that the phenomenon of student abduction started a little over a decade ago in Borno State, adding that it has so far been reported in three of the six geopolitical zones of the country.
She noted that 26 of such unfortunate incidents had been reported with 2416 students of primary and secondary schools losing their rights simply because they were pursuing learning.
The don explained that the way teachers and students are becoming easy targets of banditry and other forms of criminalilty needed to be tackled headlong before it goes out of hand.
Dr Isiaka advised that all schools must be properly fenced to ensure their safety. She said that schools protected by perimeter fencing are always difficult to penetrate by unauthorised individuals.
She explained that a situation where school compounds are being used as roads or thoroughfare or outrightly exposed to all manners of passers-by are not very secure for teachers and their students.
Dr Isiaka also advised that relevant security apparatuses should be mounted in strategic locations within school premises for swift detection of possible territorial violations and consequent prompt actions.
She also encouraged management of institutions of higher learning across the country to invest more in the security of their campuses.
The don also encouraged the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as sister law enforcement agencies to have a special team in each of their operational divisions that would be tasked with the responsibility of protecting schools. She also urged local communities to be more security conscious.
Dr Isiaka implored other stakeholders to work with the government and security agencies to stop the criminality before it forces students out of school, a situation that would impact negatively on national development.
