The Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, Bello Shehu, has instructed the Coordinator of the School Protection Squad to activate all protection measures aimed at enhancing the safety of students and staff in schools.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Aliyu.
He said that “the directive was given at a meeting with tactical commanders to review the command’s general security strategies in the state.”
Shehu “explained that this was in line with the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to prioritise safety and security around educational institutions.”
The commissioner also ordered the “deployment of additional resources to ensure the security especially in educational institutions” within the state.
Shehu urged the public to intensify support for the command’s crime-fighting efforts to help protect schools and communities.
He further advised the “public to timely report suspicious activities or concerns to the command.”
This comes amid reports of a concerning increase in school attacks and student abductions across northern states such as Kebbi and Niger.
The rising insecurity has forced several state governments to order full or partial shutdowns of schools as a preventive measure.