By Aruga Joe Omokaro
Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Sir Mike Okiro, has reiterated his proposal to safeguard school children nationwide.
Speaking on Arise television recently on how to avert abduction of school children, Okiro recalled that, “in 2012 l proposed a special squad for all Federal Government Schools. But the government did not implement it. If my proposal was implemented, abduction of school children would not have been easy.”
According to him, his proposal was forwarded to then President Goodluck Jonathan, but was not implemented.
Unfortunately, the Chibox school girls were abducted in 2014, two years after Okiro’s proposal was kept in a cooler.
Okiro regretted that, “if my proposal was implemented, the Chibox girls may not have been abducted easily. “
The former IGP disclosed that, President Muhammadu Buhari invited him in 2018 on the exigency to implement his proposal. A move to protect school children from abductors by security agents.
He further disclosed that, one of the strategies to safeguard students is to build a fortified walls round the schools.
But he lamented that, inspite of Buhari’s determination to implement his proposal, those directed to do so failed. He disclosed that he discussed the exigency of his proposal with then Minister of Education. And the need to organise seminar for the teachers on how to safeguard their students.
There are about 103 Federal Government Schools spread across the country.
On State Police, the former IGP commended President Bola Tinubu for the initiative.
He said, “initially l was against it. But later l realise it’s importance.”
He expatriated the benefit of State Police. Buttressing his support, he noted that, “the type of crimes that are being committed in Rivers or in Edo State are different from the ones that are being committed in Borno or in Zanfara State.’
According to former IGP Okiro, “governors of each state know the type of crime being committed in his state. So, he knows what step to take to curtail such crime.”
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