Police Launch Proactive Safe School Strategy to Secure Learning Spaces in Osun

The Nigeria Police Force has described its Safe School Stakeholders’ Forum held in Osun State as a proactive initiative designed to secure schools across the state, not merely a reaction to existing threats.

Commissioner of Police in charge of the School Protection Squad at the Force Headquarters, Abayomi Shogunle, clarified this during the second day of the forum, which took place at the State Government Secretariat in Abere.

Shogunle explained that the forum aimed to train the Police School Protection Squad and foster collaboration between all security agencies with roles in educational and community safety.

“This isn’t a reaction to an incident—it’s a forward-thinking plan to prevent incidents altogether,” he told Daily Post in an interview. “We want to ensure preparedness and response before threats even arise.”

He said the programme gathered a broad network of stakeholders including security agencies, school authorities, community leaders, and local government officials, all united by a common goal of safeguarding learning environments.

Shogunle disclosed that invitations were extended to the military, Department of State Services (DSS), Amotekun Corps, vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch teams, and other volunteer forces — all of whom participated in the forum.

“One key outcome is stronger inter-agency cooperation. We’ve emphasized intelligence sharing, early detection of threats, and quick response actions as vital elements of prevention,” he said.

In addition, Shogunle revealed that the Police are deploying technology like drones to monitor school surroundings, detect suspicious activity, and respond swiftly when needed. These surveillance drones are already in use across parts of Osun.

He emphasized that the Police initiative seeks full-scale protection of schools — from threat prevention to rapid response.

“We’re not just planning to respond efficiently when things go wrong. We’re training officers to stop these incidents before they even begin,” he stated.

The forum marked another step in Nigeria’s broader Safe School initiative, reflecting a nationwide push to fortify educational spaces against insecurity.