IGP Egbetokun launches Safe Schools Initiative in Osun

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Monday launched the Safe Schools Initiative and inaugurated the Schools Protection Squad (SPS) in Osun State, urging joint efforts to protect schools from security threats.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day Safe Schools Stakeholders Forum at the Local Government Civil Service Commission Hall in Abere, the IGP—represented by AIG Zone XI, Emuobo Fred—said the safety of students, teachers, and school environments is now a national priority.

“As sanctuaries of knowledge and nurturing grounds for future leaders, our schools are pivotal to national development. Their security is paramount, and it is our collective responsibility to shield them from potential threats,” he said.

He noted that the newly inaugurated Schools Protection Squad would deploy modern technology and intelligence-led policing to ensure a proactive law enforcement presence around educational institutions.

The National Coordinator of the SPS, CP Abayomi Shogunle, said the safety of schools remains a focus of the Federal Government. He cited a 2021 report showing that between 2012 and 2016, over 600 teachers were killed in school attacks and more than 19,000 displaced.

This situation, he added, led Nigeria to sign the Safe Schools Declaration in 2019, alongside 118 other countries committed to protecting schools from conflict-related violence.

Osun State Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Gotan, said the forum aims to build collaboration among education stakeholders, law enforcement, and community leaders to secure the learning environment.

Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by Deputy Governor Prince Kola Adewusi, stated that Osun has recorded no school attacks so far, and stressed the need for continued cooperation to sustain that record.