By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor-in-Chief, People’s Security Monitor

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Command, says it reached 65,432 students in 182 schools across the state between July and September 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen school safety and prevent abductions.

The campaign, conducted under the leadership of the State Commandant, Augustine Padonu, covered communities across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State, including Ibadan, Saki, Igboho, Iseyin, Okeho and Iwere-Ile.

The outreach was coordinated by the Command’s Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre following the abduction of pupils and staff members from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026. The incident reinforced the need for sustained security awareness, preventive measures and closer collaboration between schools and security agencies.

Rather than limiting its response to public appeals, the Command took its sensitisation campaign directly to schools, engaging students during assemblies and other school activities. The programme emphasised vigilance, awareness of one’s surroundings and the importance of promptly reporting suspicious persons, objects and activities.

Among the schools that recorded high student participation were Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, with 2,500 students; Baptist Secondary School, Koso, Iseyin, with 2,200; Community Grammar School, Sasa Junior, with 2,210; Community Grammar School, Sasa Senior, with 2,020; and Badeku Community Grammar School, Inukan, with 950 students.Other schools reached included Koso Community Grammar School, with 958 students; Muslim Primary School, Modeke, Igboho, with 1,400 pupils; Quiet College, Osengere, with 215 students; Community High School, Osengere, with 205 students; and Ansarudeen Primary School, Ogbooro, with 425 pupils.

The campaign also extended to schools in communities where surrounding bushes and porous access routes presented additional security concerns.The sensitisation sessions addressed kidnapping prevention and personal safety, identification and reporting of suspicious persons and movements, drug abuse, cultism, peer pressure, bullying, gambling and loitering around school premises.

Other areas covered included gender based violence, child rights, protection of the girl child, restricting students from leaving school premises without authorisation, emergency response, evacuation drills and first aid.The programme also encouraged the establishment of Safe School Vanguard Clubs to promote security awareness among students and foster a culture of vigilance within school communities. Practical measures included initiating bush clearing around school premises and encouraging community participation in protecting educational facilities.To strengthen the initiative, the NSCDC collaborated with Parent Teacher Associations, school authorities, traditional rulers, non governmental organisations and other security agencies. The partnerships were intended to improve information sharing, encourage early reporting of security threats and promote collective responsibility for the protection of pupils, students, teachers and other school personnel.

Commandant Padonu reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring that children could pursue their education in a secure environment.“The safety of our children is non-negotiable. After what happened in Oriire, we resolved that no child in Oyo State should go to school in fear. Safe Schools is not just a programme; it is a promise that we will contribute to the security of our schools. We will continue to sensitise, train and protect, because every child deserves to learn in a safe and secure environment,” he said.Despite the progress recorded, the State Commandant identified operational challenges affecting the campaign’s reach and the capacity to respond promptly to emergencies.

These include inadequate patrol vehicles for reaching schools in remote communities, insufficient communication equipment for real time coordination and a shortage of portable public address systems for engaging large student populations.

Other challenges include inadequate printing, information and communication technology and presentation facilities, a lack of first aid and emergency rescue kits, and the absence of a fully equipped Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre.The Command consequently urged school owners and administrators to take urgent practical steps to strengthen security within their premises. These include fencing school compounds, providing adequate lighting and security personnel, clearing surrounding bushes and farms, controlling access by visitors and engaging licensed private security guards where necessary.

The Command also appealed to the Oyo State Government, local government councils, corporate organisations and well meaning individuals to provide logistical and material support to sustain the initiative and strengthen the protection of schools across the state.Parents, teachers, community leaders and residents were urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities around schools to the nearest NSCDC formation.

The Command stressed that protecting schools requires sustained cooperation among security agencies, government authorities, school administrators, parents and host communities to ensure that children can learn without fear of abduction or other security threats.