News
2,851 schools lack fences, other security measures – NSCDC
A total of 5,474 primary and secondary schools across Nigeria have joined the Safe School Project in the past 11 months in a significant move to enhance the safety of students and teachers.
However, an alarming 2,851 of these schools lack basic security measures, The PUNCH gathered.
The Safe School Project is domiciled under the operation of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Following the abduction of 276 girls from their school in Chibok, a town in northeastern Borno State in 2014, the Safe Schools Initiative was launched by the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, alongside the Nigerian Global Business Coalition for Education and private sector leaders at the World Economic Forum Africa.
The initiative entails a combination of school-based interventions, community interventions to protect schools, and special measures for at-risk populations.
The project also includes training for teachers, students, and other school community members in basic safety and security skills.
Due to the resurgence of the mass abduction of pupils, the Safe School portal, www.nssrcc.gov.ng, was introduced last September to facilitate the registration of schools and enable swift and coordinated responses from security agencies in the event of an attack.
According to data from an app developed to monitor school registrations for the project via its portal and sighted by our correspondent on Sunday, nearly half of the registered schools lack essential security features such as fences, gates, and security guards.
It reads, “5,474 registered schools – 2,623 schools with basic security measures and 2,851 schools without basic security measures.”
The Commander of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, Hammed Abodunrin, highlighted the challenges faced in encouraging schools to register and comply with security requirements.
“What we do now is to go to schools ourselves. It appears that many school managers do not understand the process or do not want to register,” Abodunrin explained.
The Commander further noted, “Out of the 5,474 schools, over 4,000 were registered by our personnel from various local governments across the country.”
A Security consultant and the Managing Director, Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, Kabir Adamu, emphasised the heightened vulnerability of schools lacking basic security measures.
“The vulnerability exists. The threat elements exist in those schools. It is not acceptable. Risk management says where you have a viable threat; your mitigation measures or security systems must be adequate to lower the risk.
“The students in those schools are easily exposed to attacks and abductions because of security management practices,” Adamu stated.
Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, along with twenty-one other former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), elected into the Assembly has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following a major realignment of political stakeholders across the state.
The defection of the twenty-two lawmakers has effectively transformed the Delta State House of Assembly into a one-party legislature, as the remaining seven members were originally elected on the ticket of the APC.
Announcing the development on Tuesday during the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, the Speaker stated that the decision was the result of extensive consultations with their constituents and political leaders throughout the state.
He emphasized that the move aligned with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
While expressing appreciation to members for their contributions so far, Guwor urged the House to ensure the completion of all pending bills as the second legislative session nears its end.
He noted that the political shift towards the APC was in response to the realignment of stakeholders and the desire to align with the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“The mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to the All Progressives Congress was made in the overall interest of Deltans and the state,” the Speaker said.
He explained that the decision followed extensive consultations held on April 23 and which cumulated on the official reception on April 28, 2025, at the Government House and the Cenotaph, respectively.
He said: “We are fully committed to partnering with the Federal Government to deliver greater development to Deltans.
“On behalf of the House, I commend the courage and visionary leadership of our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, in making this strategic and timely decision.
“As a legislative body, we stand with His Excellency in this endeavour. This renewed partnership between the state and Federal Government must be supported and allowed to flourish, so that we can begin to enjoy its benefits in the shortest possible time.”
He informed the House that he had received twenty-two letters (including his own) notifying of the change of party affiliation from the PDP to the APC.
The defection, he said, was driven by instability within the PDP’s national leadership and factional divisions within the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, leading to internal conflicts and disunity within the party.
Citing Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Speaker affirmed the constitutional basis for the defection.
“With this action, the Delta State House of Assembly is now composed entirely of members from the All Progressives Congress. We thank our constituents for endorsing this progressive course of action”.
A motion to adopt the letters of party change was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, and seconded by Hon. Ferguson Onwo, who represents Isoko South II.
Speaking to journalists after the plenary, the Majority Leader, Hon Emeka Nwaobi reiterated that the defection was prompted by the crisis within the PDP.
“Our decision was based on the instability at the national level and the factionalization at the South-South level. Consequently, we chose to move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, in accordance with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” he said.
Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara have declined the invitation from the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, casting doubt on its constitutionality and legitimacy.
The committee called the governors and their state assemblies on Friday due to alleged constitutional infractions and governance shortcomings, according to a statement released by Chooks Oko, its head of media.
Legislative issues and deteriorating security conditions in both states have lawmakers looking for answers.
The suspension of 13 lawmakers who are thought to be against Governor Alia is at the center of the dispute in Benue.
The governor’s decision to suspend Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the state’s chief judge, caused a political controversy and charges of governmental overreach, which the suspended members had criticized.
A group of nine lawmakers who were suspended earlier still maintain their legitimacy and have called on Governor Lawal to show them the budget until 2025. The state now has a parallel legislative system as a result of this development.
Additionally, both states are battling long-standing security issues. Heavy-armed bandits continue to besieging Zamfara, committing extortion, livestock rustling, and mass kidnappings, especially in rural areas.
Deadly conflicts between armed herders and farmers continue to occur in Benue, endangering both human life and food production.
Prominent officials from both state governments have rejected the invitation, claiming that the National Assembly lacks the constitutional authority to call governors to discuss state issues.
Hyacinth Dajoh, the speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, played down the news, claiming he had not yet received an official invitation. “It’s all a social media issue. Maybe the letter may reach my office on Monday, but as of now, I cannot respond to it,” he said.
Governors are answerable to their state assemblies and residents, not the National Assembly, according to Zamfara State PDP Publicity Secretary Halliru Andi, who denounced the House committee’s move. “No amount of intimidation from so-called politically twisted committees or courts can derail our leadership,” Andi said
In the meantime, Zamfara’s factional lawmakers asserted that they had discovered schemes to attack them. “We are aware of plans to attack us and our families. We have a recording of the planned attack and have alerted security agencies in case anything happens to us,” they revealed in a statement.
The PDP and the Austin Agada-led APC group are among the opposition parties in Benue that have stated their support for the National Assembly’s intervention. Political analysts warn that the matter could lead to a protracted legal and constitutional battle between the two state governments and federal parliamentarians.
It’s still unclear as of this writing if the National Assembly would try to execute its summons or if the hearing will go forward as planned.
-
Opinion5 hours agoRIVERS, WIKE, FUBARA, AND THE WAY FORWARD
-
News15 hours agoMinistry denies awarding N13bn contracts without due process
-
News15 hours agoFULL STEPS: How to check 2025 JAMB results
-
News9 hours agoVDM may be released on Tuesday
-
Politics4 hours agoJust in: Delta PDP Reps members defect to APC
-
News15 hours agoCourt halts Abuja multi-million naira market project
-
News24 hours agoCourt delivers another judgement in favor of Amaewhule, others on Rivers Assembly crisis
-
News6 hours agoCourt bans Nnamdi Kanu’s in-law from 3 proceedings over live streaming