The Oyo State House of Assembly has called for the immediate strengthening of the security architecture across public and private schools in the state.

The call comes on the heels of the recent abduction of students and teachers from Community High School, Esiele, and L.A. Primary School, Yawota, in Oriire Local Government Area.

The resolution followed a motion moved on Tuesday’s plenary by the lawmaker representing Ibadan South West Constituency II, Oluwafemi Oluwafowokanmi.

He urged the state government to deploy operatives of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to schools across the state.

Mr Oluwafowokanmi expressed concern that recent security breaches around schools, particularly the disturbing incident in Oriire Local Government Area, had raised serious concerns about the safety of students, teachers and educational facilities.

He noted that public schools were increasingly becoming vulnerable targets for criminal activities, including kidnapping, vandalism, cult-related violence and other forms of insecurity.

He said, “The present insecurity challenges in our nation, especially where schools are increasingly vulnerable targets for criminal activities, have become worrisome.

“I warn that the growing threats to school safety could discourage parents and guardians from sending their children to public schools. What then will be the hope of children of the less privileged and low-income earners whose only available means of education lies in public schools?

“At this moment, we cannot afford to keep silent on the need to take proactive security measures that would prevent the recurrence of the Oriire school attack elsewhere in Oyo State.”

He said the deployment of trained security personnel to schools, particularly those in rural communities and areas bordering forests, would strengthen surveillance, improve intelligence gathering, and guarantee a rapid response to security threats.

He stated that such measures would help restore parents’ and guardians’ confidence in the safety of their children and ensure that fear does not prevent access to education.

He commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his unwavering commitment to the security of lives and property and his continued support for the security agencies and the Amotekun Corps.

The speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, urged the state government, through the Amotekun Corps, to commence the phased deployment of trained security personnel to public and private primary and secondary schools across the state.

He called for priority attention to be given to schools located in rural areas, border communities and locations adjoining forest reserves.

“The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) collaborate with the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies in conducting comprehensive security audits of all public schools in the state,” he said.

He also called for the establishment of a school security initiative that would provide dedicated security personnel, communication gadgets, emergency alert systems and other security infrastructure for schools.

The speaker recommended developing and enforcing minimum security standards for all public and private schools, including perimeter fencing, controlled access points, and adequate lighting.

He advocated for sustained public awareness campaigns under the “See Something, Say Something” initiative to encourage the prompt reporting of suspicious activities around schools and communities.

“There is a need for the establishment of functional emergency response and quick-reaction units in each education zone in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Amotekun Corps.

“The integration of security education and safety drills into school curricula to equip students with basic safety awareness and emergency response skills,” he said.

The chief whip representing Atiba State Constituency, Gbenga Oyekola, said that the current strength of approximately 2,500 Amotekun personnel may not be sufficient to effectively secure all the schools across the state.

“I recommended the recruitment and deployment of additional security personnel, including trained local hunters and community-based security operatives, to complement the efforts of Amotekun and other security agencies,” he said.

(NAN)