Security expert, Mr. Ona Ekhomu, has advised government at the federal and state levels to privatise the security of schools in the Northwest to prevent incessant abduction of school children by bandits.
Ekhomu, said: “clearly the governments don’ t have the security personnel resources to protect all schools. So they should award contracts for school security to private security companies who have the manpower and technology to protect schools and prevent abductions”.
Reacting to the recent rash of school kidnap incidents within the last week in Kaduna State,Ekhomu who is President of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), said that, “private security will act as force multiplication mechanism for government security forces if they are contracted to guard schools.”
He said that bandits have kidnapped over 600 students since January 2021 including the seizure of 39 students from the School of Forestry Mechanization in Afaka, Kaduna State, attempted mass kidnap of students at Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, Kaduna State and the abduction of three teachers from the Universal Basic Education School, Rema, Birnin Gwari LGA, Kaduna State.
Ekhomu argued that at present public schools all over the country were neglected in terms of security protective measures (or countermeasures).
