What Borno govt must do to prevent Dapchi, Chibok incidents – Police

The Nigeria Police on Thursday advised the Borno Government to merge some schools in remote locations to enhance the security of the students.

The police commissioner, Damian Chukwu, gave the advice at a monthly police officers meeting in Maiduguri.

The police’ advice comes weeks after over 100 schoolgirls kidnapped from their school in Dapchi, neighbouring Yobe State, were freed. One of the girls is still with the kidnappers, Boko Haram. A similar kidnap occurred about four years ago in Chibok, Borno State. Over 100 of the Chibok schoolgirls are yet to be freed.

Mr Chukwu said that the measure was imperative in view of the ongoing military operations in parts of the state.

He also told the meeting that police had deployed 3,000 personnel to protect both teachers and students in public schools.

The commissioner said that police personnel were deployed in compliance with the presidential directive to secure schools in the state.

According to him, the command has adopted proactive security measures to ensure the protection of the students both within and outside the schools.

“The policemen were deployed to cluster areas with high concentration of schools.

“The deployment was done despite the command’s operational challenges.

“The deployment is to ensure that the schools are adequately protected against any threat.

“Effective measures have been put in place, in all nook and crannies of the state, to ensure the protection of students while on their way to schools and way back home,’’ he said.

He remarked that the recent visit of the Inspected General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to the northeast, was aimed at ensuring maximum security of the schools.

According to him, the command has deployed personnel with special anti-terrorism units to the liberated communities to protect lives and property in the state.

While commending men and officers of the command for their gallantry, Mr Chukwu tasked them to be more dedicated to duty.

He, however, warned that the government would not condone a repeat of the Dapchi school incident.

The police boss also commended the state government for its support to the command.

He called on the people to provide useful information on suspicious persons to the security agencies.

The News Agency of Nigerian reports that the police, in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), deployed personnel to public schools in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.