NSCDC partners NSSRCC to train personnel on school safety

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has partnered with the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) to train its personnel on school safety.

Speaking at the NSCDC Imo State Command Headquarters in Owerri on Thursday, the venue for the training, Mr. Joshua Kwubiri, an Assistant Commandant of the NSCDC, said the training aimed to build a secure learning environment for students and promote a healthy relationship between security officers and school host communities.

He urged NSCDC and NSSRCC personnel to take the training seriously and emphasized the importance of the exercise in combating security challenges faced by students.

He said, “It is our hope that the Safe School Program will foster efficiency, innovation, and the growth of schools in the Southeast zone.”

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In her remarks, the Principal Staff Officer of the NSCDC and Head of Operations at NSSRCC, Dr. Ifeoma Chukwu, stated that school security should encompass both moral and physical safety.

She said that Safe School officers must develop tactical ways to address child molestation and sexual abuse in schools.

She urged participants to educate students on the importance of speaking up despite threats from bullies and advised pupils and students to always seek ways to escape molestation and rape.

She said, “Children should not be exposed to strangers, whether by waving, accepting gifts, or displaying undue friendliness.”

She added, “Drop to the ground at the sound of a gunshot, and do not remain silent when things seem abnormal.”

The training featured NSCDC’s Safe School Coordinators and Desk Officers from the five Southeast states: Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Anambra.