By Florencemary Nwabueze
AWKA – The Anambra State Police Command has deployed police personnel, sister security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to schools and strategic locations across the state to secure school environments and ensure the safety of children, including assisting them in safe road crossing, as schools resume for the new academic session.
The deployed personnel have been instructed to maintain high-visibility presence, monitor activities within and around school environments, assist pupils and students, particularly during peak arrival and closing periods, and respond promptly to security concerns.
The deployment, under the Inspector-General of Police’s ‘Safe School Initiative’, is being supervised by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP Harrison Oruruo.
According to a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the operation is aimed at strengthening security around educational institutions, sensitising pupils and students on personal safety and security awareness, assisting schoolchildren with safe road crossing and providing other necessary policing services to maintain a safe and conducive learning environment.
The Command said the exercise is also intended to strengthen collaboration among the police, school authorities, teachers, parents, guardians, host communities and other stakeholders towards early identification, prevention and prompt response to security threats around schools.
Speaking, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, reiterated the Command’s commitment to the safety and protection of children, teachers, school authorities and other members of the school community.
He urged school authorities, parents, guardians and students to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, activities or emerging security concerns to the police or other appropriate security agencies.
CP Ama further emphasised that security is a shared responsibility, calling on all stakeholders to maintain effective communication with the police and other security agencies and provide credible information that will facilitate timely intervention.
He assured Ndi Anambra that the Command would continue to strengthen security visibility, intelligence-led policing, community engagement and proactive response around educational institutions across the state.
The Command also wished all pupils, students, teachers and other members of the school community a safe, peaceful and successful academic session.