The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, yesterday called for stronger intelligence gathering, functional early-warning systems, and proactive collaboration between school administrations and security agencies to forestall attacks on educational institutions nationwide.
The police chief made the call on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, during the 7th Annual Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) Summit, held at The Providence Hotel in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Speaking under the summit’s theme, “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection,” IGP Disu, represented by senior police leadership, emphasized that security agencies cannot safeguard learning institutions in isolation. He noted that reactive measures must give way to continuous intelligence sharing, community-level vigilance, and institutional preparedness before threats escalate into security breaches.
IGP Disu stated that preemptive security rests on active intelligence networks and robust early-warning mechanisms embedded within local communities.
Referencing recent security incidents, including the abduction in Oriire, Oyo State, officials reiterated that no community or academic center can afford to assume immunity from security threats.
Mojeed Alabi, Chairman of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), urged media professionals and civil society stakeholders to track whether security allocations translate into functional emergency systems and teacher safety training on the ground.
The summit brought together key policymakers, including National Coordinator for Financing Safe Schools Hajiya Halima Iliya, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and representatives of the School Protection Squad (SPS).
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to deploying tactical assets, scaling up the School Protection Squad, and expanding local surveillance networks to guarantee a safe learning environment across all cadres of education.
