The Ogun State Police Command on Thursday held a strategic security meeting with leaders from tertiary institutions, host communities, and students to address the escalating security threats within the state’s educational institutions.
Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alamutu spoke to the participants at the meeting held at the Police Officers Wives Association Hall in Abeokuta, the state capital, highlighting key challenges contributing to the security concerns.
Alamutu pinpointed issues such as mistrust, drug abuse among youths, and conflicts among the police, heads of tertiary institutions, and host communities as some of the major challenges.
He reassured key stakeholders of the command’s commitment to enhancing the security framework in and around schools, aiming to instill confidence in the general public.
The inaugural strategic security meeting, initiated by the state police commissioner, drew a substantial attendance from heads of tertiary institutions, members of host communities, traditional leaders, student leaders, and senior police officers.
The objective was to revamp the security infrastructure surrounding tertiary institutions in the state, responding to recent threats and incidents, including the unfortunate rape of some students at the state-owned Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, last month.
Several institutional leaders, recounting their experiences, attributed the challenges to factors such as drug abuse and hostility from host communities. They emphasized the need for an effective security framework to address the situation.
Urgent appeals were also made for collaborative and prompt actions by all relevant parties to counteract this concerning trend.