How secured are public schools in Lagos?

Richard Amuwa, a Lagos based security consultant posted on his facebook security 24/7 on radio and television that some parents residents around Agbado-Oke Odo and Meiran communities in Lagos have raised the alarm over the security of public schools in the state.

Amuwa named some of the schools as: African Church Primary Schools I and II and Community Primary School.

According to him, the parents told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews that the state government should urgently construct fences in the affected schools for safety of pupils. 

The residents, who spoke on Wednesday, said that the pupils were exposed to danger because of the location of the schools. 
They listed the affected schools as African Church Primary Schools I and II, Ile-Iwe, Meiran, and Community Primary School, Agbado-Okeodo. 

NAN observed that the three schools, located in the same premises, are along Ajasa Command road and Meiran road which intersect each other. 

Mrs Alimat Kareem, a parent of a pupil in one of the schools, told NAN that stakeholders had written several letters to the state government on the situation. 

According to her, lack of perimeter fencing, poor and inadequate facilities are posing danger to the pupils. 
Kareem said the pupils were also exposed to health hazards from pollutions, kidnapping and negative influences from street urchins. 

“When you visit the schools in the evening, area boys and hoodlums have taken ownership of the place, playing football and smoking Indian hemp. 

“Throughout the long holidays, government did not rehabilitate the schools.’’ 

Another parent, Mrs Kemi Oluwalogbon, also expressed concern on the increasing moral decadence among pupils, which she attributed to the current economic recession in the country. 

Oluwalogbon said the economic challenges forced parents to put their wards in such public school. 

She said that the increase in school enrolment had made it difficult for the security men to manage the pupils’ population in the schools. 
“The situation in the school is bad. 
“Children are kept in a school without perimeter fence and security gate in Lagos in this period of kidnapping and abduction. 

“Government should do something to safeguard the safety of the pupils,’’ she added. 

When contacted, Mr Seyi Adelusi, the Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said that the state government was aware of the situation. 
He assured that the board would rehabilitate the affected schools soon. 

Adelusi said that many primary schools had been earmarked for rehabilitation and that the schools in question would also benefit. 

“The schools will be rehabilitated soon; it is one of the cardinal programmes of this administration to rehabilitate schools and we have identified them. 

“The perimeter fencing in the schools will also be reconstructed as soon as possible,’’ he said.