The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has
assured Nigerians of swift and coordinated responses to
threats against students across the country.
Speaking during a visit to the Tertiary Education Trust
Fund headquarters in Abuja, Aneke emphasised that
protecting students in tertiary institutions remains a
priority despite the logistical challenges posed by Nigeria’s
size and terrain.
“Security is not something you want to discuss fully in
public, but to give some insight, Nigeria is a very large
country with challenging terrain. But children must go to
school,” Aneke said.
He stressed the need for rapid response capabilities,
particularly in remote areas.
“The challenge is always the elapsed time between when
an event occurs and when help arrives. But luckily, the Air
Force has speed and reach.
“We are working with the appropriate authorities to put
measures in place so that if a difficult situation arises, just
with the push of a button, the nearest Air Force unit can be
activated,” he said.
The Air Chief appealed for public patience and recognition
of the sacrifices made by security personnel.
“While Nigerians sleep, many of my officers and men are
putting their lives on the line, flying in the middle of the
night and responding to emergencies.
“I want to implore Nigerians to be a little patient, because
a lot of people are sacrificing a lot,” he added.
Aneke’s remarks came as the Executive Secretary of
TETFund, Sonny Echono, outlined measures being taken
to enhance campus safety across universities and colleges.
“First is addressing the basic issues of security, such as
fencing, illuminating our campuses, ensuring that every
corner of our campuses is visible, and equipping security
personnel with walkie-talkies and communication
facilities.
“But more importantly, from a fundamental perspective,
we are currently designing a security master plan,” Echono
said.
He explained that the fund was working with the Office of
the National Security Adviser and other security agencies
to extend the Safe Schools Initiative to tertiary
institutions.
“Only last December, we invited all the heads of
institutions and heads of security around our campuses to
brainstorm and come up with ways to prevent incidents
and respond in the event of one. How do we prepare our
students and staff in such situations?” Echono said.
The TETFund boss noted that security quadrants had been
established in each institution to coordinate resources
from the Army, Navy, Civil Defence, Police, and the Air
Force.
“It is also for this reason that the Board of Trustees of
TETFund established a special intervention line. We call it
security infrastructure. Every year we fund it, and this year
is the first time we have a specific allocation for support
for security agencies,” he added.
In recent years, Nigeria has faced growing concerns over
security in its educational institutions, with reports of
kidnappings, violent attacks, and other threats disrupting
learning and instilling fear among students and staff.
The government has sought to address these challenges
through initiatives such as the Safe Schools Programme,
which originally focused on primary and secondary
schools but is now being extended to universities and
colleges.
Tertiary institutions have become a particular focus due to
their large campuses and diverse student populations,
which can make monitoring and emergency response more
difficult.