Following the killing of 47 students of the Government Science Secondary School in Potiskum, Yobe State, the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has advised the Federal Government to halt all political campaigns in the North East of the country and declare war on the Boko Haram terrorists, with emphasis on intensified military campaign in the areas under emergency rule.
The security expert said that the carnival atmosphere that accompany political campaigns would make mockery of the memory of innocent school students slaughtered by Boko Haram in the Potiskum attack and several other recent school attacks, including the abduction of the over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.
Ekhomu said that politicking in the states under Emergency rule was insensitive and detracted from the military effort.
He said that since Boko Haram has a penchant for attacking large crowds, political rallies could come under attack by persons bearing Improvised Explosive Devices and Vehicle Borne IED.
Ekhomu deplored the lack of security awareness in schools.
Ekhomu called for the implementation of tough security measures when students are in session, including good identification procedures, training of students in observation skills, security awareness training for students, IED recognition and response training, crisis management protocols including notification of suspicious packages or persons, evacuation of an area with suspicious package, reporting of suspicious objects to the school authorities and to security officials, and provision of armed security personnel to guard school buildings.
