Secondary School Students in Nasarawa State have stressed the need for the federal government and the Nigerian Army to adopt a community-based approach to tackle terrorism and insurgency to enhance the safety of all learning institutions across the country.
The school children made the call during a public speaking engagement at the Federal Science and Technical College, Doma in Nasarawa State.
The Public Speaking Engagement which was organized by troops of the 4 Special Forces Command Doma in Nasarawa State was part of activities marking the 2024 Nigerian Army Day Celebration to provide an opportunity for the school children to interact with the soldiers on their mode of operations and other security concerns.
The Commander, 4 Special Forces Command Doma Major General Hilary Nzan in a remark, said that the initiative was to build confidence in the Nigerian Army to enable the young ones to develop a positive perception of what the troops are doing to secure the territorial integrity of the country.
Major General Hilary Nzan represented by the. Acting Commander Equipment Support of the 4 Special Forces Command, Colonel Ebiowei Odede stated that the driving force behind acts of terrorism and insurgency are drug abuse and ideologies hence the need to expose the school children to the dangers of indulging in criminal activities.
The Acting Commander 404 Engineers Brigade Colonel Uchechukwu Okoroji took time to respond to some of the pertinent questions raised by the students which included whether the Nigerian Army could stamp out terrorism in the country.
Some of the students Halima Isa and Kassam Seyilnen called on government and security agencies to develop a strategic plan aimed at sustainable intelligence gathering and information sharing to ensure the safety of school children.
The Principal of Federal Science and Technical College Doma Mrs Grace Golen remarked that the initiative was unprecedented coming at a time when there is a growing need for adequate security measures to protect the schools from terrorism and insurgency.
The Public Speaking Engagement featured a series of activities including paper presentations on Career Opportunities in the Nigerian Army, advocacy Against Cultism, Drug and Substance Abuse and The importance of imbibing honesty and integrity at all times.