FIC Report (Abia State) – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abia State Command, has commenced a comprehensive statewide Safe School Security Sensitization and Reach-Out Programme aimed at promoting security awareness, safeguarding students, and fostering a safer learning environment across schools in Abia State.
The initiative, which officially began on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, is being implemented in partnership with the Civil Defence Officers’ Wives Association (CDOWA), Abia State Chapter. The programme is designed to educate students, school administrators, teachers, and other education stakeholders on emerging security threats, personal safety measures, self-defence, and the dangers associated with illicit drug abuse and trafficking.
Speaking during the official launch of the programme at the Command Headquarters in Umuahia, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Commandant Chukwuemeka N. Odimba, FCIA, KSM, JP, described the initiative as a strategic intervention aimed at building a culture of security consciousness among young people.
According to the Commandant, the safety of school children remains a top priority of the Corps, stressing that creating awareness at the grassroots level would significantly contribute to reducing insecurity and promoting peaceful coexistence within communities.
He explained that the programme was conceived following the Command’s recently concluded security assessment tour of Unity Schools, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics, and Universities across the state. The assessment, he noted, revealed the need to embark on the second phase of the Safe School Project, focusing on reorientation, awareness creation, and community outreach.
Commandant Odimba stated that the sensitization campaign forms part of the Command’s broader strategy to strengthen school security architecture, enhance emergency preparedness, and equip students and teachers with practical knowledge needed to identify and respond to potential security threats.
He further emphasized that the collaboration with the Civil Defence Officers’ Wives Association (CDOWA) has greatly enhanced the impact of the programme. He commended the State Chairperson of CDOWA and wife of the State Commandant, Lady Ijeoma Odimba, for her unwavering commitment to humanitarian service and youth development.
The Commandant praised the Association for its numerous interventions aimed at improving the welfare of children and families, including the provision of educational materials, scholarships for indigent students, sanitary products for the girl child, and regular sensitization programmes that promote peace, discipline, and moral values within communities.
As part of the outreach, officials of the Command and members of CDOWA visited Comprehensive Secondary School, Umuda, where the Head of the Safe School Unit, CSC Umezurike Chinyere, delivered an interactive lecture on personal security awareness, safety precautions, emergency response, and basic self-defence techniques.
She encouraged students to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities promptly, avoid drug abuse, and contribute to maintaining a safe and peaceful school environment.
The sensitization session was followed by the presentation of educational materials and other support items to students as part of efforts to encourage learning while reinforcing the importance of security consciousness.
The Principal of Comprehensive Secondary School, Mrs. Ezenwa Ngozi A., expressed profound appreciation to the NSCDC and CDOWA for bringing the programme to the school. She described the initiative as timely and impactful, noting that it goes beyond the protection of lives and property to instilling discipline, patriotism, and a strong sense of responsibility among students.
The outreach team also visited Abayi Community Secondary School, Abayi, where students and teachers participated in similar security awareness sessions. The Principal, Mr. Francis Victor Pecker, commended the Corps for the initiative and appealed for the programme to be sustained and extended to more schools across the state.
Other beneficiary schools visited during the exercise include Ogbodiukwu Community Secondary School, Ogbodiukwu, Umuahia South Local Government Area, and Lohum Secondary School, Bende Local Government Area, where students equally received security education and educational support materials.
The Abia State Command of the NSCDC reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the Safe School campaign to all parts of the state. According to the Command, more schools will benefit from the sensitization programme, with additional donations of study materials, sanitary products for female students, and other educational support aimed at improving learning conditions and promoting school safety.
The Command also called on corporate organizations, development partners, philanthropists, community leaders, and other stakeholders to support the initiative through strategic partnerships that will enable the programme to reach every school in Abia State.
The NSCDC reiterated that ensuring the safety of schools remains a shared responsibility and reaffirmed its dedication to working with relevant stakeholders to build secure learning environments where children can thrive without fear.
The Command maintained that through sustained public enlightenment, community collaboration, and proactive security measures, it remains committed to achieving its mandate of creating a safer, more secure, and crime-free society for all residents of Abia State.
Onyebuchi Juliet Nwabu.
FIC Correspondent: Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
22rd July 2026.
