Former IGP Mike Okiro Alleges He Was Sidelined from Safe Schools Initiative After Funding Was Approved

Former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, has alleged that he was excluded from Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative after the programme eventually received funding, despite being one of those who proposed and championed the project.

Speaking during an interview with Arise TV, Okiro stated that the Federal Ministry of Education had repeatedly informed him that the initiative could not be implemented due to a lack of funding. However, he claimed that once funds became available and the programme commenced, he was no longer involved and was left in the dark about its implementation.

“I brought a proposal. We had a series of meetings, committees and memos, but they kept telling me there was no money,” Okiro said. “When the funding eventually came, and the initiative started, I was screened out. I didn’t know what was happening anymore.”

The former police chief expressed disappointment, suggesting that his ideas may have been adopted without his knowledge while he was excluded from the process.

When asked whether he followed up on the proposal, Okiro insisted that he was never informed of developments, stating that the officials behind the project did not keep him updated.

The interview also referenced reports that about ₦144 billion was earmarked for the Safe Schools Initiative between 2023 and 2026, with concerns raised over whether the funds were properly utilised and whether they reached schools across the country.

Okiro declined to speculate on how the funds were managed, noting that a Senate investigation into the programme is already underway.

However, he maintained that anyone found to have misappropriated public funds meant to safeguard Nigerian schools should face the full weight of the law.

“This is public money meant to protect our children and schools,” he said. “If anybody took that money that was supposed to secure our schools, and that failure contributed to the deaths and kidnappings of students, they should be dealt with. The law must take its course.”

Describing the situation as “annoying,” Okiro lamented the continued insecurity in schools, saying many parents remain afraid to send their children to school.

“Somebody was given money to do this, and they didn’t do it. I just want to know who they are and what they did with the money,” he added.