Police Embarks on Youth Sensitisation, Moral Advocacy

The Nigeria Police, Ogun State Command, have urged academic institutions, civil society organizations, parents and community leaders to collaborate in guiding young people towards lives free from vices and harmful substances. At the 8th Set Academic Seminar of the Mass Communication Department at Al-Hikmah University in Abeokuta, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, discussed the connection between drug abuse and increasing violent crime during his presentation titled "Substance Abuse and National Insecurity: Building Responsible Youth Through Entrepreneurship."

According to Babaseyi, under the guidance of Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, the police have intensified non-kinetic crime prevention strategies through outreach programs targeting youth and multi-agency advocacy. Two major public sensitization initiatives conducted by the command include the Ogun State Chapter of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) and Peace Club Abeokuta, affiliated with the World Peace Initiative Foundation.

These initiatives focus on educating young people about the dangers of substance abuse, gang involvement and other social vices. Babaseyi emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship as an economic tool and security strategy, while also stressing the crucial role of media practitioners in promoting responsible public discourse to prevent youth-related crimes such as cultism, armed robbery and cybercrime.