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IGP Disu Commended for Strengthening Police-Youth Engagement
The growing intersection of politics, youth vulnerability and the digital environment has created a new security challenge in Nigeria, where violence can now extend beyond streets, motor parks and political rallies to online platforms where threats, misinformation and criminal activities can be initiated and amplified.
Against this backdrop, the Lagos State Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, has urged young Nigerians to reject political violence, misinformation, cyber-enabled criminality and political exploitation ahead of the country’s next electoral cycle.
The call was made on Thursday during a Police-Youth Dialogue organised as part of activities marking International Youth Day 2026. The programme, held at the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) Secretariat on Oduduwa Street, Lagos, was themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
The event brought together youths, security agencies, student organisations, transport unions, community groups and media representatives in an effort to strengthen trust between young people and security institutions while encouraging youths to become active partners in maintaining peace and security.
The initiative was organised in line with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to strengthen police-community partnerships and promote proactive engagement with young Nigerians.
Addressing participants at the well-attended event, CP Tijani said the theme reflected the reality that despite differences in their social, economic and cultural circumstances, young Nigerians share common aspirations for security, dignity, opportunities and a better future.
He cautioned youths against allowing themselves to be recruited as instruments of political violence, noting that politicians who use young people for electoral violence often shield their own children from such risks.
“None of these politicians will use any of their children for electioneering, thuggery, violence or what have you. It is these different children of nobody. But for me, I want to believe that there is nobody that is nobody. All of us are very important at this point,” he said.
The police commissioner urged youths to look beyond immediate financial incentives and consider the long-term consequences of their decisions.
“Tomorrow is there for us. We should not think of today. We should always think of tomorrow. That tomorrow is more important than what we are today,” he added.
Tijani urged young people to reject attempts to recruit them to snatch electoral materials, intimidate voters, attack political opponents or disrupt elections, stressing that political participation should not be allowed to degenerate into violence.
He also highlighted the emerging digital dimension of political thuggery, noting that social media platforms can be exploited for threats, harassment, misinformation, intimidation and manipulation.
“Your phone is powerful. Your social media account is powerful. Your voice is powerful. Please use that power to build, not destroy,” he told the youths.
The CP advised young Nigerians to verify information before sharing it and exercise restraint when responding to provocative content online.
He also assured residents that the Police would provide a secure environment for lawful political activities while taking appropriate action against criminality and violence.
Call to Transport Unions
Tijani called on transport unions, particularly the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), to become active partners in preventing political violence.
He urged union leaders to ensure that their members were not recruited as political thugs or used to turn motor parks and garages into centres of violence.
“Please do not allow your members to be recruited as political thugs. Do not allow your garages or motor parks to become centres for political violence,” he said.
The commissioner similarly appealed to parents, educators, religious leaders, traditional rulers and community leaders to engage young people early, stressing that preventing criminal behaviour requires intervention before such behaviour takes root.
Army Backs Whole-of-Society Approach
The Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ayokunle Owolabi, described the initiative as timely, particularly in an increasingly interconnected society where both physical and digital spaces can be exploited to create security challenges.
Owolabi stressed that national security could not be achieved by security agencies alone, noting that young Nigerians must be regarded not merely as beneficiaries of security but as active partners in strengthening national resilience.
The Lagos State Coordinator of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), SP Olivia Amarachi Ugochukwu, also encouraged youths to become agents of positive change within their communities.
“Policing is everybody’s business. If you see something, say something,” she said, while urging the media to provide the public with verified information.
Ugochukwu disclosed that POCACOV would continue its sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities against drug abuse, cultism and other social vices.
“The change starts with us,” she added.
Broad Stakeholder Participation
The dialogue attracted representatives of the 9 Brigade Nigerian Army, 651 Base Service Group of the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy Beecroft, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Also represented were POWA, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), POCACOV, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), NURTW, RTEAN, Christian Religious Affairs Network (CRAN), National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) and youths from police barracks across Lagos.
Participants discussed issues surrounding policing, political participation, social media, cultism, thuggery, emerging security threats and police-youth relations.
Stakeholders Honoured
In recognition of their contributions to police-youth relations and community security, several stakeholders were honoured during the programme.
Among those recognised were Engr. Adigun Ibrahim Olalekan, Chairman of NYCN Lagos State; the President of NAOSNP, Mayor Oki O. Samson, who was recognised as a Police-Youth Advocate; as well as leaders of NANS and CRAN.
The recognitions highlighted the importance of collaboration between security institutions, youth organisations, the media and community stakeholders in promoting peace and security.
Building a Future of Peace
The dialogue underscored a broader message: Nigeria cannot address youth-related security challenges solely by responding to their consequences; it must also tackle the conditions that make young people vulnerable to exploitation.
As political activities intensify and digital platforms continue to influence public opinion, stakeholders stressed the importance of empowering young Nigerians to reject financial inducements, resist provocation, verify information and stay away from violence.
For Lagos and Nigeria at large, the challenge is therefore not simply to keep young people away from crime, but to give them a meaningful stake in peace and development.
While young Nigerians may come from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds, their aspirations for security, dignity, opportunity and a better future remain largely shared.
Protecting those aspirations requires a collective effort involving the Police, government, parents, communities, the media and, most importantly, young Nigerians themselves.
