Kunle ADELABU
– Youth ambassador charges parents, community on cultism, drug abuse
L-R, Mr Shakirudeen Olumde, LNSC Deputy Director incharge of Operations, Mr Yusuf Gbadebo, the representative of Ikorodu LG Chairman, Chief Babatunde Aboyade, the representative of the LNSC Chairman, HRM Oba Ajibade Agoro, the Ranodu of Imota, Kofoworola Adegboye, the representative of Ikorodu division on the LNSC Board and – Mr Ishola Laguda representing Lagos Division on LNSC Board at the One Day Stakeholders Interactive Seminar themed, ‘Neighbourhood Safety As A Strategy For Effective Crime Control In Lagos State’ held at the Ikorodu Town hall on Thursday
The Chairman of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Rtd. DIG Israel Ajao, on Tuesday, May 23, 2019, thanked stakeholders for their supports and cooperation while also seeking for further assistance to enable the agency achieve its objectives.
He gave this appreciation at the Ikorodu Town hall during a One Day Stakeholders Interactive Seminar themed, ‘Neighbourhood Safety As A Strategy For Effective Crime Control In Lagos State’.
The event, which was the 2nd stakeholders meeting in Ikorodu, also provided the agency the opportunity to showcase its achievements in Ikorodu division.
DIG Ajao was represented at the event by the representative of Ikeja Division on the agency’s board, Chief Babatunde Aboyade.
In his address at the event, DIG Ajao stated that the gathering was organized to present the achievements of the agency and also to call for more cooperation and support from sister agencies.
He commended the state government under the headship of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the leadership and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for deeming it fit to enact a law establishing the agency.
“This gathering is called to sustain the modest achievements that we have recorded as an agency in the last two years.
“Lagos State, being a cosmopolitan city, desires all focus and attention to safeguard the lives and properties of the citizenry.
“We commended the governor of the state, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, and the leadership and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for deeming it fit to enact a law that created the LNSC.
“The objective of the agency is to safeguard the lives and properties of the residents and we have been doing wonderfully well in this regard”, he stated.
“This is despite the fact that they (LNSC officers) are not carrying arms. Our officers have been using their intellects which are superior to any weapon in assisting the government and other security agencies.
“We thank the police and other security agencies for their assistance and cooperations. I want to appeal to them to continue to guide and tutor us because we are just evolving”, the Chairman appealed.
He stated further that security issue should be the concern of everybody while also calling for the support of the general public in making Lagos State safer.
DIG Ajao also stated that the purpose of the gathering was to appeal for support and cooperation of critical stakeholders.
“In actual fact, the purpose of this gathering was to once again request for the support and cooperation of other security agencies and stakeholders”.
The Ranodu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Bakare Agoro, in his royal goodwill message, commended LNSC for its roles in crime prevention and safeguarding the community since inception.
He also commended the agency and other security apparatus for maintaining a cordial relationship by sharing intelligence in protecting the community.
Oba Agoro also expressed his admiration for the parade of the LNSC officers at the event.
“I am particularly impressed with the display of the LSNC officers. I never believe that any agency can rival the Nigerian police in terms of perfect parade but the LNSC officers have shown that today”.
The monarch thereafter gave his royal blessing and acceptance.
“LNSC has come to stay because the agency has performed very well and I want them to continue in that regard”.
The representative of the Area ‘N’ Commandant, CSP Magret Okonkwo who is the Divisional Police Officer of Owutu Police Station, while also speaking, commended the LNSC officers in her division, describing them as “good officers” because of their dedication and commitment to duties.
She pledged the continuous support and cooperation of the police for LNSC.
“They have been sharing information and intelligence report with us. They also made arrests and handover suspects to us for prosecution. You should keep it up”, CSP Okonkwo said.
Earlier, Princess Kofoworola Adegboye, the representative of Ikorodu division on the LNSC Board, in her welcome address, thanked major stakeholders for their support for the agency.
Mr Lana Promise, the first Lagos State Youth Ambassador, while speaking on the “Role Of Young People In Ensuring Peace And Security”, stated that cultism and drug abuse among youths is now rampant and going out of hands.
He also stated that a large percentage of migrants coming into Lagos State on daily basis from other parts of the country and outside it are youths and warned that the situation calls for concern because it poses challenges.
“The percentage of youths in Lagos coupled with the large percentage of migrants (who are mostly youths) coming into the state daily is a challenge that we cannot continue to ignore.
He stated that the trend of cultism has changed from being a campus menace to “a dangerous trend in our primary and secondary schools and now our streets”, he lamented.
“Drug abuse is another big menace that enhances and influences these boys to engage in various kinds of social vices.
“We need to focus more on how to curb cultism and drug abuse in our primary and secondary schools”.
Mr Promise blamed the government for patronizing and promoting music acts that are promoting indecent acts and turning themselves to bad role models for the youths.
He called for more advocacies in schools and the communities to curtail these excesses while also proffering other solutions.
“We need to embark on more advocacies and campaigns. This will be a sort of a preventive measure.
“Parents should always take closer look at their children to notice change in their attitudes and mode of dressings. They need to be friends of their children to encourage them to be willing to talk to them at any time.
“Community Development Committee and Community Development Associations should play more supervisory and monitoring roles in the community. They must be concern with the happenings in there communities and expose any criminal act by young men and families trying to cover them”, he stated.
To the youths, Mr Promise enjoined them to resist the pressure of joining cult groups and indulging in drug abuse.
“Young people should always resist the pressure to join cult or do drugs.
“Young people must desist from emulating misleading celebrities”.
In the presentation of LNSC achievements in the last two years, the agency provided graphic details of what it has been able to achieve in the area of sharing of information with other security agencies, receiving support from foreign agencies, consistent interaction with traditional institutions and others and prevention of mob actions on suspects.
Others included rescuing children and handing them over to their parents and governmental agency, apprehension of criminals and handing them over to the police for prosecution, intervening in child abuse cases, rescuing accident victims, apprehension of cultists and other criminal elements and advocacy campaigns among others.
Other guests at the stakeholders meeting were members of the LNSC Board – Mr Ishola Laguda (Lagos Division), Chief (Mrs) Ronke Ogabi (Badagry Division). Also, Chef Jelili Oduntan, the Balogun of Igbogbo who represented the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, High Chief Musediq Alliu, the regent and Olisa of Ijede and Mr Shakirudeen Olumde, LNSC Deputy Director incharge of Operations.
There were also representatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Legion, Department of State Security, Onyabo Vigilance group, Agbekoya Security group, Community Development Committees among others.
