The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) has expanded its community-based crime prevention campaign beyond schools to include transport unions, market leaders and other grassroots stakeholders in Lagos.
The sensitisation programme, held on Monday at the Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Secretariat Hall in Badia, brought together members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), traders, youth leaders, police officers and residents under the theme: “Say No to Drug Abuse, Cultism and Election Violence.”
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Hon. Jimoh Olawale Saliu, said the initiative marks a new phase in the council’s collaboration with POCACOV by extending sensitisation to motor parks and markets, where daily interactions significantly influence public behaviour.
He urged transport operators, traders and residents to reject drug abuse, cultism and all forms of criminality, warning that the council would not tolerate election violence or any act capable of disrupting public peace.
Representing the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Area Commander, Area B Command, ACP Onyinyechi Onwuamaegbu, described transport parks as strategic public spaces that must never be allowed to serve as breeding grounds for cult recruitment, drug trafficking or political thuggery.
She cautioned young people against allowing themselves to be used by desperate politicians to perpetrate violence during elections, stressing that the belief that cultism guarantees protection, influence or wealth is false and misleading.
The senior police officer also urged residents to report suspicious activities through official police channels instead of resorting to jungle justice, emphasising that community cooperation remains vital to effective policing.
Lagos State POCACOV Coordinator, SP Olivia Ugochukwu, said the campaign aligns with the Inspector-General of Police’s preventive policing strategy, which focuses on addressing the root causes of crime through public enlightenment, mentorship and sustained community engagement.
According to her, the sensitisation exercise will be replicated across other local government areas in Lagos, with stronger collaboration involving local councils, transport unions, market associations and private organisations.
She added that the initiative is aimed at promoting responsible citizenship, peaceful coexistence and public safety as political activities gather momentum ahead of future elections.
POCACOV maintained that preventing crime through awareness, community vigilance and positive youth engagement remains far more effective than responding after criminal acts have been committed.
(The Sun)