* CP Kankarofi charges officers to respect human rights of citizenry
The stakeholders in kogi state have identified erosion of family, religious values, get rich quick syndrome and weak education as enabler for high rate of crime and criminality in the country.
The Stakeholders made the submission at the 2026 International Youth Day organized by the Kogi state command held on Saturday in Lokoja,
The seminar with the theme : Different Context, Common Aspirations brought people from the academia, religious bodies, Youth organizations, Security agencies, NGOs the press and women groups to discuss issues that affect the youth.
The panelists argued that the government at all levels have not done enough to positively occupy the minds of the youth that will shift their attention from crime and criminality.
The panelists stated further that the collapse of family values and religious bodies shifting from preaching and inculcating moral values to their congregants, have rather dwell more on prosperity sermons, fuelling the craze for the youth to make money at all cost which exposes them to all manners of social and economic vices.
Also, the weak educational systems which concentrate on theories rather than practical training has created armies of graduates unemployment making idle minds susceptible to manipulation
The discussants charge the Federal Government and state governments to review the curriculum in favour of Technical and vocational education where students will have hand on training that enable graduates to create jobs than searching for non existence jobs.
It was also suggested that not only to establish Technical colleges , it should be accorded massive investment in infrastructure and human resources that could be outsource globally
They also called for the abolition of discrimination between certificates from the polytechnic and University, hinting that the discrimination has lead to mass admission seekers to the Universities which have been overwhelmed with inadequate critical infrastructure for teaching and learning.
They appeal to parents not to neglect the vital role of nurturing and imbibing good moral behaviours in their children and wards, reminding that the family is the first point of socialization, that ought to shape the children to function properly in the society.
“The failure of the family and the religious bodies to engeander right moral teachings have entrenched deviants with consequences on the society.”
While warning government officials from flaunting ill gotten wealth charged Governments to come up with policies that are youth centric.
Earlier, the Commissioner of police, kogi state command , CP Naziru Kankarofi warned police personnel against tampering with the Rights of citizens urging them to be professional at all times.
He said the society is evolving very fast which requires new ways of doing things as nothing is hidden, hence, officers are expected to imbibe modern method of policing to avoid running fouls of the law.
He said the theme of the celebration reflected the common aspirations of young people, regardless of their different backgrounds and challenges, including peace, security, opportunity, dignity and a better future.
He added that the Command adopted the campaign theme, “My Future Is Greater Than Political and Digital Thuggery,” as a call to young Nigerians to recognize the value of their future and resist being used to promote violence, political manipulation, online abuse, misinformation and criminal activities.
According to CP Kankarofi, young people are not merely leaders of tomorrow but important partners in building a safer society today.
It noted that the energy, creativity, influence and understanding of the digital space possessed by youths could either be harnessed for peace and development or exploited to create division and violence.
The Police Command emphasised the importance of youth participation in effective policing, stressing that trust and cooperation between the police and young people were essential to preventing crime and maintaining peace.
It said the Youth Campaign Walk and the moderated Police–Youth Dialogue organised as part of the celebration were designed to provide opportunities for interaction, listening, confidence-building and the identification of practical solutions to security challenges confronting communities.
The Commissioner urged youths to use social media responsibly by verifying information before sharing it, avoiding hate speech and rejecting content capable of inciting violence.
It also warned young people against allowing themselves to be recruited as instruments of political violence during electoral activities, stressing that no political ambition was worth sacrificing their lives, freedom or future.
The Command encouraged youths to participate peacefully in democratic activities, exercise their civic responsibilities responsibly and remain committed to peaceful coexistence.
Reaffirming its commitment to youth engagement, CP said he would continue to maintain an open channel of communication with youth organisations, student bodies, religious groups, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in strengthening security across the state.
The Commissioner appreciated the organisations and individuals who participated in the International Youth Day activities, particularly youth and student representatives, for their commitment to peace and responsible citizenship.
It also commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for his leadership and support for initiatives promoting meaningful engagement between the Nigeria Police Force and young people.
The Command said the IGP’s emphasis on community-oriented policing, youth engagement and proactive crime prevention had further strengthened the understanding that effective policing was not based solely on enforcement but also on partnership, trust and dialogue.
The Kogi State Police Command pledged its continued support for the vision of building a policing system where young people are heard, valued and actively involved in creating safer communities across the state.
