POCACOV Preaches Against Bullying, Cultism, Other Vices As It Hosts Over 20 Schools In Children’s Day Event

 

 

The advocacy initiative of the Nigeria Police against cultism, Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) has used its Children’s Day event to task children and youths to avoid bullying, cultism, violence, and other social vices which may be harmful to them and other members of the society. The event attended by schoolchildren in over 20 schools in Lagos also happened simultaneously in many other states of the federation on Saturday 31st May, 2025, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report.

The NPF nationwide initiative which is built on the framework to empower youths with the capacity to avoid cultism and other vices has enjoyed tremendous successes since its launch by the NPF management team led by IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun. The Advocacy initiative is being led by the National Coordinator, ACP Olabisi Okuwobi and championed by worthy Nigerian leaders who were carefully selected and thoroughly checked.

 

Speaking at the POCACOV Children’s Day event in Lagos, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone 2 (Lagos and Ogun States), AIG Adegoke Fayoade noted about POCACOV, ‘We’ve been able to achieve more enlightenment on the part of the youth. More youth have taken to this idea of campaigning against cultism, drug addiction, and all that. So the campaign is gaining ground, and we are very happy about it. Youth should not partake in anything that is going to affect their academic progress, that’s going to affect their health, and that’s going to retard their progress. They should rather engage in ventures that will promote their educational excellence and that will be good for them, especially in terms of their productivity and their contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.’

 

On bullying, the AIG shared: My words for the perpetrators is that they should shy away from bullying, because bullying at the end of the day usually has negative effects. The effects may not be easy to quantify. Those that are bullied, the victims of bullying, should report to the appropriate authority. That is one of the things POCACOV is interested in, rehabilitation, education, enlightenment among others. They should present and report the case.’

The Chairman of POCACOV in Lagos, Dr. Moses Oladimeji said: ‘My message for the young generation is that don’t delve into something that is going to destroy your future. Your future is so bright. Give yourself the liberty to be a successful person and not to allow the things that are going on destroy your bright future, for example, don’t allow all this cultists around and all of these social vices to come into your life. Don’t delve into cultism because it’s going to destroy your journey.’

 

‘I’m so happy today that we have made an indelible mark, in the hearts of these children. Looking at what we have done for them today, we have debates, We had an art competition for them. We had poetry competition. We had interactive sessions. We had the children drawn from different places and from different schools.’

The National Coordinator, POCACOV, ACP Olabisi Okuwobi stated: ‘I just want to use this medium to thank the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun who thought it right to introduce preventive policing to complement law enforcement. The IGP believes that law enforcement alone cannot do it. Arresting, prosecuting, and maybe being in prison is not enough to curb crimes in our society because we discovered that some of them can go to prison and they come back, they still take to crimes. So the IGP feels that there’s a need for us to identify the root causes of all these criminalities and we should tackle it headlong.’

‘When we tackle it from the roots, we are sure that it’s not going to get faster. In a matter of five years, we’ll be able to measure our efforts so far in the advocacy, there’s going to be measurements of what we’re doing in POCACOV. These youngsters, in five years, are going to grow up to be, their age grade is usually the age where you have the population of criminals. But by the time they’re there now, in five years’ time, they’ll make informed choices and crime rates will come down. It’s something that we’re doing, we’re so consistent about it. The IGP believes so much in it.’

Also ACP Veronica Ameh-Akpa who represented the Commissioner of Lagos State Command, CP Olorundare Jimoh Moshood. ‘Today’s event by POCACOV is very impressive and for me, the consistency is gaining great attention and enlightenment. POCACOV has come to stay, and the campaign is gaining ground, and we are so happy about it.’

Special guests at the event shared their thoughts.

Chief Hakeem Oladipupo Ojora, the Bashiru of Ojora and Iganmu Kingdom who represented the Oba of Ijora, Oba Abdulfatai Aremu Aromire said: ‘We are very appreciative of POCACOV for the great program for our youth. All of us know what is going on in our society. It pertains to this cultism; our youth, and it’s our future so it’s better for every one of us to be part of this advocacy.’

The founder and President of World Humanitarian Organization for Peace and Equity, Chaplain James Mercy Babatunmibi highlighted: ‘This is what we need in our country, Nigeria. We’ve all been seeing the other vices across the globe, even here in Nigeria. So, the Nigerian Police is taking it upon herself to be sure that the cultism is totally cut to the zero level in Nigeria. This should be general assignment for everyone – organizations, ministries, churches, and also in schools. It’s all about education. It’s all about empowerment. It’s all about community development.’

The Founder of Okachi Charity Foundation, Faith Morey who is one of the partners for the Children’s Day party hinted that her organization sponsors kids from lower education, nursery to primary. ‘We align with POCACOV because they are actually preventing the kids from joining crime. We realize that most of the schools we associate with are schools who are from the low background, which is where you have an increase of crime. This is educating them on how to prevent crime, not only when they join crime.’

A reformed cultist and former national capon of one of the campus Cultist clubs from UI, Daniel Osita Collins who attended the event to share his personal experiences said: ‘It’s good that the Police is championing this. And this is the reason why the society must join hands with the Nigeria Police, for us to curb this menace. If there’s any bad thing we have today in the world, it’s the crime of cultism. And cultism have become a big threat to our society. It is linked to drug addiction, rape, arson, kidnapping. So what the police is doing is saving the youth before they fall into a ditch.’

‘As a former member and a victim, I must call myself a victim, it’s a privilege to join the Police to do this at this time. I really appreciate the IGP, the AIG Zone 2 and the ACP Olabisi who are championing this’, Collins said.

Schoolchildren who attended the event were full of praises for the Nigeria Police and the POCACOV for the event and for the initiative which is established to better the lives of youths in Nigeria.

Praise Ifunanyachikwu from Labelle Comprehensive College, Gbagada said: ‘This program has been able to impact my knowledge because it has shown me different ways to flee from cultism. It also made me realize that a life of sin is not good and, is of no use. Rather, I can live towards God and make my family proud.’

Another Student, Mercy Boluwatife from Godman Senior Modern College stated: ‘This program has really enlightened me and other students about cultism. It taught us the causes, the prevention, and so many things. It taught us to go on the right path and not in the wrong path. It has really helped us, students. It has exposed us to different things we don’t know and the consequences of cultism. If I see something like bullying, I would help the student they are bullying to report to the police and anyone I know that could help the child.’

Omaaka Joshua, from Elite College said: ‘I learned that cultism is bad, most especially for children of our age. It is not good for us. It will destroy our life before it even starts. We should stay away from cultism. Say no to cultism. I’m thanking POCACOV for what they did for us. It has encouraged us all.’