The Lagos State Police Command has launched a National Campaign Against Political and Digital Thuggery, alongside a Police-Youth Dialogue held to commemorate International Youth Day 2026. This year’s celebration was themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
The initiative, carried out in line with a directive from Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu, was designed to strengthen relations between the Police and young people, promote responsible citizenship, and raise awareness against political thuggery, digital thuggery, and other criminal activities.
The event took place at the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) Secretariat on Oduduwa Street, Lagos, drawing a wide range of stakeholders.
These included representatives from sister security agencies, the 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, the 651 Base Service Group of the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy (Beecroft), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Also in attendance were the POWA Chairperson and members; the Lagos State Coordinator and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV); the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC); the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN); the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS); the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW); the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN); the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN); the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP); and youths drawn from police barracks across the state.
The programme’s centrepiece was an interactive Police-Youth Dialogue that gave participants a platform to discuss issues affecting young people, including police-youth relations, policing and security, political participation, social media use, cultism, thuggery, and other emerging security concerns.
Police officials noted that while young people come from varied social, economic, and cultural backgrounds, they share a common desire for a peaceful, secure, and prosperous society. Participants were urged to direct their energy, creativity, and influence toward positive development, and to reject violence, intimidation, misinformation, and the misuse of digital platforms for criminal ends.
As part of the event, Engr. Adigun Ibrahim Olalekan, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Lagos State, was honoured with an award as Police-Youth Ambassador in recognition of his contributions to police-youth relations and community security. The leaders of NANS, CRAN, NAOSNP, and the youth wing of the PCRC were also recognised for their support in advancing security, youth engagement, community policing, and safety across the state.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner of Police for Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, commended the participating organisations, youth leaders, security agencies, and other stakeholders for their involvement. He called on youth leaders, transport unions, student bodies, community groups, the media, and other stakeholders to take ownership of the campaign by continuously sensitising their members against political thuggery, cultism, cyber-enabled crime, and other forms of violence.
CP Fatai stressed that security remains a shared responsibility and urged Lagos residents, particularly young people, to support security agencies by providing credible and timely information to help prevent crime and sustain peace across the state.
The event was announced in a statement issued by SP Abimbola Adebisi, Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ikeja.
