The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu has directed all states commands of the Nigeria Police, to domesticate Police Campaign Against Cultism and other Vices, POCACOV, programs.
He gave this directive after the National coordinator of POCACOV, Csp Ebere Amaraizu and other officials, submitted copies of Spatio Temporal Analysis of cultism in some parts of the country, which was prepared by the IGP MA ADAMU POCACOV Resource Centre, Enugu.
A statement by Onuora Aninwobodo, the POCACOV Media Officer, said IGP Adamu was equally decorated with the branded POCACOV T=Shirt with the number POCACOV 1, during the presentation.
The POCACOV) is an initiative that is aimed at saving Nigerian youths from the claws of cultism and other vices through advocacy, awareness creation, sensitization and re-orientation, and School and community outreaches, amongst others.
“The programme is informed, firstly, by the realization that there is a correlation between cultism and other violent crimes involving our youth population.
“Secondly, is that deep-rooted and socially-driven crimes like cultism are best mitigated through a strategy that is premised on community policing practices which encourages building partnership towards addressing delinquencies that threaten our communal values.
“As a campaign anchored on the principles of community policing the IGP is of the strong view that all states of the federation should embrace the program and domesticate it in view of the overall security of the nation,” the statement reads.
The IGP urged POCACOV leadership to reach out to state Governors and other political leaders to commence the state to state campaign.
He equally invited the youths, transporters, artisans, faith-based and community based organizations, traditional rulers, youths groups, students, market organizations, sister security agencies, the media, development partners and indeed, all well meaning Nigerians “to join forces with the Police and support the campaign in order to save Nigerian Youths from the claws of cultism and other vices and for a safe and secured nation.”
Other members of the POCACOV leadership during the presentation and decoration at the force headquarters, included the force public relations officer Dcp Frank Mba, PROVOST Police Institute of Public Relations, Cp Emmanuel CS Ojukwu (Rtd), consultant to the IGP on media and POCACOV partner, Shina Philips, who also is the president of match makers consult international, Mr Akin Emmanuel the lead consultant POCACOV and Onuora Aninwobodo the POCACOV media officer.
