Lagos police, youths forge stronger partnership for community safety
July 27, 2026 2:32 am
File photo: Police officers
The Lagos State Police Command, the Lagos State Government and youth leaders have called for stronger collaboration between security agencies and young people to promote peaceful coexistence, respect for human rights and community safety, while urging youths to reject cultism, cybercrime, drug abuse and other criminal activities.
The stakeholders made the call on Friday, at the Police-Youth Engagement Programme held in Badagry with the theme, “Bridging the Gap: Youth-Police Engagement for Community Safety and Social Reform.”
Speaking on behalf of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, the Area Commander, Badagry Area Command, ACP Adeleke Smith, described the engagement as timely, especially in view of prevailing security challenges and the forthcoming general elections.
He commended the Lagos State Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement and the Bureau of the Public Defender for organising the programme, saying it would further strengthen the relationship between the police and young people.
“The primary purpose of law enforcement is the protection of lives and property. But we cannot do it alone. We have to partner with the public, of which our youth constitute an important segment,” he said.
Smith urged youths to support community policing by providing credible intelligence to security agencies, reminding participants that effective crime prevention depends on cooperation between the police and residents.
Quoting the familiar security slogan, he urged residents to “See something, say something,” adding that timely information would assist the police in tackling insecurity.
The police chief also appealed to young people to shun cultism, cybercrime, drug abuse and other social vices, describing the increasing involvement of youths in organised crime as a serious concern.
He encouraged them to embrace hard work, patriotism and the Lagos State Government’s skills acquisition programmes, saying such initiatives would improve their economic prospects and reduce criminality.
Earlier, the Director of the Lagos State Bureau of the Public Defender, Mrs Olubunmi Adesomoju, said the programme was conceived to rebuild trust between the police and youths through dialogue and greater understanding of citizens’ rights.
She noted that mistrust and negative experiences had strained relations between both groups over the years, making sustained engagement necessary.
According to her, every arrested person has the constitutional right to remain silent, consult a lawyer before making a statement and be treated with dignity throughout criminal investigations.
She reminded police officers that the Administration of Criminal Justice Law requires confessional statements to be obtained in the presence of legal representation and recorded electronically.
Adesomoju warned that failure to comply with those provisions could render confessional statements inadmissible in court and weaken criminal prosecutions.
Also speaking, the Director of Citizens’ Rights at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mr Emmanuel Akande, urged both protesters and security agencies to uphold the rule of law during public demonstrations.
He said while peaceful protest remains a constitutional right, demonstrations must not degenerate into violence or destruction of public property.
Akande advised organisers of protests to notify security agencies even though a Court of Appeal judgment held that police permits are no longer mandatory for peaceful demonstrations.
“There is nothing wrong in collaborating with the police. Once they are aware, they can provide protection and ensure that protests remain peaceful,” he said.
He also encouraged organisers to invite journalists to cover demonstrations.
“It is good when you want to stage a protest to have media presence. No sane person will like to be caught on camera causing trouble because they know they can easily be identified, arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
Akande further urged police officers to continue carrying out their constitutional duties professionally and strictly in accordance with the law, stressing that the use of force during protests should always be lawful, necessary and proportionate.
He identified unemployment and economic hardship as major factors fueling public unrest and appealed to the government to create more opportunities for young people.
The Vice Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos West Senatorial District, Mr Sunday Aladeotan, commended the police for improving their relationship with youths, saying cases of harassment, extortion and brutality had reduced significantly compared to previous years.
“We have observed that the level of harassment, extortion and police brutality has drastically reduced, and we appreciate the efforts of the police,” he said.
He, however, urged officers to remain committed to respecting citizens’ fundamental rights, recounting a recent encounter with a police officer that he described as unnecessarily prolonged over a minor traffic issue.
Aladeotan said the National Youth Council remained committed to partnering with the police, disclosing that it had established Directorates of Peace, Ethics and Security across all 57 local government and local council development areas in Lagos to promote peace and assist in community security.
He also appealed to the Lagos State Government to expand youth employment and empowerment programmes, arguing that greater economic opportunities would reduce crime, drug abuse and social unrest.
The stakeholders unanimously agreed that sustained dialogue, respect for the rule of law, protection of human rights and stronger partnerships between government, security agencies and young people remain critical to ensuring lasting peace and security in Lagos State.
Onozure is a correspondent of The PUNCH on the judiciary beat. She has over a decade experience covering criminal and civil matters from the magistrate to the appellate courts. She’s a graduate of Political Science
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