CP Tijani charges youths to protect their future, honours NAOSNP President Mayor Oki Samson as Police-Youth Advocate
In Nigeria’s rapidly changing security landscape, the battle for the future of the country’s young people is no longer being fought solely on the streets. Increasingly, it is being fought on smartphones, social media platforms and digital communities where a single post, rumour or manipulated narrative can travel faster than any traditional security response.
As political mobilisation, youth vulnerability and digital influence become increasingly intertwined, the question of who shapes the decisions and loyalties of young Nigerians has assumed a new security dimension.
It was against this backdrop that the Lagos State Police Command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, brought together young people, security agencies, the media and community stakeholders to confront the growing threats of political thuggery, digital manipulation, misinformation and youth exploitation.
The occasion was the Lagos Command’s commemoration of International Youth Day 2026, held on Thursday, August 27, at the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) Secretariat, Oduduwa Street, Lagos, under the theme: “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
At the event, the Command launched the National Campaign Against Political and Digital Thuggery and convened a Police-Youth Dialogue aimed at deepening trust, communication and collaboration between law enforcement and Nigeria’s youthful population.
One of the major highlights was the recognition of Mayor Oki Olatunji Samson, President of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), as a Police-Youth Advocate in recognition of his contributions to youth engagement, responsible security journalism and community safety.
The honour, however, went beyond celebrating an individual. It reflected a growing understanding that credible media voices can play a strategic role in bridging the gap between security institutions and the communities they serve.
When the Phone Becomes a Security Tool
For Mayor Oki Samson, youth advocacy must move beyond speeches and ceremonies.
The NAOSNP President argued that meaningful youth engagement requires deliberate investment in values, opportunities and relationships that empower young people to become partners in building a safer society.
Rather than viewing youths merely as potential victims or perpetrators of insecurity, he called for their recognition as indispensable stakeholders in preventing violence and promoting peace.
He also drew attention to the changing nature of the information environment, stressing that the digital space has effectively become an extension of society and should therefore attract the same sense of responsibility expected in the physical world.
His message to young Nigerians was direct:
“Your phone is powerful. Your social media account is powerful. Your voice is powerful. Please use that power to build, not destroy.”
He urged youths to resist political manipulation and refuse to allow temporary political interests to mortgage their future.
“Do not allow anyone to use your future to settle their present disagreement,” he cautioned.
The message struck at the heart of a growing concern ahead of another election cycle: the use of young Nigerians as instruments of political violence while those who recruit them remain insulated from the consequences.
CP Tijani: Think Beyond Today
The warning found strong resonance in the remarks of CP Tijani, who urged young Nigerians to look beyond immediate gratification and understand the long-term consequences of allowing themselves to be recruited into electoral violence.
The Commissioner challenged youths to think about the future rather than surrendering their lives and opportunities to political interests.
“Tomorrow is there for us. We should not think of today. We should always think of tomorrow. That tomorrow is more important than what we are today,” he said.
In one of the strongest portions of his address, Tijani questioned why young Nigerians should risk their lives for politicians who would never expose their own children to the same dangers.
“None of these politicians will use any of their children for electioneering, thuggery, violence or what have you,” he said.
The Commissioner urged youths to reject ballot-box snatching, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of electoral violence, while emphasising that political participation remains a legitimate democratic right when exercised responsibly.
For the Lagos Police leadership, the objective is therefore not to discourage youth participation in politics, but to ensure that such participation does not degenerate into violence.
The New Battlefield: Social Media
The conversation also moved beyond traditional street-level insecurity to the increasingly complex world of digital influence.
With millions of young Nigerians active on social media, platforms that were originally designed for communication and entertainment have increasingly become arenas for political mobilisation, propaganda, misinformation and confrontation.
CP Tijani therefore urged young people to think carefully before posting, sharing or reacting to provocative content.
The underlying message was simple: what happens online can have consequences offline.
A rumour can trigger panic. A provocative video can ignite confrontation. A misleading political narrative can deepen divisions. And a carefully manipulated young audience can become a powerful instrument for instability.
This makes digital responsibility an increasingly important component of modern policing and national security.
Army Backs Whole-of-Society Approach
In his goodwill message, Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ayokunle Owolabi, described the campaign as timely and commended the Police for strengthening engagement with young Nigerians.
Owolabi emphasised that the energy, creativity and resilience of Nigerian youths remain indispensable to the country’s peace, security and development.
He stressed that national security can no longer be treated as the exclusive responsibility of security agencies.
Rather, he advocated a whole-of-society approach, where young people, communities, the media, government institutions and security agencies work together to identify and prevent emerging threats.
He equally warned against the misuse of digital platforms and physical spaces for violence, intimidation and misinformation, while calling for stronger communication and trust between young people and security institutions.
“If You See Something, Say Something”
The Lagos State Coordinator of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), SP Olivia Amarachi Ugochukwu, also urged young Nigerians to take ownership of the change they desire in their communities.
Her message was built around a simple but powerful principle:
“Policing is everybody’s business. If you see something, say something.”
She also challenged the media to uphold professional standards by ensuring that only verified information is disseminated.
In an environment where unverified information can rapidly create fear and confusion, responsible journalism, she noted, remains an important component of conflict prevention.
A Gathering of Security Stakeholders
The well-attended programme brought together representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, NDLEA, FRSC and NSCDC.
Also represented were the NYSC, POCACOV, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), NURTW, RTEAN, CRAN, NAOSNP, POWA and youths from Police Barracks across Lagos.
The Police-Youth Dialogue provided an opportunity for participants to engage on some of the most pressing challenges confronting young Nigerians, including security, political participation, social media, cultism, thuggery and emerging threats.
More Than an Award
The recognition of Mayor Oki Samson as a Police-Youth Advocate ultimately represented more than an individual honour.
It symbolised the increasing importance of credible media and community voices in building bridges between security institutions and the younger generation.
In an age where insecurity can be amplified by a rumour, a provocative post or a manipulated young mind, youth advocacy is no longer simply a social responsibility. It is increasingly becoming a frontline security intervention.
Nigeria cannot secure its future by policing the streets alone.
It must also win the minds, trust and participation of its young people.
And that is perhaps the most important message emerging from the Lagos Police initiative: the young Nigerian must not be treated merely as someone to be protected from insecurity or controlled when trouble begins, but as a critical partner in preventing it.
For advocates like Mayor Oki Samson and institutions like the Nigeria Police Force, the real challenge begins after the applause fades and the certificates are presented.
The message must travel beyond the walls of the POWA Secretariat—to schools, communities, transport parks, newsrooms, police barracks and, most importantly, the digital spaces where millions of young Nigerians now live, communicate and form opinions.
Because securing Nigeria’s future will ultimately depend not only on the strength of its security institutions, but on the choices made by a generation whose future is at stake.
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