…Partnership targets stronger campus security, youth empowerment, intelligence sharing
The Lagos State Security Trust Fund Campaign Against Crime, Cultism and Other Vices (LSSTF-CACCOV) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) have forged a stronger partnership aimed at tackling cultism, drug abuse, crime and other social vices threatening young people within and around the institution.
The renewed collaboration followed a special appreciation and partnership meeting between the Governing Council and management of YABATECH, led by the Rector, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, and the leadership of LSSTF-CACCOV.
The engagement came on the heels of a recent LSSTF-CACCOV sensitisation programme that reached more than 1,000 fresh students of the institution with messages on the dangers of cultism, drug abuse and other criminal activities.
At the meeting, stakeholders agreed that protecting students from destructive influences requires more than conventional policing, stressing the importance of prevention, education, mentorship, advocacy, intelligence sharing and sustained community engagement.
The Rector, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, described the initiative as a timely intervention aimed at protecting the institution’s most valuable assets—its students.
Abdul, who described the students as “diamonds” that must be protected, polished and prepared to shine, warned that the destruction of young people could have devastating consequences for the future of any nation.
“If you want to attack the future of any nation, just destroy their youth. Once their youth are destroyed, then you know they have no hope,”
the Rector stated.
He commended LSSTF-CACCOV for choosing YABATECH as one of the institutions for its preventive security campaign, noting that the initiative aligned with the college’s commitment to safeguarding students and creating a conducive environment for learning.
The Rector also expressed particular appreciation for the leadership of the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of LSSTF, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, an alumnus of YABATECH, whose position at the helm of the state’s security trust fund, he said, had created a valuable bridge between the institution’s alumni community and the wider security architecture of Lagos State.
Abdul further called for enhanced security support for the institution, including increased police presence and additional patrol vehicles, citing the security challenges associated with the college’s surrounding environment.
“We sit at the centre of a quadrangle of cultism. The Jimbo boys are around the corner, the Valley boys are there, the Afro-Belgian hoodlums are there, and warding them away is a big task which we have been confronting frontally, but we need additional support to make this place safe.”
According to him, stronger security collaboration would not only protect students but also enhance the reputation of the institution and give its alumni greater confidence in its future.
‘We Must Prevent Young People From Becoming Criminals’
The LSSTF-CACCOV State Coordinator, Dr. Moses Oladimeji, described the engagement as personally significant, noting that he is also an alumnus of YABATECH.
“I see you as my fathers and mothers, alumnus of this same college. You trained me, and I’m here today, and I’m one of your success stories,”
Oladimeji said.
He explained that LSSTF-CACCOV was created to strengthen the preventive side of security through education, advocacy and mentorship, stressing that security agencies could not succeed in isolation.
“We believe in empowering young people before they become actual perpetrators of crime,”
he said.
Oladimeji recalled the recent freshmen orientation programme, where more than 1,000 students were sensitised on cultism, drug abuse and other social vices, with instructional materials and food packs also distributed.
He proposed that the campaign be expanded beyond fresh students to cover ND1, ND2, HND1, HND2 and part-time students, while establishing sustainable CACCOV structures across the institution.
Among the proposed initiatives are the establishment of LSSTF-CACCOV Clubs, anti-cultism billboards and strategic security-awareness signages across the campus.
The proposed initiative will also provide students and members of the college community with access to designated LSSTF security tip lines for reporting security threats.
Oladimeji explained that information received through the designated WhatsApp channel would be quickly escalated to the appropriate security agency for necessary action.
“It’s a WhatsApp line that within 1–3 minutes that a message gets to our office, it will be redirected to the appropriate security agency that will take the matter up.”
He stressed that drug abuse remained one of the critical issues requiring urgent attention, noting that substance abuse could expose young people to criminal activities and derail their educational and personal development.
The Assistant Coordinator, Uzezi Akinwoleola, similarly reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to youth empowerment and preventive security.
“At LSSTF-CACCOV, we believe in empowering young people. Our mandate is very clear about educating youths against the dangers of crime. We believe youths should be empowered before they become perpetrators of crime.”
She described YABATECH as a strategic partner rather than merely a stakeholder, recalling that the recent freshmen orientation had provided an opportunity to engage more than 1,000 students.
Alumni Association Backs Partnership
The President of the YABATECH Alumni Association, Otunba Bldr. ’Yemi Osibajo, commended the partnership and disclosed that the initiative was facilitated by Mr. Salvador Olakunle Olatunji, Deputy Registrar and Chairman of the Students’ Affairs and Education Committee of the Alumni Association.
Osibajo praised Olatunji for “hitting the ground running” in strengthening the relationship between the alumni association and LSSTF-CACCOV, which eventually culminated in the security sensitisation programme for students.
He expressed optimism that the partnership would continue to produce student-focused initiatives capable of keeping young people positively engaged and reducing their vulnerability to criminal influences.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the college leadership to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for quality education and academic excellence, while appreciating Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for his administration’s efforts toward strengthening peace, security and safety across the state.
Present at the meeting were the Deputy Rector (Academic), Dr. Ismail Badmus; Deputy Rector (Administration), Arc. Adefemi Lawal; Acting Registrar, Barrister Sakib Kazeem Babatunde Wahab, representing the Registrar, Mrs. Henrietta Adebola Gbemisola Badejo; Dr. Achonna Andy Umunna, representing the Polytechnic Librarian; Bursar, Dr. Olusola Dada; Sub-Dean, Students’ Affairs Unit, Engr. Ogunrinola Oludele; Chairman, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit, Dr. Tairu Onawale; Acting Director, Centre for Information and Public Relations, Mr. Adekunle Adams; and Mr. Salvador Olakunle Olatunji.
The alumni delegation included Mr. Anika Jackson, Associate Director of the National Body of the Alumni Association; Mr. Peter Bassey, an ex-official; Public Relations Officer, Mr. Babatunde Olutomileyin; another alumni ex-official, Mr. Babatunde; and the Treasurer, Mr. Oshabiyi.
Other representatives acknowledged included the college’s Personal Assistant to the Director, Deputy Registrar of the Alumni Relations and Fellowship Department, Mr. Sade Ekundayo, Mr. Gbenga Adigun and other representatives of the institution.
The engagement ultimately moved beyond appreciation to a broader blueprint for sustained collaboration.
For both institutions, the message was clear: a secure campus is essential to producing a secure and productive generation.
While YABATECH stands to benefit from stronger security support and preventive interventions, LSSTF-CACCOV gains a strategic platform for reaching thousands of young Nigerians with messages capable of helping them recognise, resist and report criminal threats before they escalate.
The partnership therefore represents a shared investment in the future—one that places youth empowerment, prevention and campus security at the centre of the fight against cultism and other social vices.
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