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Police launch “One To Tell Ten” youth engagement programme to multiply peace, security and anti-crime messages across Akwa Ibom communities.
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CP Azare warns youths: No political ambition is worth sacrificing their lives or future to political thuggery and electoral violence.
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Police seek stronger youth partnership in intelligence gathering, early warning, community policing and crime prevention.
August 21, (THEWILL) — The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched the “One To Tell Ten” Youth Engagement Programme, urging young Nigerians to reject political thuggery, cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, electoral violence, vandalism and other criminal activities.
The initiative was unveiled on Friday at the Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo, as part of activities marking the 2026 International Youth Day, with the Police calling for greater youth participation in building peaceful and secure communities.
Speaking at the International Youth Day 2026 National Youth Leadership and Security Initiative, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, fsi, said youths across the country shared common aspirations for education, employment, security, justice, equal opportunity and a better future, regardless of their different backgrounds.
Azare urged youths to embrace the campaign, “My Future Is Greater Than Political Thuggery”, stressing that no political ambition was worth the life or future of any Nigerian youth.
He called on young people to participate actively in democratic processes but reject violence, insisting that politics should be a contest of ideas and service rather than a battlefield. He also appealed to political actors and community leaders to stop using youths as instruments of electoral violence.
The Commissioner urged youths to protect government infrastructure and report vandalism and suspicious activities to security agencies, rather than taking the law into their own hands.
On digital responsibility, Azare reinforced the message, “Think Before You Click, Verify Before You Share”, warning youths against misinformation, cyberbullying, defamatory content, manipulated media and the irresponsible use of artificial intelligence.
He said the power to communicate through social media must be matched with responsibility, noting that young people have a critical role to play in promoting truth, peace and responsible citizenship in the digital space.
The Commissioner also commended the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, for his commitment to youth development, particularly the integration of youth presidents and youth leadership structures into the state’s security architecture.
According to him, the initiative would strengthen community participation in security by positioning youth leaders to support intelligence gathering, early warning, community engagement and crime prevention.
A major highlight of the event was the formal launch of the “One To Tell Ten” Youth Engagement Programme, through which every youth reached by the campaign is expected to pass the message to at least ten others.
Azare urged participating youths to encourage their peers to reject crime, political violence, cultism and drug abuse, while promoting responsible social media use, respect for the rule of law and cooperation with the Police.
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The Commissioner encapsulated the campaign in the slogan: “ONE TO TELL TEN! TEN TO TELL A HUNDRED! A HUNDRED TO REACH THOUSANDS!”
He described youths as indispensable partners in modern policing and assured them of the Police Command’s commitment to strengthening police-youth relations, community policing, intelligence-led policing and professional protection of citizens’ rights and safety.
Azare, however, warned that individuals who engage in political thuggery, vandalism, cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, cybercrime and other criminal activities would face the law irrespective of their status or affiliation.
He urged young Nigerians to choose knowledge over ignorance, dialogue over violence, truth over misinformation, innovation over criminality, protection over vandalism and patriotism over division.
“Your future is greater than political thuggery. Your talent is greater than cybercrime. Your voice is stronger than misinformation. You are too valuable to become an instrument of violence”, he said.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to working with youths, government, traditional and religious institutions, community leaders, the media and other stakeholders to build a peaceful, secure and prosperous Akwa Ibom State.
