By Goodluck Ikiebe in Abuja.
The Nigerian Police Campaign Against Cultism and other Vices, POCACOV, and Crime Reporters Global, Nigeria have agreed to work together in stamping out Cultism and other Vices in the country.
The agreement was reached when the National Coordinator, POCACOV, ACP Olabisi Okuwobi and some members of her team, played host to selected members of Crime Reporters Global, Nigeria, who came from across the country to congratulate the POCACOV 001 on her recent promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, and for strategic collaboration.
The partnership between the Crime Reporters Global and POCACOV, is to further strengthen the campaign against cultism and other vices in Nigeria.
In his speech, the National Chairman, Crime Reporters Global, CRG, Nigeria, Comrade Tita Onyebuchi Nze, said, “We, selected Exco members of the CRG, Nigeria have come to congratulate you, our amiable madam POCACOV 001, on your well deserved recent promotion to the rank of ACP and subsequent decoration by the Inspector General of Police, himself, IGP Kayode Egbetokun”.
“We felicitate with you, for your upliftment in the job and what God is using you to do in the country through POCACOV of the Nigeria Police. We thank the Inspector General of Police for his eagle eyes of fishing you out to serve as the National Coordinator of POCACOV”.
Comrade Tita noted that, “Our prayer is that, God will continue to endow you with wisdom and ability to wax strong from strength to strength”.
“As media professionals, we have also come to seek for ways of collaboration with the good works of POCACOV, to inject our modest efforts as critical stakeholder and partner, to sustain and further explore non-kinetic strategies in the approach against social vices in the country, so as to possibly reduce to the barest minimum, the hydra-headed monsters (cultism and other vices) currently bedevilling and devastating our youths and gradually subsuming the nation, Nigeria”.
He stated that now it’s time to begin to nip the multifaceted challenges in the bud at the States and Local levels.
Responding, the National Coordinator POCACOV, ACP Olabisi Okuwobi, thanked the executive members of Crime Reporters Global, CRG, Nigeria, for the visit, felicitations and kind words, saying that the gesture would not be taken for granted.
She explained that, “the main objective of POCACOV is to Create Alternative Pathways to end Criminalities”.
ACP Okuwobi explained that, some non-kinetic strategies being adopted by POCACOV include;
Catch Them Young
Extensive Media Advocacy
Sensitization,
Renunciation
Disarmament of (light and small medium arms)
Reintegration,
Empowerment and
Decriminalisation
Campaign Against Stigmatization.
Madam POCACOV 001 revealed that, 2025 is going to be a very busy year for POCACOV, saying, “there will be intense and robust activities throughout the nukes and crannies of the country towards eradicating the vices”.
ACP Olabisi Okuwobi thanked the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for finding her worthy to serve in the capacity of the National Coordinator, promising to do her best possible not to let him down, and to achieve quality verifiable results for the good of our dear fatherland, since, to whom much is given, much is expected.
She expressed her gratitude for the hands of fellowship extended by the well experienced group of media professionals, Crime Reporters Global, Nigeria, to partner POCACOV, saying that the collaboration between Crime Reporters Global and POCACOV, “is a well articulated symbiotic partnership”.
Our Correspondent reports that the meeting which took place at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, also had in attendance, the Chairman POCACOV Southwest, Amb. Samuel Eniola, Head, National Community engagement, POCACOV, DSP Nwakaego Adoh, the Secretary General CRG, Amb. Barth Ikiebe, and an Exco member, Comrade Ijeoma Nwankpa.
