The Southern Nigeria People’s Mandate (SNPM), a pan-socio-political and human rights organisation, has raised the alarm over what it described as the worsening insecurity, cultism and youth involvement in criminal activities across Nigeria.
The group accused the Federal Government of failing to do enough to protect citizens and address the social and economic conditions it said were driving young Nigerians into crime and cult-related activities.
In a statement signed by its Chairman and Founder, Augustine Chukwudum, and Secretary-General, Segun Diya, the organisation said the frequency of killings and other violent crimes across the country had become a source of grave concern.
SNPM alleged that innocent citizens were being killed on a daily basis while government responses had largely been limited to condemning incidents after they occurred.
The organisation also expressed concern over the spread of cult groups, particularly among young people, alleging that cultism was increasingly being treated as a social club in some communities.
According to the group, young people between the ages of 14 and 40 were increasingly vulnerable to cultism, drug abuse and other forms of criminality.
It alleged that young people could be seen in groups in some urban and rural communities allegedly smoking Indian hemp and using other illicit drugs, while security agencies had failed to adequately enforce existing laws against such activities.
SNPM also accused some security personnel of focusing on alleged extortion and collection of money from motorists on roads rather than effectively combating criminality.
The group said it had repeatedly called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address alleged abuses by security personnel and improve the country’s security architecture, but claimed that its appeals and those of other Nigerians had not received adequate attention.
It further accused the administration of failing to sufficiently implement promises made during the 2023 presidential campaign to engage Nigerian youths in agriculture and other productive ventures.
SNPM argued that the absence of adequate economic opportunities had contributed to the growth of criminal activities among young Nigerians.
“Crime and cultism have become attractive ventures to some youths because the government has abandoned them,” the group alleged.
The organisation also questioned what the President would tell families who had lost loved ones and breadwinners to insecurity as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
After a two-hour, 30-minute deliberation, the group proposed measures which it said could help address insecurity, unemployment and youth involvement in criminal activities.
It called on the Federal and state governments to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in agriculture, tourism, artisan enterprises and industry.
According to SNPM, increased investment in these sectors would help tackle hunger, unemployment, crime and cultism among youths.
The group also renewed its call for a massive recruitment and training programme for security and law-enforcement personnel.
It proposed the recruitment and training, within six months, of 500,000 police officers and 300,000 personnel each for the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Immigration Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Forest Guards.
SNPM further urged the Federal and state governments to collaborate in equipping security agencies with modern technology for crime prevention and intelligence gathering.
It called on state governors to stop what it described as the misuse of security votes and instead channel such funds towards equipping security agencies operating in their respective states.
The organisation said strengthening security institutions, creating jobs and providing economic opportunities for young Nigerians were essential to stemming the tide of cultism and violent crime.
It urged the Tinubu administration to make the protection of human life and security of citizens a priority.
The statement was signed by Chukwudum and Diya on behalf of the Southern Nigeria People’s Mandate.
