TVC E. Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeleye Oyebade, has said that the number of students involved in armed robbery and cultism has increased.
Oyebade said that recent crime trend in Abia indicated that most of such students were also members of secret cults.
The state police boss disclosed this during at an inter-denominational anti-cultism crusade organised by the Abia State Police Command at the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.
Some secret cult members denounced their membership of various cult groups during the event
The crusade, according to Oyebade, was in line with the community policing policy of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idiris Ibrahim.
Oyebade added that churches and campus fellowships in different secondary schools and higher institutions in the state were among the stakeholders the police were partnering to ensure a crime-free state.
He said, “In line with our responsibility to fight crime in Abia State, we have resolved to reach out to students in secondary schools and higher institutions to sensitise, counsel and educate them on the dangers of cultism, drug abuse and other criminal activities.
“When you look at the age bracket of the youths going into crime this time round, you will find out that those of them in schools are more in number. So, our message is that they should abstain from crime and take their studies seriously to enable them to prepare to be the leaders of tomorrow.
“We are partnering churches to achieve this aim so that when the student repents, the churches can follow them up to ensure that they will not go back to cultism and crime again.”
