STOP CRIMINALITY AND CULTISM, EBONYI COMMAND PPRO CHARGES FUNAI STUDENTS

In a bid to forestall the increasing spate of students’ unrest, gangsterism, cultism and other criminal-related activities, in Nigerian tertiary institutions, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force, Ebonyi State command, Dr. Jude Madu recently took the campaign to the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State, where he charged the students to shun all forms of criminality.

Dr. Jude Madu, Dr. Charles Okolie and some of the students at the seminar

Addressing the students on the topic, “Campaign for Prevention and Control of Undergraduates and Youths Involvement in Cultism and Other Forms of Criminality”, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), averred that social vices have gone viral and unabated in Nigerian Universities in recent times. He also noted that many students are ignorant of the consequences of crimes, adding that most arrested students’ offenders were usually oblivious of the penalties of crimes.

He emphasized that criminal offenders are tried based on existing laws of the land and by extension, a suspect remains innocent until the police concludes their investigations and a competent court of law declares otherwise.

PPRO, Ebonyi State Command, Dr. Jude Madu speaking at the event

Navigating further, Madu reminded the students that crimes such as rape, stealing, cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery are treated as felony. He said while victims of stealing could be jailed for seven years, rape, cultism and kidnapping serve life imprisonment. He stressed further that students’ unnecessary harassment by the police were usually provoked by their ignorance of the law and cautioned them to avoid unruly behavior but maintain decorum in the face of the law as no one would be indicted unjustifiably.

He exposed some hard facts about the causes of students involvement in crimes to include; depression, fear of unemployment, greed and quest to maintain social class, weak parental up-bringing, moral decadence, erosion of educational standard, militarization of the Nigerian polity, peer group influence, poverty and hardship and above all, lack of knowledge of consequences of crime.

He further charged parents to pay heed to their children and wards behavior and movement, adding that greater percent of blame should go to them for their carefree and pampering attitude towards them.

Earlier in his remarks, the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Charles Nkem Okoli reminded the students of the need to be mindful of the requisite criteria for the award of degree certificate in Nigerian University system – you must be found worthy in character and learning. He maintained that no student would graduate if found culpable in cultism, rape, gangsterism or any other form of anti-social behaviours.

Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Charles Okolie addressing the students at the seminar

He concluded that the seminar was meant to align students thoroughly with the university’s expectation of good behavior, devoid of crime and criminality.