OGUN POLICE CHARGE STUDENTS TO MAKE RESPONSIBLE CHOICES, SHUN CRIMINALITY 

By Jennifer Nwosu 

The Ogun State Police Command has challenged students of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, to see the campus not simply as a place of learning, but as an early proving ground for citizenship, leadership and national responsibility.

In a statement released by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, the charge was delivered at the 45th Students Parliament Council Summit 2026, organised by the institution’s Student Parliamentary Council under the theme, “From Campus to Nation: Mobilising for Peace, Security and Development.”

Addressing student leaders, academics and other participants, Babaseyi stressed that public safety extends beyond conventional policing and depends heavily on the choices made by citizens. Students, he noted, have a significant role to play in preventing the social pressures and criminal networks that can undermine their futures and destabilise communities.

The Command urged young people to steer clear of cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, political thuggery and violence. Cult groups, it warned, can prey on the desire for acceptance, protection and identity, offering belonging at a price that can eventually be paid in lost opportunities, criminal records or damaged lives.

The police also turned attention to the digital world, where a smartphone can amplify both responsible citizenship and reckless behaviour. Students were encouraged to verify information before circulating it and to avoid using social media to fuel rumours, hate, incitement or misinformation.

With the 2027 general elections approaching, the Command called for youth participation that is peaceful, lawful and centred on issues rather than intimidation or political violence. The message was that political engagement should expand young Nigerians’ influence, not make them instruments of other people’s ambitions.

The Ogun Police Command, under the leadership of the State Commissioner of Police,CP Bode Ojajuni, said it remains committed to creating a secure environment for education, investment and development, while noting that effective policing is strengthened when communities share credible information and cooperate with law-enforcement agencies.

Babaseyi urged students to carry the principles of peace, integrity, discipline and service beyond the lecture halls, stressing that the quality of Nigeria’s future will be shaped by the decisions its' young citizens make today.