By Chibuzo Ihegboro
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Adegoke Fayode, weekend, pledged to donate 25 books on crime to secondary schools in the state with a view to ensuring that their communities are safe.
The police boss said the book written by celebrated crime reporter, Chioma Okezie will be a veritable book for youths to read to prepare them to have that mindset of being active youths in ensuring that their communities are safe.
According to him, the reasons why I presented 25 copies or this book titled Interrogating the Criminal Mind to schools in Lagos state are not far-fetched. “Sixty percent of our population is made up of our youths from the age of 25 downwards, that means for the country to be great, the youths have to actively participate in all activity in the country.
“What is important is that in the area of security in the country, we need to make sure that youths don’t only sit on the fence but, they must become active in ensuring the security of where they live. They should engage in the form of a kind of small unit that will show interest in the safety and security of their community.
“This book is going to be a veritable book for them to read to prepare them to have that mindset of being active youths in ensuring that their community is safe.
“Once we are able to engage our youths in that manner, crime will be reduced. Let me give you an example of Kenya by the time they involve their youth more in the security of their community. Honestly, the rate of crime amongst the youth reduced by 40%, I look forward to a situation, we will be able to involve our youths more in showing kin interest in participating in security of their community and society.”
Talking about the criteria to be used in distributing the fast selling book, CP Fayoade said: “The criteria are going to be based on senatorial district. It is going to concentrate on areas that are prone to criminal activities. Areas where we have a lot of youths that are not actively engaged in useful ventures constituting nuisance.
“We will be able to engage them, bring them together, have interaction with them, have meetings at various levels with them, change their mindset from becoming a deviant to becoming a responsible member of the society, ” he stated.
