Police laud Lagos assembly for taking bold step to curb cultism

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF), on Tuesday, commended Lagos House of Assembly for taking a 'bold step' to curb the menace of cultism and other vices in the state.

CSP Ebere Amaraizu, the National Coordinator of Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), gave the commendation in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
NAN recalls that the Assembly had, on Monday, passed the Unlawful Societies and Cultism (Prohibition) Bill 2020, which stipulated ‘punishment’ for parents of convicted cultists as one of its components.

The bill also prescribed 21 years imprisonment for cultists as well as 15-year jail term for anyone convicted for abetting cultists or allowing his premises to be used as a meeting place.

Amaraizu described the passage of the bill as a right step in the right direction.

“The bill is an indication that stakeholders are gradually rising to end the menace, which has become a global pandemic.

“This will help to strengthen the campaign against cultism and other vices.

“What this means now is that those already in will have to willingly come out by making use of the police platform of POCACOV, which is community-driven, to turn themselves into better persons.

“It will also be good if more states join by taking steps like this or more because it is an ill-wind that will blow nobody any good," the national coordinator said.

He said that Nigerians must join in the awareness creation, sensitisation, advocacy, reorientation and mentoring processes of POCACOV in order to save Nigerian children/youths from the claws of cultism and other vices.

“All hands must be on deck for a safe, peaceful and secure society," he said.

NAN recalls that POCACOV had earlier made calls for legislation by the government at all levels in order to discourage cultism and its related activities in the society.