Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Group cautions youths against crime

By Shakirah Adunola
06 December 2019   |   3:03 am
The Chief Imam of the Lagos House of Assembly Mosque and Former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs Dr. Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef, has urged youths to channel their energy to positive things that would impact positively on their lives.

The Chief Imam of the Lagos House of Assembly Mosque and Former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs Dr. Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef, has urged youths to channel their energy to positive things that would impact positively on their lives.

AbdulLateef advised youths to shun crime during the yearly Walk for Life organised by a non-governmental organisation Human Concern Foundation International (HCFI) in collaboration with Centre for Global Peace Initiative (CGPI). Hundreds of people thronged Jibowu Bus Stop in Lagos, the starting point of the walk, participants mainly youths, walked from the bus stop to Maryland and back to Jibowu.

AbdulLateef urged them to engage in things that would be of positive impact on their lives and society. “No matter how lucrative crime appears to them, it does not end well. They should be creative and realise that the only way to success is hard work. The quick-rich syndrome only leads running foul of the law,” he warned

HCFI Executive Director, Prof Ibrahim Oreagba, said apart from creating awareness on the benefits of regular exercise, this year’s edition was targeted at the youths due to their involvement in crimes.This, he said, was strategic to keep them away from vices, such as drug abuse and drug addiction.Oreagba, who works at the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology in the College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), said when the youth are engaged, the society will be free from crimes caused by negative influence.

“We will have a peaceful society. We will have a society where everybody will feel belonged, everybody will have peace of mind; people can walk on the street without having to look back or think twice about whatever damage that may arise,” he said.He attributed the increase in crimes to lack of employment.

“When there is unemployment, it breeds poverty and poverty eventually may lead to crime. But when we participate in this kind of program, it diverts the attention of the youth from crime into been productive. They would be able to divert their energy to something productive,” he said.

He urged the government to create an enabling environment for regular exercise.This, he said, will promote a lot of health individuals – both the old and young.“It will also provide peace of mind because it will reduce the burden of crime in our society,” he added.

0 Comments