In a move that underscores the power of collaboration in addressing pressing social challenges, the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) has joined forces with the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) to step up the fight against crime, thuggery and other harmful behaviors among young people in Kano State.
On Tuesday, August 12th, 2025, the head of community engagement at POCACOV’s national headquarters, DSP Adoh Nwakaego, representing the National Coordinator, ACP Olabisi Okuwobi, led a delegation to the YOSPIS head office in Tarauni Quarters, Kano. She was accompanied by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.
The executive director of YOSPIS, Ms. Zainab Nasir Ahmad, warmly received the team and wasted no time in expressing her enthusiasm for the partnership. Declaring herself a “friend of the police,” Ms. Ahmad revealed that she had personally adopted POCACOV’s mission as part of her own organizational agenda. She pledged to work hand in hand with the campaign to curb the menace of street gangs, locally known as Yan Daba and other vices that threaten the peace and safety of communities in Kano.
Commending the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for initiating such a forward-thinking and community-driven program, Ms. Ahmad stressed that YOSPIS shares the same vision of guiding young people away from crime and into positive, life-building ventures.
The visit also provided an opportunity for POCACOV to strengthen ties with the media. The team engaged with journalist Salisu Sa’du Muhammad of Solace Base Media, who lauded the campaign’s impact and promised to amplify its programs and achievements to a wider audience.
Continuing with activities, DSP Nwakaego and SP Kiyawa took the message to the airwaves with a live interview on Radio Dala 88.5 FM Kano. Listeners called in with questions and words of encouragement, demonstrating strong public interest in POCACOV’s mission.
POCACOV, launched by the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, is focused on preventing cultism, drug abuse, sexual and gender-based violence and other social vices through community-oriented policing and alternative pathways for youth engagement. By partnering with organizations like YOSPIS, the campaign is building bridges between the police, the media and the public to create safer, healthier and more empowered communities.
