ABUJA — The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has formally launched a nationwide campaign to protect Nigerian youths from recruitment into political violence and to counter the rising threat of digital thuggery ahead of the 2027 General Elections. The campaign, “MY FUTURE IS GREATER THAN POLITICAL AND DIGITAL THUGGERY,” was unveiled at the National Youth Leadership and Security Dialogue organized by the Nigeria Police Force to commemorate International Youth Day 2026 under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.” The IGP said the initiative marks a shift from responding to the aftermath of violence to preventing the recruitment, manipulation and exploitation of young Nigerians for political and criminal purposes.
Addressing youths at the dialogue, IGP Disu delivered a direct warning as the country approaches another electoral season. “No political office is worth your life. No politician’s ambition is worth destroying your future. No political party is worth turning your community into a battlefield,” he stated. He noted that while political actors often reconcile after elections, it is young people who bear the lasting consequences — those who lose their lives do not return home, the injured carry permanent scars, and families whose property is destroyed bear the losses.
The Nigeria Police Force said the campaign will focus on engaging youths as partners in peace, promoting lawful participation, and building resilience against both physical and online manipulation. IGP Disu urged young Nigerians to reject being used as instruments of violence and instead channel their energy into education, innovation, leadership and national development. As the 2027 polls draw closer, the Force reiterated its commitment to protecting democratic rights while enforcing the law against anyone who uses politics as cover for criminality.
