…as Ekiti Police urges Ekiti youths to shun political, digital violence
Adebayo Adenrele
Stakeholders in Ekiti State have identified economic hardship, peer influence, unnecessary political loyalty and the misuse of digital platforms as some of the factors driving political and digital thuggery among youths in Nigeria.
The stakeholders made the submission in Ado-Ekiti at an event organised by Ekiti State Police Command to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day (IYD) themed: ‘My future is greater than political and digital thuggery’, where they called on young people to deploy technology positively and resist attempts by politicians and other individuals to use them as instruments of violence, misinformation and social unrest.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of Ekiti Homeland Intelligence Agency, Oludotun Adetuberu said the difficult economic situation in the country, peer influence and excessive political loyalty were among the factors capable of pushing young people into negative activities.
Adetuberu, however, urged youths to take advantage of the opportunities provided by digital technology to improve their lives rather than use smartphones and computers for destructive purposes.
He said youths could legitimately deploy their digital skills in areas such as coding, software engineering and other technology-driven ventures capable of creating wealth and improving their standard of living.
Adetuberu advised young people in Ekiti to embrace what he described as a “transformative process”, develop positive mindsets and rise above the challenges confronting them.
“You can also use smartphones and laptops to do moral things and make money legally such as coding, software engineering and a lot of things you can use to improve your life confidently instead of using it negatively.
“I will advise the youth in Ekiti to start transformative processes, engage themselves in positive thinking and rise up to challenges”.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Michael Falade, urged youths to shun political and digital thuggery, stressing that their future was brighter than their present circumstances.
Falade said the police would continue to work with young people and other stakeholders to ensure the protection of lives and property across the state.
The police commissioner assured the youths that the police remained their friends and would continue to do everything within its powers to safeguard lives and property.
“What we want to achieve with this programme is for our youths to know that their future is brighter than today. They shouldn’t be used as tools of thuggery”. He added
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Youth, Adesola Gold, described the commemoration as timely, particularly against the backdrop of the state government’s youth empowerment initiatives.
Gold said the current generation of youths had access to numerous opportunities and tools capable of helping them create wealth and improve their standard of living.
According to her, young people must make conscious choices about how they deploy their intelligence, skills and available technological resources.
Similarly, the Coordinator of the City Boy Movement in Ekiti State, Kasali Oluwafemi, warned against the recruitment of youths into political violence, saying young people should not allow themselves to be used as weapons by politicians.
Oluwafemi also urged young people to use social media responsibly, warning against the use of digital platforms to incite members of the public or promote tension.
“Every young person that wants to thrive will not be allowed to be used as weapons of political thuggery because we will not see the sons and daughters of these politicians on the rampage,” he said.
