From The Nijasun News Desk
The Anambra State Police Command has intensified its preventive policing efforts by partnering with the State Ministry of Women Affairs to take anti-cultism and anti-crime advocacy to the 2026 August Meeting across the state.
The initiative, driven by the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), aims to engage women on their crucial role in preventing young people from being drawn into cultism, substance abuse, cybercrime, bullying and other social vices.
The partnership was initiated during a courtesy visit by the Anambra State POCACOV team to the Ministry of Women Affairs in Awka on Tuesday.
The delegation was led by the State Coordinator of POCACOV, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Francisca Egbunike, alongside the POCACOV Women Leader and Ambassador, Lady Florence Mmakah.
Speaking during the visit, Egbunike said mothers, caregivers and women leaders remain key stakeholders in crime prevention because of their influence in shaping the values and behaviour of children and youths.
She described the annual August Meeting as a strategic platform for reaching thousands of women with practical messages on responsible parenting, youth mentorship, moral upbringing and early identification of behavioural changes that could predispose young people to criminal activities.
The POCACOV team appealed to the Ministry to support the inclusion of advocacy sessions in August Meeting programmes across the state as part of efforts to strengthen families and reduce youth involvement in crime.
Responding, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Esther Chinyere Onyekesi, commended the Nigeria Police Force for adopting a proactive and community-based approach to crime prevention through POCACOV.
She described the initiative as timely and impactful and assured the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate in mobilising women across the state to protect children and young people from negative influences while promoting peace, discipline, responsible parenting and good citizenship.
According to the police, the advocacy campaign will educate participants on the dangers of cultism, substance abuse, cybercrime, human trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence, bullying and other anti-social behaviours.
The campaign will also encourage education, entrepreneurship, skills acquisition and other lawful means of livelihood as sustainable alternatives to crime.
The Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to working with government agencies, traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, schools, civil society groups, youth bodies and community leaders to advance preventive policing and build safer communities across Anambra State.
Tags: Anambra Police, POCACOV, August Meeting, Cultism, Women Affairs
