The Lagos State Security Trust Fund has launched a statewide campaign to combat cultism, drug abuse and other criminal activities among youths, beginning in Agege Local Government Area before expanding to all 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in the state.
The initiative, known as the LSSTF Campaign Against Crime, Cultism and Other Vices, aims to reduce crime through youth education, community engagement and value reorientation, according to a statement issued Monday by the agency’s media head, Samson Oki.
Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, said the campaign focuses on preventing crime rather than relying solely on arrests and prosecution.
“Security is most effective when we stop crime before it happens,” Ogunsan said. “Through the LSSTF-CACCOV, we are taking a preventive, community-driven approach that empowers young people with the right values, information and opportunities to reject crime, cultism and illicit drugs before they become victims or perpetrators.”
Ogunsan said the initiative will be implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, local government authorities, traditional rulers, religious organizations, schools, youth groups and other stakeholders.
“No institution can build a secure society alone. When government agencies, communities, parents, schools and young people work together, we create an environment where crime struggles to thrive,” he said.
He said the campaign aligns with Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s youth development agenda, which emphasizes education, entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, digital innovation, vocational training and sports development as strategies to reduce youth involvement in crime.
The campaign will be coordinated by Dr. Moses Oladimeji, who has led grassroots awareness programs in schools and communities across Lagos.
According to the LSSTF, the initiative has already reached thousands of students and youths through campaigns against cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, rape, gang violence and other social vices.
The agency said Oladimeji also encouraged students during the 2026 Yaba College of Technology orientation program to reject criminal activities and embrace discipline, integrity and hard work.
Cult-related violence has remained a major security challenge in Lagos, with recurring clashes between rival groups resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage in communities including Mushin, Agege, Ikorodu, Ojo, Alimosho, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Lagos Mainland.
Security agencies have linked many of the incidents to supremacy battles among rival cult groups, while authorities have also associated the groups with armed robbery, drug trafficking, extortion and the recruitment of young people into criminal networks.
