Lagos State House of Assembly has invited the Commissioners of Police, Youths and Sports, Economic Planning and Education to discuss and chart a way out over the issues of cultism in the state.
This was made known during the plenary session on Monday, where the representative of Mushin Constituency 2, Hon. Olayinka Kazeem, raised the issue of unrest and cult clashes in the Mushin community.
Kazeem stated that some of the young people in Mushin, who are not even up to 18 years of age, are killing one another.
The lawmaker identified use of drugs and peer pressure as the influences of the menace, arguing that the children should be in school building their future.
“Our young people, some not even up to 18 years, are killing each other, influenced by drugs and peer pressure.
“These children should be in school building their future. They should be useful to their families, themselves and the society,” he said.
Lawmaker representing Mushin 1, Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, lamented that the boys carry dangerous weapons and have overpowered the community.
He urged the House to call on the Commissioner of Police to convene a stakeholders’ meeting on the issue.
“We have tried our best to stop these boys.
Let us call on the Commissioner of Police to convene a stakeholders’ meeting. These boys have cutlasses and dangerous weapons,” he said.
Lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo 2, Hon. Oladipo Ajomale, raised caution on the spread of cultism to his constituency if the situation persists.
He questioned the reason for the absence of state police due to ineffective local policing.
“I rise to lend my voice because my constituency is the next-door neighbour to Mushin, and it will be unfair if something like that spreads to my constituency.
“If we cannot have effective local policing, I think it is important we have state policing.
“What we have realised these days is that cultism is now in secondary schools,” he said.
Meanwhile, lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, said it is not about security negligence only, but also about people trooping into Lagos without direction.
He, therefore, urged the House to take a decisive measure, as an injury to one is an injury to all.
“This does not have to do with security operatives alone. People trooping into Lagos without knowing where to sleep or stay is a major problem.
“This House must take a decisive measure because an injury to one is an injury to all,” he said.
Lawmaker representing Mainland 2, Hon. Shabi Rasheed, said the genesis of the problem was when moral instruction was taken out of the curriculum, asking members to be sincere with themselves.
“These problems started from when moral instruction was taken out of the curriculum.
“Members should also be sincere with ourselves,” he said.
In his remarks, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa concluded that cultism is not limited to Mushin but is spread across the state, noting that sentencing offenders will not yield any tangible results.
He, consequently, noted that the Commissioners for Police, Youths and Sports, Economic Planning and Budget, Local Government and Education be invited to discuss the matter in order to find a lasting solution to it.
“It is correct that it is not limited to Mushin but across all the state.
“Taking people to prison is compounding the existing problems. We have a lot to do, and we need to look at the law to meet the recent developments in our state.
“Based on this development, we therefore invite the Commissioners for Police, Youths and Sports, Economic Planning and Budget, Local Government and Education to discuss the matter in order to find a lasting solution to it,” he said.
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