The Executive Chairman, Agege Local Government, Alhaji Ganiyu Egunjobi, said that 250 youths in the area would benefit from the newly launched de-radicalization programme introduced to curb restiveness and violence.
Egunjobi said this during the official launch of the programme on Wednesday at the council secretariat in Lagos.
He said that the initiative would foster civic culture among the younger generation.
“This programme was borne out of our administration’s commitment to fight against crimes and eradicate youth aggression and violence within the area.
“The intractable activities of the infamous ‘Awawa’ cult gang and the attack on two police stations located in the community by hoodlums in the aftermath of #EndSars protests was a wake-up call,” he said.
Egunjobi said the council embarked on the de-radicalisation programme to rededicate itself to the issue of crimes besetting the area and to find a lasting solution to the nagging problem.
“In short, it is a move to take gangsters and young criminals off our streets for reformation and reduce to the barest minimum crime rate in Agege community.
“It is to offer youths disposed to crime a window of opportunity to come, acquire vocational skills, find their lost moral compass and get a monthly stipend of N10,000 each,” Egunjobi said.
The council boss said that the 250 youths selected from the seven wards, across the council area, had enrolled in the pilot scheme.
He said that they would equally be taught civic education so as to become responsible citizens contributing positively to the development of the community.
“We are determined to set youths, who are into crime back on the right path because their activities are inimical to our ambitious planning to make Agege a better place.
“In this light, the local government is using the programme to promote civic culture among the youth that would stir them to participate in government, uphold democratic values, become responsible, productive and caring,” he said.
Egunjobi said the council was counting on community leaders, security organisations and the general public to support the programme.
He noted that their support would be key to the overall success of the initiative.
“We are counting on the buy-in from community leaders, pastors, imams, market leaders, security agencies and the public in general for the programme to succeed,” Egunjobi said. (NAN)