By Olueakemi Kindness
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has warned Nigerian youths against allowing politicians to use them for electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Disu said youths often bear the consequences of political violence while politicians who fuel conflicts eventually reconcile after elections.
He gave the warning in Abuja at the National Youth Leadership and Security Dialogue.
The IGP urged young Nigerians to reject political violence, warning that death, permanent injuries, imprisonment and destruction of property could become the price of serving political interests.
“Politicians contest elections, but you live with the consequences of those elections,” Disu told the participants.
He also warned political leaders against arming, financing or encouraging youths to commit crimes for political purposes.
Disu said the police would hold anyone involved in electoral violence accountable, regardless of political affiliation.
He said youths should not accept promises of protection from politicians after committing crimes.
The IGP also identified digital platforms as an emerging avenue for political violence, citing deepfakes, cyberbullying and hate speech as growing threats to national security.
He unveiled two national reorientation campaigns: “My Future Is Greater Than Political and Digital Thuggery” and “Think Before You Click, Verify Before You Share.”
Disu urged young Nigerians to verify information before sharing inflammatory content online, stressing that irresponsible use of social media could worsen political tensions.
He called on youths to channel their energy into technology, entrepreneurship and lawful civic participation instead of political and digital violence.
The IGP said Nigeria’s future depends on a generation that refuses to become instruments of political conflict.
