From Joseph Obukata, Warri
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken its advocacy campaign against crime to the oil city of Warri, Delta State,.calling on parents to warn their children against criminality.
The Acting Zonal Director of the anti-graft agency, incharge of Edo, Delta and Ondo States, Effa I. Okim, made the call while seeking media collaboration from members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Warri.
Okim, emphasized that the fight against crime requires a collective effort from all Nigerians, including the media.
He expressed concern over the increasing involvement of youths in crime and the lack of parental guidance, which often encourages criminal behavior.
“The society would not be comfortable for all to live if everyone folds his arms and allow crime and criminality to strive. As it were, many youths now engage in crime with impunity as nobody checks them. Again, many parents, instead of discouraging their wards who may possess some property when they are not working to have such, encourage them thereby promoting more crime in the society”.
Okim warned that not only those who engage in crime but also those who aid and abet it will be arrested and prosecuted.
“It is not only those who engage in crime and criminality that would be arrested and prosecuted but those who aid and abet the crime in the society. We know fighting crime in the society was not going to be easy but with the collaboration of the media and all persons, the goal of reducing crime to the barest minimum would be achieved”, he enthused.
He reiterated that with media maximum support, the war against financial crimes and other vices would be easy to win.
Okim, noted that by merely looking at the way children behave in the society today, he knows something had gone wrong stressing that, “if something is not done to remedy the situation, it would not be well with Nigerians”.
“When l watch the way our children behave these days, l ask myself, where have we gone wrong? Where did we depart from our culture? This means, somebody is not playing his roles. We have to restore our culture for things to move well”, he added.
He therefore, urged parents to warn their children against criminality, stressing that the EFCC is determined to reduce crime to the barest minimum with the help of the media and the public.