Bayelsa govt to reward youth leaders who help to flush out cultists, drug peddlers from the State

Bayelsa State Government has promised to handsomely reward youth leaders, who collaborate with security agencies to flush out cultists and drug peddlers in their communities.

The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the promise at separate meetings with youth leaders from the Southern Ijaw and Sagbama local government areas of the state.

Ewhrudjakpo said in a statement on Monday that substance abuse, cultism and criminality shared a common relationship, stressing that the Governor Duoye Diri administration in the state would leave no stone unturned in its determination to reduce crime to the barest minimum in the state.

He called on the youth and community leaders to emulate the leadership of Imiringi town in the Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, which recently invited and supported security agencies to rid their communities of drug dealers and criminals terrorising the area.

He charged the youth to cooperate with the government in the fight against kidnapping and other criminal activities, urging them not to allow illegal crude oil refining, popularly known as ‘Kpo fire’, in their areas.

The deputy governor stated, “I told the youth of the Ekeremor and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs the other day, and I’m repeating it today, that any youth president that makes his community free of the crime of cultism and drug abuse will have an award from my office.

“This is one way we can use to encourage you to be part of the fight against crime. We have to fight to protect the future of our state.

The PUNCH