The United Kingdom Government convened a multi-stakeholder meeting in Abuja to review the progress of its Serious & Organised Crime (SOC) Prevent Programme, aimed at deterring vulnerable young Nigerians from joining organised crime groups.
Launched as a three-year pilot in December 2021, the SOC Prevent Programme seeks to disrupt Nigerian organised crime groups by redirecting at-risk youth towards positive alternatives in Bayelsa, Edo, Zamfara, and Lagos states. The programme has established robust structures in select local governments, offering interventions such as Back-to-School Initiatives, Digital Skills Acquisition, Dance and Drama Workshops, and Sports Interventions.
In collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the programme has trained 83 officers in the Prevent methodology, underscoring a commitment to institutionalise this approach. To date, approximately 1,500 beneficiaries across the four states have been diverted from potential involvement in organised crime.
Speaking at the meeting, Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, stated, “Serious & Organised Crime is a priority for both Nigeria and the UK, and can take many forms, ranging from cybercrime to trafficking. Our results in Nigeria have proven that the Prevent methodology works, successfully diverting young people from choosing a life of crime. Today’s discussions will facilitate the full institutionalisation of Prevent in Nigeria.”
Attendees included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Police Affairs, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), INTERPOL, Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), among others.
The Prevent programme, alongside approaches like Pursue, Protect, and Prepare, aims to tackle SOC by raising awareness of its consequences and developing deterrent techniques.
