The Lagos Youth–Police Dialogue: A Turning Point for Trust and Safer Communities By Adebisi Adams Oyeshakin
For years, the relationship between young people and the police in Lagos has been shaped by suspicion, fear, and painful personal encounters. Yet, from 4 to 13 November 2025, the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development demonstrated that these tensions are not inevitable—they can be confronted, understood, and gradually transformed through honest dialogue. The third edition of the Youth and Police Dialogue, held across the IBILE divisions of Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, and Epe, offered a new template for rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the young people they serve.
Unlike the typical town-hall ritual, this year’s dialogue had an unusual energy—because it featured not just representation from the Lagos State Police Command but the full, personal involvement of the Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Olahundare Jimoh. His presence, candour, and willingness to accept responsibility elevated the conversation beyond symbolism into something concrete and memorable.
The Ministry convened the dialogue for a simple but urgent reason: youths sit at the centre of both development and crime statistics in Lagos. National crime data indicates that roughly 55 percent of suspects fall within the 18–35 age bracket. Lagos mirrors this pattern across traffic offences, cybercrime, drug-related cases, gang activity, and petty street crimes. If the police are to succeed, and if young people are to feel protected rather than profiled, there must be a bridge between both sides. Across the five divisions, the turnout confirmed that thousands of young people welcomed this opportunity.
CP Jimoh used the forum to introduce a policing philosophy grounded in transparency and partnership. One of the most powerful moments came when he reaffirmed a long-standing policy Nigerians hear often but seldom trust: “Bail is free.” His voice was firm, his tone deliberate. No police officer, he said, has the right to collect money from anyone seeking bail. The applause that followed was not out of courtesy; it was a release of built-up frustration. Many young participants had endured extortion in police stations. For them, hearing the Commissioner make this declaration publicly—and promise to enforce it—felt like a breath of fresh accountability.
But perhaps the most emotional moment came when he addressed one of the darkest issues in police–youth relations: illegal phone searches. With clarity that left no room for misinterpretation, he stated: “No policeman should search your phone on the road. I stand by that order.”
The hall erupted. For years, young Lagosians have narrated painful experiences of phone intimidation, forced ATM withdrawals, and harassment under the guise of cybercrime checks. By personally identifying with the problem—and publicly banning it—CP Jimoh signalled that his leadership intends to confront misconduct, not cover it.
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Then came the moment that shocked the room: the Commissioner gave out his personal phone number. It was a gesture that broke protocol and convention. Senior security officials rarely open themselves directly to the public, let alone to young people who often feel unheard.
He explained that the number was not for casual conversations but for emergencies, misconduct reports, threats, and situations where citizens needed direct intervention. He also pleaded for responsible use so that those in genuine distress could always reach him. In that instant, the dynamic shifted. Young people felt seen, respected, and valued. Trust—long broken—began to find new footing.
Beyond policing reforms, the dialogue offered a promising avenue for institutional partnership. A notable proposal emerged: the creation of a Nigeria Police Youth Advisory Council, championed by Dr. Muiz Banire in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Lagos Chapter, led by Engr. Adigun Ibrahim Olalekan. CP Jimoh welcomed the idea warmly, calling it a timely structure for consistent youth input in policing decisions across the state. It is an initiative capable of transforming isolated dialogues into long-term, institutionalised engagement.
The Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development also strengthened its profile as one of the state’s most responsive public institutions. Successfully engaging thousands of young people across the five divisions—and securing the full participation of the Police Commissioner—demonstrates an impressive level of planning, outreach, and credibility. The Ministry showed that youth governance must move beyond rhetoric. When young people are invited sincerely, they show up. When their concerns are taken seriously, trust begins to heal.
Still, the biggest takeaway from the 2025 Youth and Police Dialogue was the leadership style of CP Moshood Jimoh. His tone was conversational rather than commanding, firm but not dismissive. He answered difficult questions, acknowledged institutional flaws, and made commitments backed by accountability. He shifted policing from a defensive stance to a collaborative one. In doing so, he set a new standard for what police–youth relations should look like in a modern city.
The dialogue was not a silver bullet, nor did it magically erase years of mistrust. But it marked a turning point. For the first time in a long time, young people heard promises that sounded more like pledges and less like public relations. For the first time in a long time, the police appeared less like an impersonal force and more like a partner genuinely interested in cooperation.
If Lagos sustains this momentum—through follow-ups, advisory councils, community policing units, and timely enforcement—the Youth and Police Dialogue will be remembered not as a one-off programme but as the moment Lagos began crafting a new social contract between young people and law enforcement.
Trust is built in steps. Dialogue is one step. Action is the next. CP Jimoh has taken the first boldly. The responsibility now lies with the police command, the Ministry, and indeed the youth themselves to ensure the conversation becomes a culture.
For Lagos, this could be the beginning of a safer, more united future—where partnership replaces suspicion, understanding replaces fear, and accountability becomes the foundation of community security.
Adebisi Adams Oyeshakin, a PRNigeria Fellow, writes via [email protected]
