Economic Hardships Forcing Nigerian Youths into Crime, Banditry, Says NELF

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

A group, the Nigerian Emerging Leaders Forum (NELF) has said crippling economic challenges were among the situations forcing Nigerian youths into internet fraud, armed robbery, illegal migration for prostitution, banditry and terrorism, cultism, political thuggery, oil bunkering, human rituals and organ trafficking.

The National Publicity Secretary of NELF, Maryam Ahman, stated this yesterday in Abuja at the inaugural briefing to mark the launch of the forum.

She noted that the highlighted vices were informed by the neglect of the youths by successive administrations, which as a result of the economic downturn of the 80s and 90s incrementally reduced the budget on youth welfare, employment, education and sports.

Ahman noted that this development, including population explosion, has great implications on national development, which has further magnified the clear and present danger which an unattended section of the population has fallen into.

She added it was one of the reasons why NELF was coming on board to serve as a nexus between policy makers and young people, adding that the indices in the country pointed to a tide against young people.

The forum leader stated that the malaise is a symptom of a society that has forsaken its youths from the family unit to schools and the society at large, stressing that NELF which is an amalgam of young Nigerians with strong conviction of systemic processes as a catalyst for change is of the opinion that these issues should be placed at the top burner of governance and policy formulation.

Ahman urged all young people in the country and in Diaspora to eschew bitterness, political differences, gender and ethno-religious differences, class biases and other fault lines that are either man-made or ordained, in order to forge ahead with the prevalent global mood of togetherness and progression.

Also, the forum National Convener, Alkasim Mohammed Zangina, said the Nigerian youths must be galvanised to be part of the economic and political development of the country.

He said the forum intended to set up town hall meetings and conferences to enlighten the public on the security challenges and other malaise in the country.