The security concert organised by the Lagos Command has been described as a proactive measure in tackling crime in violence prone areas.

According to Zone two Police Public Relations Officers, the concert which was targeted at youths in secondary schools and tertiary institutions and even beyond, was designed to dissuade the young ones from criminality.

Commenting on the rationale behind the concert, Chief Superintendent of Police, Dolapo Badmus, said the reality was that the nation’s music industry was improving and the youths were the major players in the industry.

According to her, the police would no longer be satisfied with reactive tendencies, stressing that it had resolved to be more proactive in its activities including entertainment events.

Badmus said the concert put together by her command was designed to interact with the youths in order to sway them from cultism, internet fraud, drug dealings and other related offences which are common among the youths

She advised the youths to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by her command through its various programmes to get acquainted with security measures, and get real mentorship for living, saying that the command would no longer want to see the young ones who are the country’s future leaders behind bars.

Badmus said the police were always ready to partner with the youth to create a better ssociety, saying security concert would certainly bring change in the society

She maintained that there could not be any national development without capacity development of the youth, saying she does not want to see any youth behind bars simply because they lack mentorship.

Badmus held the view that it was better to mentor the young ones than running after them to get them arrested, assuring the public that the friendship between the police and the people will be maintained, and the youths would remain the target of its orientation and enlightenment programmes.

In his contribution, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti said Nigerian musicians should stop promoting gangsterism with their songs.

Oti, a Superintendent of Police said music had the potency to checkmate crime and other vices in the society, saying many musicians in other climes used their brands of music to promote peace and harmony.

According to him, Nigerian musicians should take a cue from the old school musicians who promote unity and build the nation with the use of their songs.

He said the concept of fighting crime among the youth in the command through music was capable of curbing the high rate of crime taking place in the state when musicians on their part sing songs with engaging and life changing lyrics.

Similarly, Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi lauded the initiative of Badmus by organising a security concert to highlight the evils of crime, saying it was an effective strategy of fighting crime among youths.

Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said in Abeokuta that using the potency of music could be sustained by the Force to prevent crime in the state.

He said the police would continue to focus on the youths in its campaign against crime as most criminal activities were carried out or masterminded by them.

Oyeyemi, who described the musical concert as being impactful, expressed optimism that it would be sustained in the zone and possibly replicated in other zones in the Force.

He said the strategy had become necessary because many Nigerian youths look up to young musicians as their role models and adore the ways of life of these celebrities whom they relegiously follow on twitter, facebook, instagram and other social media platforms.

Oyeyemi said the police would sustain the strategy by continuously organising Musical Talent-Hunt among the youths with attractive prizes and sponsorship opportunities.

He said such programmes would also help some of the youth to actualise the potential in them and pursue a responsible life that would make them contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

The Spokesman said the police had continued to collaborate with other stakeholders including actors and actresses in the Nollywood to reach out to the youths in the world of crime.

He said the police had continued to allow the artistes to use their formations in shooting films, particularly the ones that teach high morals and promote peace and progress other societal norms

Oyeyemi said the police had also partnered with school authorities and have continued to take the campaign against crime to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the country.

Also, a lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Olaoluwa Senayon, believed music plays a major role not only in entertainment but as well as in education.

Senayon, who is also the Coordinator, Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the university, said musicians play a major role in educating the young and the old by engaging in expression of morality.

The expert said music also helped speak truth to power to enable leaders lay good examples that the youths would learn from.

“For instance, Fela Anikulapo’s activism throughout his life time was geared toward fighting criminality in government and corrupt politicians.

“ Fela’s music not only fights crime among the youths but as well fights corruption in government and exposed corruption among the people in authority,’’ he said.

Senayon said music could also discourage the youths from illegal migration in search of greener pasture.

“The youths are always eager to travel out of Nigeria having no idea of what they are travelling out to do apart from the thinking that there is greener pasture out there and eventually end up becoming criminals

“The music of Adekunle Gold in his latest track titled “IREN BEN-ILE’’ meaning “ so much fortune back home’’ educate the youths about various opportunities in Nigeria and discourage them from illegal migration,’’ Senayon said.

The don said it would be a welcome development if the police authority could fight crime through the power of music and change their orientation by adopting a radical approach in policing Nigeria.

He said Nigerian musicians had proven to be creative and innovative, saying a number of them would be ready to collaborate with the police in fighting crime through the music.

Senayon said when music was taking from the perspective of morality it would go a long way in assisting the police in fighting crime in the society.

“ I will urge the police to partner with talented musicians who can use their music to impact positively on the society,’’ he said.

A parent, Abimbola Adebayo, urged musicians to always use their songs to preach love, tolerance, good morals and uprightness in the society.

She expressed dismay at some musical lyrics which are aimed at promoting negative manners and immoral acts just for the purpose of making money.

“It is one thing to organise a musical concert purposely to sensitise the youths, it is another thing for the lyrics and rhythms to be in tune with the realities on the ground.

“The contents in music played in such concerts should be devoid of promoting gangsterism, violence, immoral acts and nudity, ” she advised.