Rising Cults Targeting Children -Anambra Police

* Rising cult recruitment targets schoolchildren, pulling even secondary students.

* Drug abuse fuels bullying and cybercrime, luring vulnerable teens.

* Parents and schools face mounting pressure to safeguard.

In Ifite Ogwari, parents watch their children head to school each morning with a mix of pride and quiet fear but stories of young lives derailed by secret groups and substance abuse have become too common in Anambra State, now fighting the hopes that education will shield their sons and daughters from danger.

Yet the shadow of cultism looms, threatening to snatch futures and shatter homes.

In a heartfelt session at Sacred Heart Academy, Ifite Ogwari, police stepped in to confront these fears head on.

Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Harrison Oruruo, spoke directly to students and school management, painting vivid pictures of ruined futures.

He sensitised the students to the dangers of cultism, bullying, cybercrime and substance abuse, noting that involvement in such activities could ruin their future and expose them to criminal prosecution.

Oruruo stressed the human cost, urging the young ones to stay vigilant, behave responsibly and report suspicious activities within and around school premises without delay.

He called on them to build positive relationships with law enforcement agencies, assuring them of swift responses to distress calls and security concerns affecting schools.

Across Anambra, reports of cult clashes and early initiations, even involving minors, have left mothers and fathers grieving, their children either victims or perpetrators.

The police urged school administrators to strengthen internal security measures and sustain collaboration with security agencies to proactively address potential threats.

'The command remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding schools and ensuring an enabling environment for academic excellence across the state,' the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, and obtained by PUNCH Metro concluded.