… First Lady warns against neglect of parental duties
… Says cultism, drugs, extremism thrive in broken homes
… Links drug abuse, prostitution, extremism to weak homes
First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday warned that the breakdown of family structures and neglect of parental duties were major drivers of insecurity, criminality, and moral decay across the country.
Speaking at the opening of Exercise Haske Biyu 2025 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State, Mrs. Tinubu—represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President—said the weakening of family values has left many young Nigerians vulnerable to destructive lifestyles.
According to her, many parents, weighed down by the pressures of survival, have abandoned their primary responsibility of raising disciplined and morally upright children, thereby exposing them to cultism, drug abuse, prostitution, and extremist ideologies.
“This parental absence creates a void which often gets filled by bad company and destructive behaviours. The consequences are catastrophic for families and dangerous for national security,” she cautioned.
Mrs. Tinubu, who was the keynote speaker at the event themed “Family and National Security”, stressed that the family remains the bedrock of any nation.
“The family is the first place where we learn love, respect, sacrifice, and duty. A strong family builds a strong nation,” she said.
The First Lady also underscored the role of faith and culture in shaping society, urging religious and traditional leaders to intensify efforts in guiding young people with the right teachings and moral principles.
On government’s support for families, Mrs. Tinubu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is prioritizing social protection, noting that the scaled-up Conditional Cash Transfer programme will provide N25,000 in three tranches to 15 million vulnerable households.
She further pledged that her Renewed Hope Initiative would continue to complement government’s interventions, with projects tailored toward stabilising families and fostering peace.
Declaring the three-week military exercise open, the First Lady urged participants to leave the programme “stronger, more united, and mindful of why we serve—for family, for love of country, and for a more secure tomorrow.”
Earlier, Commandant of AFCSC, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Idris Alhaji, described Exercise Haske Biyu as a bold multi-agency training aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s response to internal security challenges and low-intensity conflicts.
He explained that the exercise, which runs from September 15 to October 3, will feature strategic lectures, operational drills, case studies, and field demonstrations.
It will also include an interactive session tagged “Day in the Life of a Soldier” for civilian participants.
Alhaji emphasized that the theme on family and security was deliberately chosen to remind Nigerians that the battle against insecurity must begin at home.
He expressed optimism that the programme would produce practical strategies and deepen collaboration among security agencies, government institutions, civil society, and the media in addressing the nation’s growing insecurity.
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