… First Lady Links Cultism, Drugs, Prostitution To weak Homes
… Kukah: Youths Lured Into Extremism, Products Of Poor Upbringing
… Sultan: Weak families produce Weak Communities, Insecure Nations
Daud Olatunji
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, have warned that the collapse of family structures and neglect of parental responsibilities are fueling insecurity, criminality, and moral decay in Nigeria.
They gave the warning on Monday at the opening ceremony of “Exercise Haske Biyu 2025” held at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State.
Delivering the keynote address, Mrs. Tinubu—represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President—said the erosion of family values was leaving many Nigerian youths vulnerable to destructive lifestyles.
According to her, the failure of many parents to provide discipline, love, and moral guidance has opened the door 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,” Mrs. Tinubu warned.
She stressed that the family remains the foundation of every society, describing it as “the first place where we learn love, respect, sacrifice, and duty.”
“A strong family builds a strong nation,” the First Lady added, urging parents, religious leaders, and community heads to reclaim their roles in moral upbringing.
She also noted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is scaling up social protection for vulnerable families.
According to her, 15 million households would receive N25,000 each in three tranches under the Conditional Cash Transfer programme.
She pledged that her own Renewed Hope Initiative would complement government efforts with projects to strengthen families and promote peace.
Bishop Kukah, who was represented by Rev. John Hayab, said most young Nigerians recruited into crime and extremism were victims of failed parenting.
“The family is the primary institution of socialisation. Many of the young people we see today, who are lured into crime, extremism, and social vices, are products of homes where proper upbringing has failed,” Kukah said.
He argued that many of Nigeria’s security challenges, particularly youth radicalisation, stemmed from broken homes, poor moral instruction, and social neglect.
Kukah added that poverty, lack of access to education, and the obsession with materialism were compounding the problem, warning that unless the family is restored as the core unit of discipline and empathy, insecurity would persist.
“Families that model empathy, respect, and constructive engagement are more likely to produce citizens who are peacebuilders rather than disruptors,” he noted.
The cleric urged government and communities to invest in family welfare policies, psychosocial support, and value-based education that could restore morality and civic responsibility among the youth.
Similarly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, warned that the growing erosion of family values was threatening Nigeria’s social fabric and national security.
“The smallest yet most critical unit in any society is the family. Weak families produce weak communities, and weak communities give rise to insecure nations,” he declared.
He noted that most of the behavioural patterns that shape national security consciousness are formed in childhood, stressing that “the world has not and will never invent anything to replace the family.”
The Sultan expressed concern over the influence of illicit wealth, uncontrolled digital content, and social media, which he said were undermining traditional family structures.
He called for marriage advisory boards, value-driven reforms in the school curriculum, tighter regulation of digital platforms, and stronger drug control measures.
Declaring the three-week multi-agency military exercise open, Mrs. Tinubu 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, the Commandant of AFCSC, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Idris Alhaji, said Exercise Haske Biyu was designed to sharpen Nigeria’s response to internal security threats and low-intensity conflicts.
He noted that the theme—Family and National Security—was deliberately chosen to remind Nigerians that the fight against insecurity must begin at home.
The exercise, which will run from September 15 to October 3, will feature strategic lectures, operational drills, case studies, and field demonstrations, including an interactive session titled “Day in the Life of a Soldier” for civilians.
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