The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), yesterday sent a strong warning to Nigerian youths ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They warned youths not to allow politicians to use them and destroy their future.

Senator Tinubu warned young Nigerians against becoming “sacrificial lambs” for desperate politicians, while Musa cautioned that criminal elements and political actors could deploy drugs, money and other inducements to manipulate vulnerable youths into violence.

The two leaders spoke separately at the National Christian Youth Security Summit and Thanksgiving in Abuja.

The summit was organised by the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) and held at the National Christian Centre.

It had as its theme: “Empowered for Leadership, Service and Nation Building.”

Their warning comes as political activities are expected to intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, amid concerns over the recurring use of unemployed and vulnerable young people as political thugs.

Election-related violence has remained a major challenge in Nigeria, with youths often recruited by politicians and criminal networks to disrupt campaigns, attack opponents and intimidate voters.

Represented by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Stephen Adegbite, the First Lady said the country was approaching another critical election period and urged young Nigerians to learn from the mistakes of the past.

She said they must refuse to surrender their lives and future to politicians who would abandon them after using them for selfish political purposes.

“We are meeting at a very crucial time in the history of our great nation, the period when we are moving towards another election and it should be a period that none of you will be used as a sacrificial lamb,” Mrs Tinubu said.

She said; “We don’t want any politician to use you and waste your life.”

The First Lady urged the youths to embrace peaceful democratic participation and nation building rather than violence.

She said no political ambition was worth the life or future of any Nigerian youth urging them to pray for the country and its leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, governors, senators and other elected and appointed public officials.

“All we want from you is to pray for Nigeria. All we want from you is to continue to pray for Mr President and all political appointees, all our governors, all our senators, all our House of Assembly members and all our House of Representatives members, so that Nigeria will be a better place,” she said.

Senator Tinubu also cautioned against religious and ethnic divisions, urging Christian and Muslim youths to see themselves as partners in the task of building Nigeria.

She said politicians and other interest groups must not be allowed to exploit religion and ethnicity to create hatred and violence.

“As the Muslim and the Christian in Nigeria, we must work together. We are brothers, we are sisters, and we must see ourselves as one. It is when you have peace that you can talk of progress,” she said.

The First Lady wondered how the country could achieve development in an atmosphere of killings, rancour and religious intolerance.

She said Christianity and Islam are religions of peace and should never be used to justify violence.

“How can you build a nation with rancour, with animosity, with acrimony, with killings, in the name of which religion?

“Not for Christianity and not for Islam. The two religions are religions of peace, and we must ensure peace everywhere that we go,” she said.

Senator Tinubu restated her commitment to the welfare and development of young Nigerians.

She said the Tinubu administration had continued to introduce interventions aimed at improving the lives and educational opportunities of youths across the country.

The Defence Minister who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security and Intelligence, Musa Likita, said youth empowerment must be treated as a critical national security strategy.

According to him, an educated, skilled and economically independent young person is less likely to fall prey to politicians, criminals and extremist organisations.

“Leadership without empowerment is fragile. Empowerment without responsibility can be dangerous, and service without patriotism cannot produce sustainable nation building,” he said.

Musa said security was no longer the exclusive responsibility of the military, police and other security agencies.

He said no security architecture could succeed without the active cooperation of citizens.

“The armed forces can defend our territorial integrity. The police and other security agencies can enforce the law. Intelligence institutions can gather and analyse information. But no security architecture can succeed if citizens refuse to play their part,” he said.

The minister described Nigerian youths as a critical component of the country’s security architecture.

He said their energy, creativity, technological capacity and entrepreneurial potential could either become assets for national development or tools for instability.

Musa warned that youths who allow themselves to be recruited into political violence, criminality, drug abuse, violent extremism, cybercrime, ethnic hatred and religious intolerance could inflict serious damage on the country.

“An empowered young person is less vulnerable to manipulation. An educated young person is better equipped to distinguish truth from misinformation. An employed youth has greater opportunity to build rather than destroy,” he said.

The Defence Minister also raised concerns over the alleged use of drugs and financial inducements to influence and manipulate young people.

He recalled instances where youths were allegedly given Indian hemp and other substances, as well as money, before being recruited for certain activities.

According to him, the objective was to weaken their ability to think clearly and make independent decisions.

Musa warned young Nigerians against anyone attempting to buy their loyalty or recruit them into violence.

He said temporary financial gains could not compensate for the loss of life, freedom or a promising future.

The minister said: “The security of Nigeria is not merely about protecting our borders. It is about protecting the Nigerian dream”.

Musa said national security had gone beyond guns and military hardware to include economic, food, energy, cyber, environmental and human security.

He warned that misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media, could trigger violence and divide communities within minutes.

According to him, unemployment and economic vulnerability had also made many young Nigerians easy targets for criminal and extremist networks.

He called for a security strategy that combines military operations with youth empowerment and social development.

Nigeria, he said, must combine; “hard power with soft power, military capability with social development, law enforcement with prevention, and security operations with empowerment”.

Musa urged the youths to contribute to national security by refusing to spread unverified information and reporting suspicious activities through lawful channels.

He urged them to reject criminal recruitment, cultism, drug abuse and all forms of violence.

The minister also challenged Christian youths to demonstrate their faith through their conduct in their communities, schools and workplaces.

Musa identified the battle for the minds of young Nigerians as one of the country’s biggest security challenges.

He said criminal and extremist organisations were exploiting poverty, frustration, grievances and misinformation to recruit followers.

The country, he said, must provide young Nigerians with better alternatives through education, employment, innovation and mentorship.

The Defence Minister also urged Nigerian youths to embrace emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, robotics, engineering and software development.

He said Nigeria must move beyond being a consumer of technology and develop young innovators capable of solving the country’s security and developmental challenges.

According to him, young Nigerians who develop technology capable of detecting criminal networks, protecting critical infrastructure and securing digital systems would be contributing directly to national security.

Musa urged families, churches, schools, youth organisations, the private sector and government to work together to prepare young Nigerians for leadership. (The Nation)