The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has approved the appointment of SP Orvenonne Ikwen as the new National Coordinator of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a national initiative focused on non-kinetic strategies to curb cultism and related social vices.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the appointment is in line with the IGP’s drive toward modern, intelligence-led and community-oriented policing that emphasises prevention, public trust and collaboration.
SP Ikwen, a seasoned police officer, security and development practitioner, and strategic communication expert, holds a PhD in Computer Science with a specialisation in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science from the University of Calabar. She has been actively involved in technology-driven policing, public relations, behavioural change communication, police transformation projects and inter-agency collaborations. She is also a member of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria and the Institute of Conflict Management & Negotiation Analyst.
As the new National Coordinator, she is expected to broaden POCACOV’s outreach across schools, tertiary institutions, communities and youth groups, with a focus on addressing cultism, drug abuse, cyber vulnerabilities, gender-based violence, misinformation and other societal challenges through community-driven and preventive frameworks.
The IGP charged SP Ikwen to deploy innovative strategies and deepen partnerships with stakeholders, community leaders, organisations, educational institutions and other supporters of the initiative.
