In deepening its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and as a leading brand in food manufacturing, Checkers, through Checkers Custard, is partnering with POCACOV, an arm of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), to sensitise and train its members of staff on the implications of drug abuse, fraud and other criminality at work places.
Checkers, a giant in food manufacturing, sales and distribution, has a diverse portfolio of brands such as Checkers Custard, Checkers Choko Tee, Checkers Custard Pap Flavour, Checkers Corn Flour and Checkers Crunchy Peanuts and boasts a roll call of professionals.
Dedicated to providing the highest quality of food products, Checkers is also ensuring that its employees become responsible members of the society, which is why the company is collaborating with NPF’s POCACOV for an in-house training programme on Saturday, September 20, 2025.
Speaking on POCACOV, an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to prevent crime before it is committed, SP Olivia Ugochukwu, the Lagos State coordinator of OOCACOV, explained that such deep-thinking move by Checkers Custard will positively impact the company and society in the long run.
“POCACOV is a department in the Nigerian Police Force that handles preventive policing. What we do in POCACOV is preventive policing. This simply means we cut crime or nib it at the bud. We don’t allow crime to rise. We don’t go after criminals, we ensure the criminals are not created,” she said.
“That is what we do in POCACOV. So, POCACOV in collaboration with Checkers Custard on Saturday the 20th September, will be having a training for some of their employees to sensitise them on drug drug abuse and fraud at work place. So if we are able to get these people, stop them before a crime is even committed, it would help the community at large.”
SP Ugochukwu said resource persons for the sensitisation will include experts within the NPF and civilians, with whom the police have partnered to drive the initiative.
The POCACOV Lagos State coordinator highlighted the multiplier societal effect of such move by Checkers Custard, stressing that the staff are members of the society.
“The benefits are endless; the benefits are massive. Imagine a family where all the children grow up to be right standing members of the society. Imagine a street where all the members are focused on becoming important people in life,” she emphasised.
“Of course it would impact on the society at large. We will have less criminals in our streets, we will be able to sleep with our two eyes closed, we will be able to function at any time of the day without being hurt in any way.”
SP Ugochukwu connected drug abuse to cultism and other forms of crimes committed at places of work and society, hence, the importance of the proactiveness by Checkers Custard.
“It is not only cultism but I’ll take an excerpt from one of the interviews granted by my boss, the national coordinator, ACP Olabisi to say that cultism and drug abuse are Siamese twins to almost all the organised crimes out there, so it might just be the root,” she said on if drug abuse is the root cause of all criminal activities.
“Drug abuse, cultism, peer pressure, that is how it starts. Even the Bible says bad communication corrupts good manners, so that is how it starts.”
SP Olivia Ugochukwu said POCACOV will be deploying seasoned resource persons to provide a holistic training programme for Checkers Custard and stressed that the national.coordinator of POCACOV ACP Olabisi Okuwobi has been fully involved in the planning for the training session today at the corporate headquarters of Checkers in Lagos.
