As we step into 2019 and election year in Nigeria, key security tips to bear in mind:

1) Situational awareness
You’ve got to be aware of what’s happening around you. Know when to walk away from political argument, know when to avoid late nights, know when suspicious movement occurs in your residential estates. Be smart, keep your eyes open
2) Be careful with your mobile banking tools
Do not perform online transactions in public spaces. Report missing or stolen atm cards immediately
3) Reinforce security at schools and residential estates
We hope to have peaceful elections in tbe country. However, it is important to be proactive in case of miscreants who want to take advantage of a bad situation
4) Do not engage convoy drivers
I know the behaviour of most convoy drivers is unruly but do not experiment with them. School bus drivers must also be taught not to  engage in reckless driving in retaliation
5) Be alert and listen to the news. Know the important emergency numbers

Intentionally grooming a safety conscious generation

As we step into 2019 and election year in Nigeria, key security tips to bear in mind:

1) Situational awareness
You’ve got to be aware of what’s happening around you. Know when to walk away from political argument, know when to avoid late nights, know when suspicious movement occurs in your residential estates. Be smart, keep your eyes open

2) Be careful with your mobile banking tools
Do not perform online transactions in public spaces. Report missing or stolen ATM cards immediately

3) Reinforce security at schools and residential estates
We hope to have peaceful elections in the country. However, it is important to be proactive in case of miscreants who want to take advantage of a bad situation

4) Do not engage convoy drivers
I know the behaviour of most convoy drivers is unruly but do not experiment with them. School bus drivers must also be taught not to  engage in reckless driving in retaliation

5) Be alert and listen to the news. Know the important emergency numbers

One of the major security trends in the month of January was kidnapping. There is a high potential for this to increase over the coming months due to current economic situations. It is important to learn a bit more about this threat to enable us understand and be prepared. Of course we do not hope this happens to you, however it’s best to be prepared.

People who get involved in kidnapping might fall into any of these 3 categories:

• Political activist: In this case, the kidnap is done towards achieving a cause. E.g. getting a political representative to resign or make a decision in a certain direction. They usually operate in teams and have accomplices outside the kidnap zone.
• Criminal/Extortionist: The kidnapper here is just in it to get a reward. At a given price, he/she is willing to release the abducted person. He/she is not planning to die or get caught. The kidnap is just a means to make quick bucks and most times disagreement because of greed is their undoing. This is more common in this part of the world, Kidnap for ransom.
• Mentally disturbed: This kidnapper is dangerous because of unpredictability associated with the mental condition. Kidnap here could be for a diverse range of reasons love, delusion, power etc.

There are diverse methods of kidnapping unsuspecting individuals but abducted individuals go through the same phases. Have you ever wondered what happens to the abducted person and his/her family or loved ones when a kidnap has occurred?  Most times when we hear the news, we feel sorry a bit and then move on. But there are things we need to know to enable us be more compassionate and sensitive towards abducted people and their families.

After the realisation that a kidnap has indeed occurred…

Abducted persons go through four phases depending on the length of abduction:

Alarm Phase

There is a sense of disbelief and denial. You cannot believe that this has happened to you. You have heard stories, you have seen movies but you just never thought it could happen to you. This leads to a feeling of powerlessness even as you begin to contemplate escape options. There is a tendency to want to make rash decisions but you shouldn’t underestimate their intelligence. Be alert but stay calm and passive. Reassure them that you are willing to cooperate. This is difficult but it has to be done.

Isolation Phase

As minutes become hours, days, you lose awareness of time and experience feelings of isolation. You wonder if anyone has realised your situation, you wonder if help would come and you feel helpless. Claustrophobia sets in. No matter what, you need to try to keep your hopes up. Trust that your situation has been noticed and measures are being put in place to save you.

Accommodation Phase

Here you are eventually beginning to come to terms with your kidnapper. You might even be on talking terms with them and getting to understand their motives. You might have feelings of appreciation to the kidnappers because your life is being spared. The kidnappers might become hostile most especially if their terms are not being met as quickly as expected. In some situations, feelings of appreciation grow to feelings of affection between the kidnapper and the hostage because of dependence for life and provision. This is referred to as Stockholm syndrome. Its origin is from a hostage situation in Stockholm in 1973 where a female hostage got romantically attached to one of the robbers.

Resolution Phase

At this stage, some sort of resolution has happened. It’s either the abducted persons have been released or death has occurred. We always hope for a peaceful resolution in kidnap situations. However, things could go awry at this phase.

While undergoing these phases, what can you do?

Be alert

Take note of your environment: is it a bushy terrain? Is there a river close by? Is the area too quiet or noisy? Take note of your abductors: what do they look like, complexion, build, facial marks, age, tribe? Look around for a means of escape and valuable clues that will be needed to catch the abductors when you are released. If you are blindfolded, use your other senses to know about you location. Giving yourself mental tasks would help you divert feelings of helplessness.

Be calm and cooperate

Stay calm and  reassure your abductors that you are willing to cooperate. Do not make sudden movements because they could be misunderstood. Calmness and cooperation boosts your chances of survival and we need you to survive.

Engage in conversation

This might seem too daring right? But it is important to understand what is motivating your kidnappers as that is a clue to whether you are important to them alive or dead. Build a  rapport with them gradually to avoid raising suspicion. Please avoid sensitive conversation topics and do not be abusive to your captors. When your captors speak, really listen to what they are saying.

Be positive

You might be there for long periods and even if it is short, being in captivity always feels much longer. It is therefore paramount to keep your spirits up. Be positive about your situation and have confidence in your release.

What happens to family during the abduction and to the abducted person after the release? How can you keep yourself and loved ones safe this period?

To be continued next week…

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There were a lot of expectations as people crossed over into 2017 but the expectations were not of a bloody January. There have been diverse security challenges affecting the safety of Nigerians and it is becoming worrisome as no one knows the next target. Here are some of the major safety and security incidents experienced in the month of January: attack by Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram action, kidnapping across socio-economic lines, auto crashes, deaths at rallies and ethno-communal clashes. Over 500 lives have been lost just in 31 days, what is the fate of Nigerians over the next 11 months?

Security trends

Attack by Fulani herdsmen

Lives have been lost to this sort of attack in Delta, Adamawa, Niger, Kaduna and Benue in the past 31 days. There is a high potential for this to increase in the coming days if government does not take a clear stand on this issue. Passive stance of government could lead to more boldness on the part of the herdsmen. If the herdsmen get bolder, the people would begin to fight back in order to defend themselves and this would lead to outbreak of pockets of violence across the country. We definitely do not want this to happen.

Boko Haram

There has been increased Boko Haram action this month most especially in various areas of Borno State because of the Military’s attempt at ending the siege. There have been attacks on villages, mosques, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, military checkpoints and an attempt on a military base in Yobe. Most of these attacks were foiled by the Military but some succeeded and Nigerian lives were lost.

The Military are doing their best to stamp out this scourge but the sect would still attempt to cause mayhem before they get crushed totally. Hence, if you need to do some work in the North East in the coming months or you live there, you would need to remain security conscious at all times most especially in public spaces.

Kidnapping

Between August 2016 and January 2017, there was an increase in kidnap incidents across the country most especially in Lagos. 3 schools were affected: Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos State Model College, Epe and Nigerian Turkish International College. Kidnap incidents ranged from the abduction of some Lagosians as they went about their daily activities on the Ikorodu/Mile 12 road to the abduction of students and staff of Nigerian Turkish International College, Ogun State. To the most recent of 3 young people which happened towards the month end in Abuja.

Kidnap for ransom is a growing security concern and there is great potential for more of this most especially because of the current economic situation. The quest to make some money in this difficult period makes this venture attractive. Schools need to organize safety training for students, staff and security officials. They also need to invest in technology to ensure the protection of their students and staff. Individuals need to be security conscious and also educate family and friends on things to look out for:suspicious people, lonely roads, taxi drivers taking unknown routes, uncompleted buildings, bushy terrain etc. Situational awareness and alertness helps to reduce the frequency of kidnap incidents.

Demonstrations

Some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were allegedly killed by the Police in a Pro-Donald Trump Rally in Rivers State. There will be more reasons to have demonstrations or rallies as issues arise during the year, would it be bloodless? There is one coming up next week to be led by popular musician, Tuface Idibia across different states in the country. Care should be taken to ensure a peaceful demonstration devoid of loss of lives.

Road Accidents

In the past few days of 2017, there has been many road accidents which has claimed lives from Illesa-Akure Express way, Ondo State to Anwai-Illah Road, Delta State to Oyo-Ogbomosho Road, Oyo State where a commuter bus skidded off the road and into the Odo-Oba River to Bauchi-Kano Road, Bauchi and also to Onitsha in Anambra State. A combination of bad roads, poor vehicle conditions and careless drivers leads to more accidents. While government works on fixing the roads, individuals should ensure vehicles are in good condition before use and apply caution when driving. Otherwise, this trend would worsen as the year goes by.

Ethno-Communal Clashes: The Southern Kaduna killings are categorised here. Lots of lives have been lost to these sort of clashes in Southern Kaduna, Obubra Community in Cross River State, Azuofia Edda Community in Ebonyi State, Oku Iboku Community in Akwa Ibom State and Ikot Offiong in Cross River State. Cult activities, political rivalry, land tussles, religious and cultural misunderstandings will persist as tension rises leading to more deaths from clashes. As much as possible, individuals should apply caution when going to new places and stay out of trouble by not being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Security Tips for Protection

Situational awareness

Members of the public need to become more aware of their environments. Are they in a lonely place? Are they being followed? Are there suspicious individuals around them? Is there an unclaimed bag around the vicinity? Increased security consciousness among members of the public would to a large extent reduce some of these security threats.

Equipped Police Force

The Police force who are usually deployed in the face of these challenges need to be given the right equipment. It’s important to mention that with the right equipment and poor welfare, they will not function optimally. Therefore, it is necessary to equip the Police in all areas to ensure they are capable of doing a good job when called out.

Punishment of Perpetrators

One of the factors that encourages people to go into crime is seeing that past perpetrators went scot-free. Therefore caught perpetrators need to be fiercely punished to serve as warning to future perpetrators.

Security Presence at Water bodies

States with surrounding water bodies should deploy adequate security presence at these spots. For some of the security incidents that occurred in January, the water bodies were used as the entry and exit routes. This could have been different if there was effective security presence.

Improved Economic Clime

Crime thrives when loss of jobs, unemployment and underemployment are on the increase. Government needs to make the economic environment favourable for business to succeed. When people are gainfully employed and are succeeding, thoughts of being a security threat to others would be far away.

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