By MICHAEL ODIGBE
MOST journalists practise what is branded as “media Afghanistanism,” according to Mr. Sonata Olumhense, an elderstatesman in journalism. What he means is that many journalists ignore relevant, human interest news and features during prime time for them in preference for other drab ones.
For instance, December 1, 2014 was World HIV/AIDS Day. However, only a few media houses spotlighted this event. One of them was NTA, Abuja. Since the arrival of good morning Nigeria anchored by Claire Adelabu Razak Bello and Kingsley Osadolor in 2014, the NTA added more fillip to discussing periodic events like World HIV/AIDS Day and all other similar occurrences.
First principles
Certainly, NTA understands the professional discordance “Media Afghanistanism”. That is why it takes all the pains to keep its holy grail of giving ambience to promotional stories on periodic events.
Right now, we are in the mainstream of one of such events with festive character, yes, Christmas is around the corner. When we pass the bend and look ahead, a new year 2015 will be staring at us. Hence the seasons greeting in the air now is happy Xmas, a prosperous New Year. Therefore, what should be of relevance to us presently is security before any other thing. Well, since God only helps those who help themselves, here are security tips for making your Xmas happy and New Year, prosperous. Let’s face reality instead, no time to shy away from relevant issues of engaging in Media Afghanistanism.
Always think security
Let’s not deceive ourselves. Criminals always increase their tempo during festive seasons. Since Christmas and New Year celebrations are the world’s greatest events we should expect criminals to be on the prowl too unlike deceit men. This implies that we must all be security conscious during the period between December 2014 and January 2015. Now the rule should be: Always think security in all you do. Any lapse in your security architecture could bring you so much pain in life that you will never forget. It is true security prayers are needed this season. Again we know the bible tells us that unless God protects a city, the watchman watches in vain.
But common sense informs us that prayers alone without good security ends in calamity. Furthermore, we must not forget that initially we have to build a city where, as the name signifies, everything including security is functioning before God would bless it with his providence.
All said, the point being canvassed here is that God only blesses the labour of our hands. If we plan our security well, God’s seal on it would make it water – tight and impervious to criminals during this festive season as well as throughout our lives on earth. Anyone who think God will descend from heaven to build a security architecture for him is living in a fools paradise.
Crime is a virus
An encyclopaedia cannot contain all of criminals’ tactics. This is because criminials are like viruses. Every scientist knows viruses are self-limiting organisms that mutate continuously. Hence, it has been difficult to develop a cure for viruses. Imagine, as soon as you spend millions of dollars to get a vaccine for attacking and destroying a virus it transforms its structure into another form.
This development has rendered science incapable of coming up with a curative therapy for viruses like Ebola, HIV and hepatitis. Following the absence of full-proof cure for viruses, all that is available to a medical doctor is managing them.
Similarly, criminals are like viruses
No police on earth can completely ride them from the society. Infact sociologically – speaking it is impossible to have a society without crime just as there are no rivers without fishes. Invariably, what the police is doing is working towards reducing criminality in a society – not totally eradicating it. So be wise. Don’t therefore be among the category of people that assume the police can tame all criminals this festive season. Raise your security alert to A – class because there will always be a criminal next door no matter how hard the police works. Police no be God-ooo.
Be abreast of information
CP Foluso Adebanjo of Edo Police Command is very generous with security tips since the beginning of the year. Each time criminals are arrested their new tactics is communicated quickly to the public. During the festive season of last year, criminals were adopting the strategy of one-chance robbery to dispose unsuspecting commuters or travelers of their valuables. Some of them lost their lives or got raped in the process. The police got to know of the nefarious criminal act amongst others, in Edo State. It quickly announced the activities of the one chance robbers to the public in the form of public enlightenment. Moreover, Edo Police Command went underground and snuffed out their atrocities.
During this festive season, one cannot say whether or not one-chance robbers haven’t returned to business. All I can state is that all Edo people should assume they are still in the state. Also, be warned!! Tuke-tuke buses; commercial tricycles; and okada used outside Benin metropolis can equally be used for one-chance robbery. That is transformational mutation in criminality for you. This explains why we need to be brainwise to think faster than the crooked criminals in our midst. Or else we will fall into their snares.
Not long ago, Edo Police Command informed Edo people of how three mai guards abandoned their duty posts at night in Ugbor Area of Benin Metropolis. Their destination? A fashion store. They dug a hole on its sidewall and entered it, carting away its wares. The lesson here is that we should try as much as possible to use professional security guards. Additionally, we must realise that we live in times when we should be alert night and day. That iron gate high prison perimeter fence around our houses and the fawing, innocent – looking security details we so trust with our lifes and property may fail us in the end.
This brings to mind three recent tactics adopted by festive season robbers that were uncovered by Edo Police Command in Benin Metropolis. Firstly a member of the robbery gang will collide with a passerby in a busy area of the city. During the arising altercation between the passerby and the gang member, the former is then robbed at gunpoint. Secondly, some robbers now pose as customers in a store and the thereafter attempt to rob it in broad-day light. An incident of this nature took place at Adesuwa Road, Benin and was reported by EBS, Benin news of November 27, 2014.The culprits were arrested.
Later on December 5, 2014 the same media outfit reported that a 29-year-old man was arrested for entering and robbing residents in Siloko Area of Benin this was after gaining enterance into their apartment posing as a Jehovah Witness preacher!! How smart the man was. But you could be smarter, wiser and more intelligent if you were security conscious.
