01/06/2020
EMERGING SECURITY THREAT IN THE CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC PERIOD AND POSSIBLE APPROACH TO REDUCING VULNERABILITY AND FIGHTING THE CRIMINAL ACTS
Beneficiaries:
Corporate Auditors, Internal Control, Security Department, Compliance and other Agencies with responsibility of preventing and fighting crime in Nigeria, especially in this era of Covid-19 and future endeavors, Chief Executive Officers and interested Board of Directors.
The National Security Strategy framework approved by the President in December 2019 had confirmed twenty seven (27) existing Security Agencies which should create their time and study the Strategic Plans drawn by experts and adapt systemic approach towards implementing and enforcing the strategy with careful ‘carrot & stick’ as it relates to Nigerian citizens and the people at large.
A vital point which should be taken into consideration is the fact that TRUST is a big issue between the existing Security Agencies while superiority is the Greatest Headache at most quarters (who is most superior to the other?).
Therefore, the strong need for synergy to achieve the set goals and objectives of the Federal Government on successful reduction of all criminal acts to the barest minimum cannot be overemphasized.
The emerging threats might have been in existence but are skyrocketing based on the lock-down, stay at home and remain indoors, which proves that every person is expected to be in his/her respective homes.
On the other hand, the main factors on the increase of the emerging criminal activities are: money, cash and other valuables.
“It is a fact that for every danger, there is opportunity.”
Among such criminal activities and patterns are:
a) Cybercrime: Cybercrime based on the cyber space and working from home in order to reduce vulnerability and risks are giving rise to criminal minds devising different approaches in the cyber space to deprive unsuspecting citizens of their hard earnings through computerization and transactions. This has also resulted from cashless society which is being gradually rolled out by financial institutions.
Cyber Crime is a big threat to financial institution sustainability and all hands of the Crime Prevention Sector must come together to defend the institution and ensure Depositors’ funds are protected.
Crime watchers were privy to some fraudsters among POS Agents who take advantage on the utilization of ATM without OTP to withdraw money from Account of innocent persons. Also, fraudsters have been on the Cyber space applying different tricks to intercept transactions by way of chips or otherwise hacking system to perpetrate the act of criminality.
b) Domestic Violence/Harassment: Within the era of Covid-19, a lot has been gained towards uniting families and at the same time, harassment and molestation of opposite s*x have been on the increase in other quarters. R**e and dehumanizing tendencies in people, especially the young youths have also been on the increase within the locality of their domains.
c) Home Breakage: A lot of homes have experienced an increase in breakages; among such are locked up homes without any occupants, shops that have provisions and other food related items have been broken by forceful entries through any means, especially at night times in this lock-down period when movements are highly restricted.
Factories and other businesses where adequate security arrangements are not in place are also exposed to this miscreants’ attack.
Criminal minds carry out surveillance sometimes more than the security personnel as they have specific targets, motives and objectives to aid their criminal acts.
Putting adequate measures to reduce the risk of loss must be sustained as business entity should take into serious consideration providing Static Guards and Armed Guards to protect this business environment at all costs for obvious security reasons.
d) Drugs and Drug Related Issues: In general, Nigerians are good at diagnosing themselves as their systems tend to fall sick. They prescribe drugs and at the same time administer them as they believe it will cure the illness.
Covid-19 period has made this position to increase tremendously for the fear of falling a victim of Corona Virus or any other illness and avoid going to the hospital. This is simple self-medication.
Furthermore, people that are drug addicted have procured excess narcotic drugs and stored them. And it has become part of their system to take drugs in an attempt to reduce their frustration or loneliness as the case may be. This has also been on the increase based on the lock-down.
We must exercise caution in dealing with pharmaceutical medicines and local herbs in order not to abuse drugs while caution must also be exercised on people that are addicted as it can be identified easily based on the indoor syndrome.
e) Kidnapping: Kidnapping is financially induced crime which careful analysis link up the planning stage with involvement of a close unknown persons to the victims. It is unfortunate.
Kidnapping in general terms has reduced as a result of non-availability of cash in circulation. However, unconfirmed report available to us claims some kidnappers are utilizing POS on the victims. There is more to it than meets the eye in this particular instance but kidnapper lay ambush and source information on the whereabouts of their victims before they strike.
f) Banditry: Banditry has been on the increase especially as the major source of their service support/logistics arises from Cattle Rustling and weekly markets. The bandits live on food and when their stock gets exhausted, they attack some communities in search of food items and with little resistance, it becomes mayhem.
Crime watchers have severally recommended a synergy between various State boundaries to ensure each State gets approval for the Military to carry out ambush bay techniques in order to ensure that running away bandits don’t get shelter in villages within their States.
g) Almajiri System of Tsangaya: The Almajiri system of Tsangaya was an approach adapted seven (7) years ago by the previous Administration of GEJ where an attempt was made to enlist profile Almajiris taking the case study of Sokoto State and established a School of Islamic Studies with Western Education background. This program was never sustained for reasons best known to the Government.
In the present dispensation, several attempts and revolving programs have been drawn to transfer identified Almajiris back to their home States and family Domains.
In fact, the Northern Governors have met and agreed to commence the transfer from September 2020.
With the advent of Corona virus (Covid-19) and for the fact that these innocent children are never shielded or protected, they are thus exposed to Covid-19. The Almajiris have been reported to have contacted the virus and the society is scared of the rapid spread. This has its own criminal implication as the planning was not carefully articulated and the transfer became too sudden and it thus causes security threat to almost all States of the country. There is strong need and the political will to review the system for obvious security reason as they also pose serious threat to all of us.
It is a reality that parents must take full responsibility of ensuring they cater for the children that come into this world through them. Unfortunately, the increase in Almajiri system has link to broken homes, excessive children beyond one’s control and open negligence and lack of value for the children.
h) Restriction of Movement: The lock-down emanating from Covid-19 has brought out law enforcement to enforce the principles of restriction of movement. It is a fundamental human right for one to enjoy freedom of movement within his country as there is no particular identification that would warrant anyone to move from any place to another. Secondly, there are so many routes that are being utilized or improvised as routes of movement from one place to another while the law enforcement only man the major routes nationwide. This also has given rise to other types of en route crimes.
It is sad and unfortunate to note that all the Security Agencies saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the stay at home, social distancing and enforcement on the utilization of face masks order were not adequately prepared. There was no sufficient time for training as the pandemic took us unawares. The Agencies were not adequately briefed on the Operational Procedures and Techniques on Applications. We must avoid the ‘Eleventh Hour’ approach.
It is worthy of note that a hungry man is an angry man and from an honest perspective known to the undersigned, there is no law of wandering in Nigeria. Movements in search of livelihood is very common in our country as we are lucky to have the three (3) seasons and each season has its specific crop of food items that can be farmed, sold or for subsistence.
The strategy of declaring a health emergency has been defeated. While other countries were making plans, Nigeria was playing to the Gallery.
In fact, the outbreak of the pandemic has further exposed our backwardness and lack of political will on the part of the Government. This is the reason why the issue of palliatives that would have cushioned the effect of the lock-down became just a mere propaganda and an avenue to loot or misapply Tax payers’ resources. This has also contributed to youth restiveness and the volatility in the society.
The lack of sincerity on the part of the Government and its Agencies also made Nigerians to lose faith thereby triggering criminality. The undertone is hunger; people are hungry and hunger gives rise to anger while anger gives birth to violence and breakdown of law and order.
‘POSSIBLE APPROACH TO REDUCING VULNERABILITY AND FIGHTING THE CRIMINAL ACTS’
In an effort to device measures in reducing vulnerability, we must be proactive and apply extra caution in our approach.
The Crime triangle clearly exhibits the fact that Opportunity can only be achieved by Drive & Motive put in action to commit crime.
Fighting crime can be achieved by the strong Will of the Government Security Agencies while those of us in the private sector within the Security circle can only place emphasis on Preventive Means to achieve our goals.
Below are suggested measures designed to reduce crime and ensure crime-a free Society:
a. Adequate enlightenment is required on the part of Government (through the National Orientation Agency and other relevant Agencies), Police, EFCC, Banks’ Customer Care in the area of information dissemination to citizens in respect of Cyber Crime. We must desist from responding to internet messages and GSM requesting for Personal Identification Number (PIN) or Bank Verification Number (BVN). This is so because criminally minded individuals are going to and from looking for gullible persons to defraud.
b. The stay at home order should be adhered to strictly particularly the feminine gender who keep late nights or run errands through lonely/deserted roads. This is to avoid avoidable exposure to s*x crimes and acts of kidnapping.
c. It is actually very unrealistic to expect the depleted security apparatus to adequately cover every nook and cranny of the environment but it is expected that Security Agencies and affiliates should be strategically deployed to suggest overwhelming coverage in order to deter, deny or delay intended crime or spread of the Covid-19.
d. The personal administration of un-prescribed drugs is to be discouraged by ensuring that pharmaceutical shops, clinics, hospitals and off-the-counter sales are duly monitored for sale of prescription of drugs without certified Doctors’ endorsement. If not checked, it could amount to drug abuse or addiction to illicit drugs. The indiscriminate use of herbal drugs, if not checked, could also be toxic and dangerous.
All stakeholders should as a matter of emergency and obligation enlighten citizens of the implication.
e. All Security Agencies must synergize in areas of information sharing, surveillance and joint operations in tackling armed banditry. Cooperation between village communities, boundaries and Security Agencies should be encouraged in order to contain this menace.
f. The Government (both States and Federal) should restrict the Almajiri system to each State and locality. Proper profiling and monitoring must be instituted to have record of the children involved.
g. Various State Governments should cushion the effect of the lock-down by distributing palliatives, eradicating corruption and fairly distribute PPE’s where needed. A systematic approach should be deployed in gradually easing the lock-down, including adherence to wearing of face mask, social distancing and observance of good hygiene.
In conclusion, a stitch in time saves nine! We are in a changing world.
We must all come together to fight this menace for our businesses to survive and for the country to live peacefully.
Thank you.
MOHAMMED G. POTISKUM
MD/CEO & SECURITY CONSULTANT
HNB SECURITY & PROTECTIVE CO. LTD
June 2020
