By Henry Adagbra
As the kidnapping epidemic continues to make waves, the Isoko people has been advised on the need to be security conscious. The Isoko Mirror Newspaper have offered some security tips which they believe individuals, travellers and communities can help themselves with, during this festive period.
The Isoko Mirror Newspaper gather that kidnapping has started spreading to Isoko with most recently in Iyede Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
While the security agency are doing their best to combat the kidnapping menace, the fear of plying the Nigerian roads still gripped some travellers especially this festive period.
The Isoko Mirror Newspaper observed that, porous security in the rural areas has enabling the recent kidnapping incidents in Iyede.
They noted the challenges was not having an integrated security network in the rural areas, offered useful security tips to communities.
They stated that, the kidnappers, before they strike, must have conducted surveillance by even sending a surveillance operative. They can’t just come into any community and kidnap that same day. They do it based on surveillance. Even on the highway, it’s based on surveillance. They want to know the strength of the security on that particular highway. In the communities too, they want to know the strength of the resistance to such activity. So they target where there is a low concentration of security and attack the place.
The communities at best could arrange themselves and have vigilante groups but the kidnappers – some of their weapons are equivalent to what our armed forces are carrying – the communities are helpless in this situation.
They advised that communities have to set up a vigilante service legally with the local governments. The local government can help set it up with the state government, integrate them with the police and the armed forces so that if there’s any threat of kidnapping they can make calls.
Travellers are also advised to travel light, noting that the display of flashy or expensive items could make anyone a soft target.
Anybody that is travelling, if you have financial transactions on your phone, you have to delete them. Hide your smartphones. Travel light. No wristwatches. Just travel ordinarily. If it is a place that is prone to kidnapping, you have to assess your chances of going there – if it’s something you can (simply) do on the phone.
They also advised residents to be security conscious. Like the police or the government often says ‘security is everybody’s business.’ Everybody has to be on the lookout within their neighbourhood. If you see a suspicious movement, you can call the attention of the local security the resident association or the Divisional Police Officer and give information