Fears that kidnappers may be finding their way to Lagos again has led to an alarm on the rising threat to life and need for residents to take precautions.
Read the measures below:
1.When driving in Lagos traffic, keep your windows up and doors locked.
2. Do not pick or stop to talk to strangers. If you must ask for directions, enter a secure public place to ask eg fuel station or shopping mall. Alternatively, use Google Maps to get directions.
3,. If you notice that your vehicle is being trailed, drive to the nearest security post having armed personnel eg Police Station, Military checkpoint etc.
4,. Avoid staying out late as much as possible.
5. Do not engage in public /ostentatious display of wealth eg expensive jewellery, spraying money at ceremonies etc.
6. If your vehicle is rear-ended for no apparent reason on a road that is not busy, do not stop immediately. Drive to a very safe place before stopping to check.
7. Do thorough background check on domestic staff such as drivers, nannies, cooks, gardeners, cleaners etc before you employ them.
8. Treat your staff decently and fairly, to ensure trust /loyalty and reduce likelihood of criminal infiltration.
9. Be cautious in the use of social media. Do not post security-sensitive info about yourself, your family /friends, or your movements.
In a release titled “Urgent Security Advisory, issued at 13.30hours on Wednesday September 28, Eons, a Lagos -based security intelligence company, advised Lagos residents to adopt the measures to avoid falling into the hands of kidnappers.
It based its projections that Lagos was moving into high-risk security mode due to recent kidnap incidents.
According to the release, on September 27, an Air Vice Marshall, Sikiru Oladimeji Smith (rtd) was kidnapped at a worksite near Blenco Mall in Ajah about 6pm and taken away in a speedboat towards Ikorodu.
Also, a prominent RCCG pastor and his wife were kidnapped while returning from a function at Dopemu-Agege, and whisked away in their car. The gunmen later released the wife to source for a N50m ransom (brought down from the initial N100m demanded).
and on Sunday, September 26, one Mr Kingsley Ogbuagu was kidnapped at the Roman Catholic Church of Visitation, Festac Town.
Mr Ogbuagu was about to enter the church after parking his vehicle, when he was forced into an unmarked Lexus SUV car by masked gunmen and driven away.
