What is your definition of security as a Nigerian?

By Emmanuel Udom

Security is pretty difficult to define. Reason is that this 8-letter word is seen from various angles by people across the globe. A security personnel could define it as the near absence, or total eradication of crimes in our society.

A housewife on the other hand may see it as safety of her husband, children and home. Just like your definition or mine, both the security fellow and the housewife are correct.
 

Security of lives and property begins from the home and ends
 at the global level. So, from day one, parents must teach their children some of the basic security education.

 Your child should know how to keep away from sharp objects like knives and blades, how to call your attention, or the attention of any adult person around in case of a stranger knocking at the door.
 

Depending on his or her age, your kids should be able to either walk in groups, especially for the girl-child, when going or coming back from school along lonely streets, or raised an alarm when approached by an unknown person.

 Do teach your kids not to accept sweets, chewing gums, or
 any other gifts from strangers. These strangers could be kidnappers, ritualists, rapists or robbers trying to lure your kids with these gifts.

 We have to take sometimes to dwell more at the home front,
 because organized robbery, assassination, murder, fraud,
 terrorism, rape, burglary and other criminal activities at
 the national and international level, begins from the family
 and community levels.

 Therefore, my brother and sister, when you talk about
 security, what comes to mind as key words are: conflict, chaos, development, murder, safety, poverty, pain, cheating, fraud and so on and so forth.

You alone actually know what security means to you. In this
 modern age, the business of securing lives and properties is actually for all of us.
 

The United Nation pecked 1:400 as the police: people ratio.
 But, you and I know that in Nigeria, like some other developing countries, this ratio is unrealistic, as one police officer is placed in- charge of more than 1000 persons.

 Police officers anywhere in the world are not magicians.
 They work with information and so people must work with the
 police at community, state and national level to flush out
 criminals.

Here again, the key words are: social amenities like
 power supply, water, employment, soft loans, etc. So
 government must provide these and other amenities.

Some persons worship money. Therefore, they are ready to kill or maim others to get money at all costs. Politicians in Nigeria are not helping matters.

It is campaigns of character assassination, not issues based. But, I trust the police and other security agents are battle ready for the forth-coming elections.
 

The heat and frustration generated by politicians, poverty,
 joblessness, diseases, want, illiteracy, lack of development, religion, greed, immorality, and get-rich-quick  syndrome have translated to terrorism, kidnapping, organized  robbery, fraudsters, cyber-criminals, murders, etc.
 

Again, we must have some basic knowledge on how to safeguards ourselves, our loved ones, friends, relative for  at the end of the day, these are our valuables persons  that must be shielded from insecurity, even as the police are being battered; left, right and center by the heat of
 insecurity.

 From now on, you as a parent must know the phone numbers of
 police strategic units and give discreet information to them
 without people around you knowing. Do this through writing anonymous letters, text messages, or making phone calls.