Social Media and State-Of-The-Art Technology: Viable Tools to Combat Insecurity and Terrorism

By
Don Okereke

Social Media are internet or Phone based applications that enable people to communicate, share resources and information in real time. Social Media, Open Source Analysis/Software’s and Crowd Sourcing (obtaining needed services, ideas, or information by soliciting contributors from a large group of people especially from an online community rather than traditional sources) have immensely revolutionized the way information and knowledge are generated and disseminated.

Social media is like a two-edged sword: it can be a threat to National Security and also has the propensity to tone up National Security if well reined in. Facebook and Twitter are inadvertently effective tools for organizing protests. Both played major roles during the Arab Spring.

Please see the full text of the essay here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/137047884/Social-Media-and-Technology-viable-Tools-to-combat-insecurity


Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
Abuja, Nigeria
Email: donnuait@yahoo.com
Phone: +2347080008285

@ Dgitrader

Hi,
Thanks for your contribution and for the issues you raised therein. At least this shows some folks have the knack and patience to peruse detailed essays and contributions.

Please may I beseech you to read this: ‘’Fighting Insecurity and Terrorism: Lessons from the Boston Marathon Terrorist Incident’’ https://www.nairaland.com/1271762/fighting-insecurity-terrorism-lessons-boston

It is a sequel to the Press Release you commented on. I hope it freshens out your concerns.
Thank you very much. All the best.

Don

Fighting Insecurity and Terrorism: Lessons from the Boston Marathon Terrorist Incident
By
Don Okereke

Sequel to the Boston marathon terrorist incident and the manhunt, arrest and swift prosecution of the surviving suspect, there is no doubt Nigeria has a long way to go in her so-called fight against Insecurity and Terrorism. Yes the context may be different but we can safely make some inference and learn some lessons.

For starters, one striking thing about the whole scenario was the seamless inter-agency synergy between American Security establishments and the cooperation, resilience of Bostonians and the American people generally. Close coordination among federal, State and local officials led to the arrest of the surviving suspect. The FBI took over the investigations when it was established it was an act of terrorism. Report indicates the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) may have added the name of the Boston Marathon suspect(s) in its database of suspected terrorists some 18 months ago.

CCTV Surveillance Cameras played a major role in identifying the suspects; innocent people were not intimidated, arrested or killed in the catch-me-if-you-can manhunt that ensued. In the United States, if you do the crime, you must be ready to do the time. Right now Federal Prosecutors have commenced prosecution of the surviving suspect, sooner than later you will hear that the guy has either been convicted or acquitted.

Of course the United States have a Counterterrorism Policy which explicitly stipulates specific roles for all the Security agencies. The United States has zero tolerance for negotiating with terrorists. The leading framework of the deterrence policy of the United States is encapsulated in the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act gave new powers for Intelligence-gathering, authority to intercept communications, creation of a ‘’terrorist exclusion list’’. It also spells out assignments to specific agencies- the FEMA has the responsibility of developing an overall federal response plan while Delta Force and Seal Team Six are the ‘muscles’ of the US counterterrorism. Other sister agencies like the DCI counter-terrorist centre, the CIA and the FBI have varied roles.

After the incident, President Obama promised that the perpetrators will be fished out and brought to book and that is exactly what happened. Obama ‘’directed the full resources of the Federal government to be made available to help local authorities’’. Obama’s message to Americans and particularly to Bostonians was to say the least, comforting and uplifting.

You see why Americans reasonably trust their leaders and their government. In Nigeria, we were told Boko Haram will be history by mid 2012, yet the miasma and wanton killings by the Sect persists. We were told abductors of Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mother were not paid ransom prior to her release, now we know the truth.
Over here we are blessed with public officials that brazenly lie to fellow citizens without blinking an eyelid. With the political permutations and agitations over the 2015 elections, there has been so much bickering and finger pointing between the ruling PDP government and the opposition at the detriment of governance. Nigeria we hail thee!!! Sorry for drifting, back to the issue.

If what happened in Boston had happened in Nigeria, a Committee/Panel would have been set up to look into the incident. Another committee will be assembled to study and harmonize the findings of the first committee. One more committee will be put in place to consider the plausibility of negotiating with and granting the terrorists a.k.a insurgents an amnesty. Reports of the coterie committees will subsequently join their ancestors in Nigeria’s flourishing ‘’National Archive of Committee and Panel Reports’’ and it is business as usual again, the vicious cycle continues. Committees and Panels were assembled aftermath of the various disturbances in Odi, Zaki Biam, Jos and other parts of the country, till date the report of those committees did not see the light of the day nor implemented. We must do away with this culture of jamboree investigative panels, committees and sub-committees. We believe there are specific agencies of government constitutionally empowered to handle such issues rather than unnecessary duplication of roles with its attendant fiscal profligacy.

According to global best practices, you don’t engage somebody or an organization allegedly complicit in an incident to be involved in investigating the incident. Doing so will be tantamount to an adjudicator judging a matter involving him. We want to believe that members of Nigeria’s Security Agencies accused of the Baga Killings are not the same people investigating what transpired. Many schools of thought concur that a Judicial Panel of Enquiry will do a better job in incidents such as the Baga killings since it will be vested with the powers to also prosecute.

If what happened in Boston took place in Nigeria, there is every possibility the culprits will waltz free since there will probably be no CCTV Surveillance camera to capture their image. Granted there are such cameras in some places in Nigeria, lack of electricity supply means those Cameras will be mere dummies. When pressure to perform becomes much on Nigeria’s security agencies, they will randomly arrest and parade innocent people as suspects. Many of the so-called suspects are seldom convicted since there is no water-tight evidence against them or the investigation has been bungled ab initio. Imagine the Nigeria Police and the State Security Service (SSS) parading different sets of suspects in the Olaitan Oyerinde’s murder episode. Sometimes when ‘suspects’ are arrested, their trial will drag for several months, years and before you know it, the detention or prison facility harboring the suspects have been attacked by sympathizers of the suspect and the suspects are set free. The recent Yola prison break and the scenario in Delta State where a suspect undergoing trial was set free by his crew are few classic examples.

Masterminds of the recent Boston marathon bombing reportedly shot and killed a 26 year old Police officer-Sean Collier but this did not prompt Boston Police officers to vent their anger on innocent citizens. Obama and the family of Sean rather praised him for ‘’dying bravely in the line of duty, doing what he committed his life to doing - serving and protecting others’’. United State’s security agencies were meticulous and ensured that at least one of the suspects- 19 year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured alive. This will enable authorities to extract useful information from him. Juxtapose this with how Mohammed Yusuf, the erstwhile Boko Haram leader was allegedly brazenly executed by officers of Nigeria’s Security Agencies without extracting useful information from him.

It seems our Security Agencies unconsciously have a penchant for going on rampage to avenge the death of one of their own. Inter-agency rivalry and superiority complex is deafening, if it is not the Army against the Police, it is the Police against the NSCDC officers. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Nigeria’s public space is currently awash with the alleged indiscriminate extra-judicial killing of probably 185 or more people including women, children and the burning of over 2,000 houses at Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area of Bornu State, Nigeria. However military authorities and the federal government contend that the collateral damage aftermath of the clash between the Transnational Joint Force and suspected Boko Haram members may have been grossly exaggerated. Whether 185 or more people as reported by the media or a smaller number as agreed to by the Military authorities, the bottom line is that the sanctity of human life has been basterdized here. While we strongly condemn the despicable killing of a soldier or alleged harboring of terrorists that the Baga community is accused of, which may have prompted the retaliatory rampage, there is no justification whatsoever for the alleged wholesale killings. What happened to the rules of engagement?

Nigeria is steadily drifting, life is ceasing to have meaning in this country; life expectancy is depreciating in geometric progression. People are arbitrarily hacked to death like chickens, the issue is talked about for a couple of days, a committee or panel is assembled to look into it and the whole episode fizzles out sooner than later.

Canadian authorities recently foiled a ‘’major terrorist attack’’ in the country’s capital, Toronto. They reportedly thwarted an attempt to bomb VIA rail line. Canadian Police and intelligence agencies said the cooperation of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the FBI and a tip off from a member of the Muslim community led to the arrest of the suspects. The terror suspects are said to have been under surveillance for about a year. This was possible because members of the public cooperated with the security agencies. Imagine a potential terrorist being watched and trailed for a year! Nigeria’s Security Agencies must take a cue from their Western counterparts. They must carry the citizenry along and earn their confidence or risk members of the public seeing them as enemies. This onslaught has the potency to jeopardize or derail the wishy washy and haphazardly packaged amnesty exit strategy.

A penchant for indiscriminate killing of suspects and innocent people invariably creates a dichotomy between the security agencies and the citizenry that are supposed to volunteer nuggets of sensitive information. Such a proclivity is definitely counter-productive to the fight against insecurity and terrorism. The Security Agencies must not metamorphose to terrorists in the guise of fighting terrorists. An accused is considered innocent until found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

We appreciate the sacrifices, unconventional and precarious nature of the onerous task bedeviling the Security Agencies in their fight against insurgents and terrorists. We implore them to be less pugnacious, be more surgical, proactive and invest more resources in intelligence gathering so as to nip insecurity and terrorism in the bud. They should tone down their notoriety for a ‘kill-and-go’ mentality, bravado and gung-ho approach. The United States ambassador to Nigeria in a recent interview succinctly underscores the importance of ‘human element’ in the fight against terrorism.

A couple of years ago, arguably the biggest robbery in the history of the United Kingdom was pulled in broad daylight in a London Jewelry shop. The robbery probably lasted a few minutes and the assailants had prosthetics (face mask). It was a successful operation except that the long arm of the law caught up with the masterminds. I guess the blokes gave themselves a pat on the back for the stunt they pulled. However, a couple of days after the incident, footages of the coterie of CCTV Cameras in the streets of London were meticulously pieced together and analyzed. The culprits were eventually fished out. If this had happened in Nigeria, it’s a done deal; there will be no trace of those guys, the police will probably tell us it was evil spirits or something.

Sometime last year some major streets in Abuja were adorned with 2015 re-election posters of President Goodluck Jonathan. As usual there was so much brouhaha and finger pointing flying around sequel to the poster thing. The Police said they will investigate and fish out the culprits, till date no one knows the outcome of their investigation. With CCTV Cameras, it is not difficult to solve this riddle because pictures of the people that pasted the posters would have been captured by CCTV cameras.

Recommendations:
At the risk of over-egging the pudding, permit and pardon me for reiterating this again and again; I will continue bringing it to the fore until the right thing is done. Rather than a fire-brigade approach and mentality, Nigeria without delay, badly needs a ‘’Coherent and Comprehensive Terrorism, Counter-terrorism Policy & Strategy’’. We can’t fight Insecurity and Terrorism by blowing hot and cold; it’s high time we took a definite stand. Nigeria is in dire need of a sweeping National Security Reform that embraces and emphasizes on human capital development and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

In addition to the foregoing, this writer also believes that an ‘’Extensive Vulnerability or Resilience Test/Audit of Strategic Public Infrastructures in Nigeria’’ is crucial. Juxtaposing ourselves in the position of the bad guys, our Security Agencies and government think-tanks must brainstorm on worst-case scenarios and have answers to them. Every thoughtful and security-minded country or individual, hopes for the best but prepares for the worst.

Special attention must be paid to adequately patrolling our extensive and porous borders. With our huge budgetary allocations to Security and Defence, I think we have the resources to deploy Unattended Land/Ground Sensors in our borders. This is one of the state-of-the-art gadgets that provide enhanced protection for Border Security, Infrastructure and Force protection. Otherwise deporting so-called arrested illegal migrants will just be a mirage as they will return to Nigeria sooner than later if they so wish. Unless Nigerian Immigration and Security officials implanted RFID chips on the deported blokes prior to their deportation. I chuckle each time I hear that illegal immigrants from Chad, Niger etc in Nigeria have been arrested and deported.

With Oil Pipeline and Maritime Protection contracts in their kitty, many of the ex-Niger Delta Militants have metamorphosed to nouveau-riche multi-billionaires. Since what is good for the goose is sauce for the gander, OPC is said to be angling and are on the verge of getting their share of the federal government largesse. Persistent Oil Pipeline vandalization and Bunkering calls to question, the competence of ex-militants or Vigilantes in protecting our Oil installations and maritime waterways. Right now Nigeria is said to lose about 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily no thanks to the nefarious activities of pipeline vandals and oil bunkerers.

Rather than awarding multi-billion naira Pipeline protection contracts to inept vigilantes, it is high time Nigeria deployed Satellite technology and Internet Protocol (I.P) Networked CCTV Cameras to monitor our Oil Pipelines and Critical National Infrastructures. One believes that NigeriaSat-1/NigeriaSat-2, NigComSat, NX Nigeria inter alia, has the capability to monitor Pipeline and Oil installations across Nigeria.

Please let us give peace a chance. No individual or country will make meaningful progress and impact in an atmosphere of insecurity and unpredictability. Peace is a sine qua non for personal and national advancement.
Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. See it, hear it, say it, stop it!!!

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians!

Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
Abuja, Nigeria
+2347080008285
donnuait@yahoo.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NIGERIANS UNITE AGAINST INSECURITY AND TERRORISM (NUAIT)
ABUJA, NIGERIA. 24/04/2013

The Extra-judicial Massacre in Baga (Bornu State), Nigeria

Nigeria’s public space is awash with the alleged indiscriminate extra-judicial killing of about 185 people including women, children and the burning of over 2,000 houses at Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area of Bornu State, Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Military authorities contend that ‘’only’’ 37 civilians and a soldier lost their lives in the clash between the Joint Task Force (JTF) and suspected Boko Haram members.

Whether 185 people as reported by the media or ‘’only'' 37 people as agreed to by the Military authorities, the bottom line is that the sanctity of human life has been basterdized here. This is akin to the Odi and Zaki Biam scenarios.
While we strongly condemn the killing of a soldier that may have prompted the JTF’s retaliatory rampage, there is no justification for the alleged wholesale killings by the JTF to avenge the death of one of their own. What happened to the rules of engagement?

Masterminds of the recent Boston marathon bombing reportedly shot and killed a 26 year old Police officer-Sean Collier but this did not prompt Boston Police officers to vent their anger on innocent citizens. Obama and the family of Sean rather praised him for ‘’dying bravely in the line of duty, doing what he committed his life to doing - serving and protecting others’’. The United State’s security agencies ensured that at least one of the suspects- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured alive. This will enable authorities to extract useful information from him.

Canadian authorities recently foiled a ‘’major terrorist attack’’ in Toronto. Tips from the Moslem community led to the arrest of the suspects. This was possible because members of the public cooperated with the security agencies. Nigeria’s Security Agencies must take a cue from their Western counterparts.

We appreciate the sacrifices, unconventional and precarious nature of the task of Nigeria’s Security Agencies in their fight against insurgents and terrorists. We implore the security agencies to be less pugnacious, more proactive and invest more resources in intelligence gathering so as to nip insecurity and terrorism in the bud.

A penchant for indiscriminate killing of suspects and innocent people invariably creates a dichotomy between the security agencies and the citizenry that are supposed to volunteer nuggets of sensitive information. Such a proclivity is definitely counter-productive to the fight against insecurity and terrorism. The Security Agencies must not metamorphose to terrorists in the guise of fighting terrorists.

As usual, the Presidency has ordered an investigation, the Senate wants to do their own investigation and there are calls for a judicial commission of inquiry. Committees and sub-committees will be set up. The report of the various panels and committees will join their ancestors in ‘’Nigeria’s National Archive of Committee Reports’’ and it is business as usual again. We must do away with this culture of jamboree investigative panels, committees and sub-committees. We believe there are specific agencies of government constitutionally empowered to handle such issues rather than unnecessary duplication of roles with its attendant fiscal profligacy.

Please let us give peace a chance. Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. See it, hear it, say it, stop it!!!

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians!

Signed
Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285


Attention:
1. President Goodluck Jonathan
2. Alhaji Sambo Dasuki (National Security Adviser)
3. Senator David Mark (President of the Senate)
4. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (Speaker House of Representatives)
5. Chief of Defence Staff
6. Chief of Army Staff
7. Minister of foreign Affairs
8. The Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Nigeria
9. Mr. Mohammed Abubarka (Inspector General of Police)
10. Ekpeyong E. Ita (DG, State Security Service (SSS))
11. All 36 State governors in Nigeria
12. All DIG’s, AIG’s, and Police Commissioners of Police
13. All radio, TV, Media houses and Internet bloggers
14. Civil Liberties Organization, Nigeria
15. Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
16. Network on Police Reform
17. Amnesty International
18. Human Rights Watch
19. National Human Rights Commission

Are you guys following the dangerous psychological warfare that these BH folks are waging on the Nigerian people/government?

The latest information is that BH is still thinking about the amnesty proposal. They seem to have all the aces

Is Amnesty the Panacea to the Insecurity, Terrorism & Boko Haram Crises in Nigeria?

Join the discussion here:

https://www.nairaland.com/1243685/amnesty-solution-insecurity-terrorism-boko#15032794

@DonRosy

Thank for your contribution. Seems we are on the same page on this issue. Cheers

Many a times in Nigeria ill-conceived government Policies are rammed into the throat of Nigerians devoid of wide consultations and public debate or input.

I am trying to stimulate a vigorous National public debate on this burning issue in Nigeria.

Please let us avail ourselves this opportunity to make meaningful contributions and proffer solutions. I am puzzled by the apathy in making contributions here. Stand up and be counted!

Is Amnesty the Panacea to the Insecurity, Terrorism & Boko Haram Crises in Nigeria?

Food for thought: While attempting to broker a deal with Napoleon, Pope Pius VII (1742-1823) said, ‘’we are prepared to go to the gates of hell- but no further’’.

Caveat:
In a country renowned for thunderous bandwagon sycophancy and where dissenting opinion or criticism is seen as ‘’Opposition’’, let me quickly point out that this treatise is apolitical and is devoid of tribal or religious inclination. It is out of profound Love for country, Patriotism and Passion that I undertook to invest my time in articulating these views. This is not aimed at traducing anybody, organization or section of the country.

Lately there have been so much brouhaha and well-orchestrated angling for Boko Haram to be granted an amnesty. The Sultan of Sokoto tested the waters and since then notable Nigerians mostly drawn from the north have also added their voice.

Rather than pestering the federal government to grant amnesty to impenitent Boko Haram members, let the Sultan and other prominent northern leaders persuade the leadership and members of Boko Haram to embrace peace, surrender their weapons and plead for clemency.

If Boko Haram wants amnesty, they must come out, show remorse and ask for pardon. They cannot get an amnesty by proxy. They must yearn for it and demonstrate it by ceasing wanton killings. It does not behove the government openly beseeching Boko Haram to negotiate or accept an amnesty. It portrays sheer helplessness and weakness. Boko Haram is playing a dangerous psychological war with the government. It will be very embarrassing to the Goodluck Jonathan government if Boko Haram snubs its overtures. I deduce they are lackadaisical over this amnesty thing, so why force it down their throat? It is a waste of time reciting poetry to somebody who does not appreciate poetry. It is human nature not to appreciate something one did not ask for or pay a price for. If the body language of the Presidency cum Political expediency/2015 election permutations is anything to go by, Aso Rock will sooner than later succumb to this wishy-washy exit strategy.

Let’s get something clear here. There is a parallel between the agitation of the Niger Delta militants and that of Boko Haram. The motive, ideology, philosophy and modus operandi of these two groups contrast. Niger Delta militants were fighting for equitable distribution of Oil Money and environmental protection of their communities while Boko Haram says they abhor Western education and that Nigeria must become a full-fledged Islamic country. The activities of the Niger Delta militants largely involved sabotage/bombing of Oil installations in the creeks while Boko Haram is kamikaze and undiscriminating: they target everybody- School children, fellow Muslims, Christians, foreign doctors, Youth Corpers etc. The Niger Delta militants had a semblance of a Unified Command and Control Structure whereas Bokites have a very loose structure, splinter groups and purportedly affiliated to Al-Qaida.

Contrary to widespread believe and in fairness to Boko Haram, the sect may not after all be responsible for all the acts of terrorism and atrocities credited to them. People settle scores somewhere and the Sect basks on it. An example is the sporadic clashes in Plateau State (Jos) and other places involving Fulani herdsmen.

Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Iran are the bastion of Islam yet these countries don’t witness the unprecedented and sporadic killings that we have in Nigeria. There are also Muslims in America, Ghana, Cameroon etc and these places are relatively calm. Let’s stop this window dressing and get to the root of this matter.

Beyond the guise of religion and politics, there must be a strong force that will galvanize an individual to waste his life and that of others as a suicide bomber. That strong force is the trio of abysmal poverty, hopelessness/frustration, and joblessness. It’s not simplistic! A hungry man is an angry man. It will take an amazing brain-washing prowess to convince a gainfully employed young man or somebody with a thriving business to abandon the trappings of his work or business and be a slavish stooge for kidnapping or terrorism.

Nigeria and Nigerians exigently yearn for good governance and a no-holds-barred restructuring. I dream of a Nigeria that is SAFE, PEACEFUL and where ALL her citizens irrespective of their ethnic and religious background, have a sense of belonging. We want a Nigeria where JUSTICE and EQUITY reigns supreme; a Nigeria that has a zero-tolerance for CORRUPTION, NEPOTISM and TRIBAL JINGOISM. We want a Nigeria where merit is not sacrificed in the altar of mediocrity and godfatherism. We want a Nigeria where some people are not above the law. If I may borrow a word from Barrister Onyekachi Ubani, I dream of a Nigeria where a private citizen will write a letter to a governor or a minister and get a prompt reply.

Beyond the razzmatazz of an amnesty, it is high time Nigeria articulated a ‘’Coherent and Comprehensive Terrorism, Counter-terrorism Policy/Strategy cum a National Defence/Military Policy/Strategy’’. I also advocate an ‘’Extensive Vulnerability or Resilience Test/Audit of Strategic Public Infrastructures in Nigeria’’. Let us do away with our fire-brigade approach and mentality. Let us do away with our predilection for randomly setting up committees and sub-committees every time something happens. Every thoughtful and security-minded country or individual, hopes for the best but prepares for the worst. A wise saying goes, after a battle, sharpen your sword.

We want lasting peace in Nigeria not a simulated/semblance of peace. We want lasting peace not sustained deferment of the evil day. Amnesty is tantamount to treating the symptom of a disease rather than exterminating the latent causative agent. The Boko Haram miasma is the butterfly-effect of a dysfunctional society. Something is not right with the foundation and structure of Nigeria. Urgent action must be taken against unprecedented corruption, acute poverty, culture of impunity/arrogance of power, soaring unemployment rate and whittling radical religious fundamentalism by run-of-the-mill clerics. Good governance will largely nip growing insecurity, instability and terrorism in Nigeria in the bud. Former President Obasanjo stated the obvious when he recently opined that, ‘’rising unemployment in Nigeria is a time-bomb’’.

Imagine the socio-economic transformation that will take place if the N6bn ‘Security Vote’ and the so-called ‘Constituency Allowance’ accruable to all 36 State governors and members of the National Assembly respectively are judiciously utilized and channeled into truly uplifting Nigerians.

A culture, penchant and antecedent of a promiscuous amnesty is a subtle invitation to future anarchy. The Igbo’s have a saying that ‘’aru gbaa afo, oburu omenala’’. In English this roughly translates to ‘’when a crime/atrocity lasts for too long, it becomes a culture’’ With an amnesty, we can presuppose that the likes of Kabiru Sokoto and other detained terrorist/insurgency suspects will now be left off the hook and given a pat on the back for a job well done. Brilliant precedent! Since what is good for the goose is also good for the gander, in the Spirit and Season of Presidential Pardon and amnesty, proponents of the foregoing, should also clamour for James Ibori and Henry Okah to be repatriated to Nigeria and lavished with this magnanimity. Perhaps very soon the United States government will also remove the name of the Boko Haram leader- Abubakar Shekau, from its list of most wanted ‘’global terrorists’’.

Our bane in Nigeria is paucity of healthy debates and our predilection for policy summersault. Recall President Jonathan recently said he cannot give amnesty to ghosts, now he has recanted. I sincerely sympathize with government appointees, especially in Nigeria. It’s not easy being one. Just few days ago, the Chief of Army Staff-Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika was busy spewing fire and brimstone during the Military-Media Relation Seminar in Lagos. The COAS was reported to have said that, ‘’only force will end the Boko Haram crises’. Now he will eat his words. The Service Chiefs were all smiles aftermath of their meeting with President Jonathan. In an ideal country, you will hear that so and so person has resigned his appointment because he does not agree with the position of the government on an issue. Not in Nigeria, business as usual.

My take is that the malaria drug (amnesty) that was used to simulate Peace in the Niger Delta may not necessarily work for a typhoid fever (the Boko Haram imbroglio). Right now MEND is threatening to resume hostilities. It appears they implemented their threat because a while ago, Niger Delta militants reportedly killed about 13 Police Officers in Bayelsa State. Of course the culprits of this dastardly act are still covered by Presidential amnesty immunity. From the foregoing, one can safely prognosticate that an amnesty for Boko Haram is not a guarantee that they will not relapse in the near future. Is that the type of peace we want in Nigeria? I have been around for a while and old enough to recall when the dreaded Maitatsine reigned terror in the northern part of Nigeria. Was it an amnesty that whittled this group? The symptom of the disease was treated and the disease has metamorphosed again. Empirical evidence suggests a more virulent Sect or breakaway faction of Boko Haram may just be in the offing.

At the risk over-egging the pudding or been dubbed a pessimist, I postulate that with or without negotiation/amnesty, pockets of sporadic terrorist incidents, kidnappings will persist across Nigeria unless far-reaching measures are taken to shrink abject poverty, unemployment, hopelessness, wanton corruption, religion fundamentalism and injustice.

So what is your take, do you think amnesty is the panacea to the Insecurity, Instability and the Boko Haram brouhaha bedeviling Nigeria? Is amnesty the magic wand that will bring lasting peace to Nigeria? Will an amnesty automatically obviate the philosophy and psyche of Boko Haram members? Will Boko Haram members also undergo psychotherapeutic courses abroad as part of the amnesty package to wean them their bloodletting streak? How much will this amnesty Project cost the government or will it be Private Sector driven? Taking a cue from the Niger Delta amnesty package, I am pretty sure that this time too monies will be doled out to Boko Haram amnesty beneficiaries. How will the government decipher real Boko Haram members and impostors that will want to avail themselves of the impending largesse? What happens to families that lost loved ones during the onslaught, will they be adequately compensated? Boko Haram is said to have an unholy alliance with Al-Qaida, if you exonerate the Nigerian elements, what happens to their external allies. Will they be given amnesty too?

With the setting up of the ‘Presidential Amnesty Panel’, what started as a mere speculation and a fairy tale now appears to be a fait accompli.

Given that this amnesty thing is fast becoming an ongoing thriving and money spinning industry in Nigeria, perhaps it is high time the Presidency established a full-fledged ‘Ministry of Amnesty Affairs’.

One of the traits I profoundly appreciate in Western democracies and advanced societies is the profundity of interesting debates on issues of national interest. An example is the ongoing Gun Control debate in the United States of America. Let us replicate the same in Nigeria.

I have noticed a deafening collective apathy towards discussing or debating the far-reaching implications of this blossoming amnesty industry in Nigeria. Please let us have a healthy, matured and intellectual public debate devoid of myopic ethnic or religious leanings before this haphazardly conceived concept is rammed into our throat. I am trying to stimulate a vigorous National public debate on this burning issue in Nigeria. Let superior reason prevail. Let the discussion continue in the streets, markets, on Social Media/Networking Platforms-FaceBook, Twitter, Print and Digital media etc. Stand up and be counted.

No individual or country will make meaningful progress in an atmosphere of unpredictability and wanton killings. Let’s make Nigeria great again! Let’s give peace a chance; nobody or group has a monopoly of wisdom or violence.

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.

Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
Abuja, Nigeria
+2347080008285
donnuait@yahoo.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NIGERIANS UNITE AGAINST INSECURITY AND TERRORISM (NUAIT)
ABUJA, NIGERIA. 22/03/2013

The Horrendous Killings in a Kano Motor Park, Maiduguri et al

Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism (NUAIT) decries in its strongest terms, the recent and unwarranted killing of innocent Nigerians in a Kano Motor Park, the killing of School teachers in Maiduguri, the hacking to death of a female Police DPO-Esther Tarimo and her seven year old son.

A while ago, another DPO, one Mr. Abubakar Digire, his deputy and eight other civilians were caught up in crossfire in Gwozo Local Government Area. Three days after President Jonathan’s visit, unknown gunmen killed two prominent PDP Chieftains, one Ibrahim Usman Gula and Hajia Gambo in Maiduguri, the Bornu State Capital.

A report reaching us from Plateau State indicates 35 or more people were killed aftermath of the communal war between the Torak and Fulani communities in Wase L.G.A of Plateau State. There is an endless list of these senseless killings. The unprecedented death rate in Nigeria is unbecoming of a country that is not formally fighting a civil war!

We sincerely commiserate with families that lost their loved ones in these pointless killings. We also vigorously demand that families that lost their relatives be adequately compensated.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Nigeria is gradually drifting into a failed State. Life expectancy in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. Life ceases to have meaning in a country where innocent people are randomly hacked to death for no reason. The recent massacre and pogrom in Kano is tantamount to the precursor to the Nigerian Civil War.
The Jonathan administration should explore the viability of declaring a state of emergency in some hotbeds of insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria.

We exhort our brothers in the South East to resist the temptation to carry out reprisal attacks. We also passionately implore Boko Haram and other splinter groups to lay down their arms, embrace peace and stop these wanton killings.
We also appeal to Nigerians especially those domiciled in the Northern states of Nigeria to jettison a penchant for lackadaisical attitude to security. Please report to appropriate security agencies if and when you notice any goings-on around you and as much as possible, stay away from unnecessary public gatherings.

We profoundly appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of our Security Agencies in view of the precarious nature of their assignment. We urge them to be less cavalier or pugnacious, be more proactive and channel more effort/resources to Intelligence gathering. There is no point bringing out kegs to fetch water after the rain must have stopped.
Let’s be our brothers keepers. Let all hands be on deck to stamp out insecurity and terrorism from our shores.
Please let us give peace a chance.

Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. See it, hear it, say it, stop it!!!
God bless Nigeria and Nigerians!

Signed
Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285

Attention:
1. President Goodluck Jonathan
2. Alhaji Sambo Dasuki (National Security Adviser)
3. Senator David Mark (President of the Senate)
4. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (Speaker House of Representatives)
5. Chief of Defence Staff
6. Minister of foreign Affairs
7. The Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Nigeria
8. Mr. Mohammed Abubarka (Inspector General of Police)
9. Ekpeyong E. Ita (DG, State Security Service (SSS))
10. All 36 State governors in Nigeria
11. All DIG’s, AIG’s, and Police Commissioners of Police
12. All radio, TV, Media houses and Internet bloggers
13. Civil Liberties Organization, Nigeria
14. Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
15. Network on Police Reform
16. Amnesty International
17. Human Rights Watch
18. National Human Rights Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NIGERIANS UNITE AGAINST INSECURITY AND TERRORISM (NUAIT)

ABUJA, NIGERIA. 13/02/2013

Unprecedented, Wanton Extra-judicial and Barbaric Killings in Nigeria (Anambra, Yobe & Kano)



On December 10, 2012, Attorney General of the Federation- Mr. Mohammed Adoke opined that 7,195 cases of extra-judicial killings were recorded in the last four years in Nigeria, with 2,000 of the victims being detainees.

Recently about 60 bodies were reportedly sighted floating on Ezu River in Amensea Anambra State, with 23 bodies recovered so far by police authorities.
In Potiskum, Yobe State, armed men attacked and killed 3 South Korean doctors attached to Potiskum General Hospital while 9 female Polio Vaccine health workers were murdered in Kano State. These atrocious acts have since sent tongues wagging with accusing fingers pointing in different directions and politicians are capitalizing on these upshots to launder their image.

We condemn in its strongest terms, the wanton and barbaric slaughtering of Nigerians and foreigners in Nigeria. Life has become very cheap in Nigeria to the extent that altogether more than 35 able bodied men and women were massacred in cold blood with no prospect so far of unmasking the masterminds.
Imagine probably close to 60 human beings, not goats slaughtered in cold blood and it is as if nothing happened. Business as usual until another one bites the dust. This is 21st century, it is a common and popular maxim in law that an accused is presumed innocent until found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) alleges that the bodies found in Ezu River may have been those of their arrested members. According to MASSOB and I quote, ‘’we got information from an insider at SARS headquarters, Awkuzu, that armless MASSOB members detained at SARS were secretly killed alongside other robbery suspects.” MASSOB list of suspected victims include Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwa, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor.

Rather than all these brouhaha and setting up of unending jamboree committees, we hereby advocate that let members of the families of these chaps step forward and volunteer themselves for DNA Samples to be collected which will be used to establish whether or not MASSOB’s claims are cogent. If the police say the bodies are not those of the MASSOB members, then let the police publicly parade the alleged MASSOB members under their custody.
We don’t need the expertise of rocket scientists to unravel those that orchestrated these heinous killings. With the help of DNA evidence and Carbon dating, 500 years after his death, a piece of bone was recently used to identify King Richard III of England!

We also insist that due process be followed in these investigations. A global best practice would have been to conduct an autopsy before burial. Yes, advances in DNA technology can still piece together some forensic evidence after burial but many of the evidence may have disappeared or unwittingly compromised especially when a chain of custody is not properly maintained.

If an autopsy establishes bullet wounds on those bodies, are those bullet wounds compatible with Nigeria Police Bullets or ammunitions? DNA evidence will also establish inter-alia the nature/cause of death (strangulation, bullet injury etc) and the approximate time of death. In advanced climes, this whole exercise will not take more than 72 hours! Enough of insult on the sensibilities and intellect of Nigerians.
Appalling predilections as the recent killings in Anambra, Kano and Yobe (Potiskum), definitely casts Nigeria in bad light amongst the committee of nations. It makes Nigeria look like one big jungle out there.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) must be at the forefront of the fight against extra-judicial killings. Their work must transcend rubber-stamping list of police officers to be promoted or demoted.

We recommend that other States in Nigeria borrow a leaf from Lagos State by adopting an Inquest system. The Police and other security agencies cannot continue to be a judge in issues involving them.

We must get to the end of these issues; these recent cases must not be swept under the carpet like previous ones.
Please let us give peace a chance. Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. See it, hear it, say it, stop it!!!
God bless Nigeria and Nigerians!

Signed
Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285


Attention:
1. President Goodluck Jonathan
2. Alhaji Sambo Dasuki (National Security Adviser)
3. Senator David Mark (President of the Senate)
4. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (Speaker House of Representatives)
5. Chief of Defence Staff
6. Minister of foreign Affairs
7. The Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Nigeria
8. Mr. Mohammed Abubarka (Inspector General of Police)
9. Ekpeyong E. Ita (DG, State Security Service (SSS))
10. All 36 State governors in Nigeria
11. All DIG’s, AIG’s, and Police Commissioners of Police
12. All radio, TV, Media houses and Internet bloggers
13. Civil Liberties Organization, Nigeria
14. Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
15. Network on Police Reform
16. Amnesty International
17. Human Rights Watch
18. National Human Rights Commission

What’s ur Take on The Ceasefire/Negotiation Btw Nigerian GovT & the Boko Haram?

There was so much hoopla and razzmatazz recently especially in Nigeria’s citadel of power over an alleged move or offer by the Boko Haram to Ceasefire and negotiate with the Nigerian government.

Contrary to the hype created by that hypothetical proclamation, recent developments have indicated that the so-called Ceasefire is tantamount to a paper-tiger. Within a week, inter-alia, suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed 3 Korean doctors attached to Potiskum General Hospital in Yobe State and also 9 Polio Vaccination Health workers were gunned down in cold blood in Kano State. Why target/kill innocent health workers that are rendering selfless service to humanity? It beats my imagination!

In fairness to the Sect, they may or may not be responsible for these heinous acts but unfortunately they bask on such atrocious deeds by act of commission or omission. There is a possibility that people or other groups of people settle scores and the blame is heaped on the Sect.

The dicey thing about insurgency and/or terrorism is that it is akin to guerrilla/unconventional warfare so you don’t even know who your enemies are. To this extent, I sympathize with our Security Services. However it is not a completely helpless situation, it my considered opinion that present and future occurrences of instability, insecurity, terrorism can be contained if we are honest enough to tackle the causative agents of the disease rather than treating the symptoms as we are doing right now.

So what is your take on this supposed Ceasefire cum negotiation between the Boko Haram and the Nigerian government: is it working? Is this the best approach or are we postponing the evil day? What do you think will be the lasting solution(s) to the Boko Haram brouhaha, instability, militancy, terrorism and separatist ideologies in Nigeria?


Please let all Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. Let us embrace peace; we cannot actualize our individual and collective aspirations in an atmosphere of unpredictability and wanton killings.

Please let’s be civil! Thanks for your contributions.

Postscript:

Congratulations to Nigeria and Nigerians on our victory on the just concluded AFCON tournament. It seems football is the only thing that unites us?

Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285

For Immediate Release

‘’Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity And Terrorism’’

Abuja, Nigeria. 07/02/2013

(1) ‘’The power to hurt –to destroy things that somebody cherishes, to inflict pain and grief-is a kind of bargaining power, not easy to use but used often. In the under-world it is the basis of blackmail, extortion and kidnapping; in the commercial world for boycotts, strikes, and lockouts…it is often the basis for discipline, civilian and military: and the gods use it to exact obedience’’—Thomas Scheling, Arms and Influence.

(2) ‘’Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate’’-John F. Kennedy, American Statesman, 1917-1963

(3) ‘’We are prepared to go to the gates of hell-but no further’’.- Pope Pius VII 1742-1823, Italian Cleric, attempting to broker an agreement with Napoleon.

Beyond The Razzmatazz of Boko Haram Ceasefire/Negotiation
There has been some excitement in Nigeria’s Citadel of Power over Boko Haram’s alleged move to lay down their arms or negotiate with the Nigerian government. It is not yet uhuru!

We welcome this development as long as the indiscriminate killing of Nigerians comes to an end. We sincerely hope and pray that this move brings lasting peace in Nigeria even though we have some iota of reservations which are premised on the fact that previous so-called ceasefires and negotiations have not yielded positive results. Secondly, the terms and conditions of the Sect’s offer of ceasefire and end of hostilities stipulate a carte blanche- freeing all her detained and possibly convicted members as well. This is unrealistic and an invitation to anarchy that will trigger a vicious cycle and a dangerous precedent.

The status quo is tantamount to a ‘’Policy of Postponement of the evil day rather than Prevention/Proactiveness and Containment’’. What obtains now is akin to a ‘Simulated Peace’ with the attendant propensity to fall like a pack of cards sooner than later.

Hence beyond the hype of the so-called ceasefire and negotiation, we advocate that serious and concerted effort be geared towards tackling the remote and immediate causes of insecurity/terrorism in Nigeria vis a vis exterminating abject poverty, reducing unprecedented unemployment rate, discouraging religious fundamentalism, fighting wanton corruption, injustice etc. We cannot be treating the symptoms of an ailment rather than killing the causative agent and expect the disease to disappear just like that. It is high time Nigeria articulated a ‘’Comprehensive and Pragmatic Terrorism/Counterterrorism Strategy/Policy’’. We also advocate for a ‘’far-reaching Vulnerability Assessment of Critical Infrastructures across Nigeria’’. We lose nothing if we hope for the best and prepare for the worst. As we seek for a lasting solution to this Boko Haram quagmire, the three quotations above can serve as a guide.

Peace is a sine qua non for human existence and development. We cannot actualize our individual and collective aspirations in an atmosphere of instability, insecurity, unpredictability and wanton killings. It is an inalienable right for every Nigerian irrespective of religious, ethnic or political inclination, to sojourn in any part of this country devoid of fear, harassment, intimidation or threat to his life.

Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. See it, hear it, say it, stop it!!!

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians!

Signed

Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285

Attention:
1. President Goodluck Jonathan
2. Alhaji Sambo Dasuki (National Security Adviser)
3. Senator David Mark (President of the Senate)
4. Hon Aminu Tambuwal (Speaker House of Representatives)
5. Chief of Defence Staff
6. Minister of foreign Affairs
7. Mr. Mohammed Abubarka (Inspector General of Police)
8. DG, State Security Service (SSS)
9. All 36 State governors in Nigeria
10. All DIG’s, AIG’s, and Police Commissioners of Police
11. All radio, TV, Media houses and Internet bloggers
12. Civil Liberties Organization, Nigeria
13. Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)

The Police College Ikeja Brouhaha and the Exigency of a Sweeping Police Reform in Nigeria (Recommendations)

By

Don Okereke

‘’Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism’’ (NUAIT)

Channels TV’s Whistle-blowing
Recently, Channels TV aired a documentary which brought to limelight the unprecedented decay in the Nigeria Police College Ikeja.

Rather than being petty, indulging in unnecessary vituperations, blame game and lambasting phantom enemies cum Channels TV for the noble and patriotic job they did, one is of the notion that they deserve kudos and an award for their doggedness and patriotic act. The Channels TV documentary has opened a Pandora box which has the propensity to catalyze the much touted transformation cliché bandied by the present administration. Nigeria is in dire need of more of such exposé and whistle-blowing if that is what will spur our leaders to action. What Channels did is not anomalous, it is akin to what the BBC ‘’Panorama’’ program epitomizes.

The problem with this part of the world is that constructive criticism and engagement are seldom appreciated. No matter how apolitical and well-intentioned you are, invest your time, energy, intellectual and material resources in articulating and proffering solutions to domestic problems, those in the corridors of power that benefit from the status quo will dub you an ‘Opposition’ or enemy of government. By asking the federal government to explain what happened to about $67bn the Obasanjo administration allegedly bequeathed to Yar Adua/Jonathan administrations, Mrs. Ezekwesili has unwittingly earned herself an enemy of the State. Rather than offer cogent explanation as to how the money was spent, the federal government has just remembered that she needs to explain how she spent N458bn education fund that was allocated to her office while she was minister. So if Mrs. Ezekwesili had not voiced out, the federal government would not have remembered she has some explaining to do. The government of the day prefers every Nigerian to be a praise-singer. Even if Mrs. Ezekwesili is culpable, nobody will believe the government, people will rather say it’s because of her allegation that the government is witch-hunting her. Somebody has been outclassed here.

It is common practice in Nigeria that when the President or a high-ranking government official visits a government establishment, prior notice is given to the establishment of the impending visit which gives them ample time to sex up the serenity of the establishment. Even when the august visitor arrives, he or she is constrained to specific areas. Employees/staff are strictly forewarned not to ask embarrassing questions. This tendency is inherent in the Nigerian system. For instance, it is common knowledge that before the National Universities Commission (NUC) visits some academic institutions for accreditation; many of those institutions borrow equipments etc to showcase to the NUC that they have the wherewithal only for those equipments to grow wings after the institution gets the coveted accreditation.

Mr. President need not be shocked by what he saw because the Police College fiasco is just an eye-opener and symptomatic of the inherent decay, neglect and unprecedented corruption in many government establishments. That the President is shocked cut no ice with many Nigerians because the condition of the Police College is no news at all. This brings to fore the vast disconnect between Nigerian leaders and the citizenry. Imagine the condition of other Police Colleges in Nigeria since Police College Ikeja is reputed to be the best in the country. So rather than buck-passing, heads should be rolling by now. What happened to the huge budgetary allocations all these years to the Police College? As usual a committee has been set up to look into the mess. Subsequently, another committee will be set up to study the findings of the first committee and a third committee will be assembled to harmonize the findings of the preceding two committees. With the passage of time, the mêlée subsides and it is business as usual again. What a country!

The ‘New Police Code of Conduct’ and Police Reform
Beyond the rhetoric, razzmatazz and publicity stunt of the recently launched ‘’New Police Code of Conduct’’, the Nigeria Police urgently needs far-reaching reform and transformation if it must fulfill its constitutional obligations. Police Reform transcends sporadically changing the Police uniform by successive Police authorities or rejigging the leadership of the police to assuage the jingoistic yearnings of some sections of the country who feel it is their turn to produce the next I.G of Police. A lot has been bandied about Police Reform, Community Policing etc but nothing tangible comes out of the entire gobbledygook. The much talked about ‘Community Policing’ must be given some bite. More than one week after the launch of the much touted Police Code of Conduct, I searched online and specifically on the Nigeria Police website for an electronic copy of it but could not find it as it seems the Police Authority is yet to upload a MS-Word or PDF version of the said document on their website. One hopes the document is not ‘’Classified’’ or ‘’Top Secret’’. When we talk of Police Reform or transformation, we are talking of the Police being efficient and fit for purpose. In this age of proliferation of ICT and broadband internet technology, it does not cost or take much for the aforementioned document to be online in real time even as it is been launched or prior to it been launched. No doubt the current I.G of Police is doing his best given the bold steps he has taken-he dismantled illegal roadblocks by the Police. He also made available his personal phone number so that Nigerians can reach him directly. All hands must be on deck, the rank and file of the Police must compliment the effort of the Police hierarchy otherwise nothing much will be achieved.

The litmus test for the so-called ‘’New Police Code of Conduct’’ will be when bail is free across all the Police formations in the nook and cranny of Nigeria and when the Police stops taking bribes.

Recommendations on Reforming the Nigeria Police
The following are burning issues that the Police Reform or transformation must encompass:

1. There are compelling reasons for the Ministry of Police Affairs to be scrapped. It is an unnecessary bureaucracy with its attendant replication of duties and waste of resources. Unless the idea is for politicians to provide enough jobs for political jobbers, the office of the Inspector General of Police has the capacity to run the Nigeria Police. Instead of a full-fledged ministry, an alternative will be for a Police Affairs department to be established under the Ministry of Interior headed by a Permanent Secretary. Imagine the replication of roles and waste of resources inherent in the status quo where we have a substantive Minister of Police Affairs, a junior minister and their coterie of Special Advisers and aides.

2. The Police Service Commission (PSC) must be restructured. According the PSC (establishment) Act 2001, ‘’the Chairman and other members of the Commission shall be appointed by the President subject to the confirmation of the Senate’’. With this arrangement, the PSC has been effectively reduced to a mere rubber stamp of the Presidency. As they say, he who plays the piper dictates the tune. The Police Service Commission must not be an appendage of the executive arm of government. Recall the infamous role the PSC played in dismissing Nuhu Ribadu from the Police when they were said to be acting the Script of the Presidency under late President Umar Musa Yar Adua. The same PSC recanted their action and ate their words when Goodluck Jonathan became president.

The PSC is seldom at the forefront of the fight against the unprecedented extra-judicial killings by Police officers. More often than not, the only time activities of the PSC comes to the fore is when they are called upon to do the bidding of the Presidency in ratifying list of officers to be promoted or demoted. There are serious allegations that the PSC does not adhere to transparency, seniority and competence in promoting officers. Discipline is thrown to the dogs when a junior officer is promoted over and above his senior for no justifiable reason.

I hereby advocate that Nigeria’s Police Service Commission be structured after United Kingdom’s Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC) or Australia’s Crime and Misconduct Commission that is accountable to the Legislative Assembly (equivalent of Nigeria’s National Assembly). The key ingredient here is that in both countries, the Police ombudsman is not the apron strings of the executive arm of government. They enjoy independence, neutrality and have public representation and input.

3.‘’State Police’’-To be or not to be? The Nigeria Police epitomizes a classic example of the over-concentration of Power or Authority at the centre. Imagine where all the 37 State Commissioners of police (Abuja inclusive) in Nigeria and all the rank and file of the Police in Nigeria are answerable to just one man-the all-powerful I.G of Police. With this status quo, it is not surprising that successive I.G’s of Police in Nigeria are overwhelmed by the dictates of their office.

This federal police thing in Nigeria is also a clog on the wheel of Justice in Nigeria. Imagine this scenario: an incident/crime takes place somewhere in Sokoto state. The IPO handling the case being a federal agent is transferred to Lagos state via orders from Abuja, the case is transferred to another IPO who starts all over again and before you know it, the case is jeopardized. Suspects stay on awaiting trial for upwards of ten years probably because their case file has ‘disappeared’ or the investigation has been bungled.

Try as I can, I just cannot see why ‘’State Police’’ will lead to the disintegration of Nigeria as been bandied about by the proponents of the current arrangement. Just like every human creation, no doubt ‘State Police’ will have its own shortcomings but we cannot afford to throw away the baby and the birth water. If I recall correctly, Nigeria once had regional Police or something like that in the 60’s. We say we practice Federalism and we seldom adhere to the dictates of federalism. When it is convenient and it suites our personal, selfish aggrandizement, we see the United States as a role model but when our greedy personal interest is at stake, we tell tales of how and why we must not do everything that the Americans do. Granted.

The United States of America, the United Kingdom and so many other countries have their variant of State Police. We hear of the ever-popular Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the New York Police Department (NYPD) etc. In the United Kingdom, there is Scotland Yard (for London), Scottish Police (for Scotland); Welsh police (for Wales) West Midlands Police etc. The last time I checked, these countries have not disintegrated.

On funding, I have heard a lot of wishy-washy arguments purporting that many States in Nigeria cannot cope with funding their own Police. This argument does not hold water. Again, let us use the United Kingdom as a Case Study. In the U.K, the various Police agencies are funded through Council Tax payments that each house or business establishment under their domain pays every month. It’s not rocket science! With this type of arrangement, No. 10 Downing Street does not have to earmark staggering amounts of money every year to bankroll a central U.K Police formation.
Coming back home, we can also borrow a leaf from the Lagos State government’s Police Trust Fund. Mutatis mutandis, such an arrangement can comfortably take care of the Police in a particular state of Nigeria.

Given the arrogant and dictatorial tendencies of our politicians, governor’s et al, a clause can be enshrined in the law establishing ‘State Police’ which ensures that politicians will not use it as an instrument to terrorize their opponents.

4. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) should concentrate on its forte- fighting crimes/law enforcement. The NSCDC Act No. 2 of 2003 and Amendment Act of 2007, empowers the NSCDC to supervise and monitor Private Guard Companies in Nigeria. The NSCDC, a Para-military outfit is presently encumbered and overwhelmed with the onerous responsibility of law enforcement/fighting crimes, chasing Crude Oil pipeline vandals etc and does not have the time, adequate manpower to manage the Private Security Industry and make it more competitive and Professional. Realities on ground confirm that as far as their oversight function over the Private Security Industry in Nigeria is concerned, the NSCDC is not fit for purpose. It is high time they (the NSCDC) concentrated on its forte (law enforcement).

In addition to other sundry levies, every Private Guard Company in Nigeria pays N100, 000.00 to the NSCDC for registration. Is the NSCDC, a revenue collecting arm of the federal government? Is this money remitted to the federation account?

Sequel to global Industry standard and best practices, one is of the considered opinion that there is a pressing need for a full-fledged, self-funding autonomous civil ombudsman peopled with Security Experts that know their onions. I hereby propose the establishment of the Security Industry Authority of Nigeria (SIAN) that will regulate the activities of Private Security and Investigation Companies and Operatives in Nigeria.
The government has nothing to fear or lose but everything to gain from this arrangement as the proposed Independent Regulator will thrive without government funding. This will invariably enhance Standards, Professionalism, instill discipline and create jobs.

5. In most Western democracies and other countries where the rule of law holds sway, it is anomalous to see Police officers guarding Private individuals, banks or other commercial establishments. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Successive IG’s of Police pay lip-service to ensuring that the Police rigorously carries out its statutory and constitutional role. It is an open secret in Nigeria that Police (MoPol) escort or protection is for the highest bidder. Imagine all the bank branches alone in Nigeria having say 3-4 Police (MoPol) officers on their payroll and a large chunk of Police officers attached to our politicians, how many are out there in the streets fighting crime. Commercial establishments and private individuals in Nigeria must put in place their own Security network.

The peculiar security challenges bedeviling Nigeria may have extenuated the penchant for the Police to abandon its statutory role. This status quo has been tolerated for too long and must not be allowed to continue or become a norm.
6. Recruitment into the Security agencies-the Police must not be for the highest bidder or shared amongst the cronies of politicians as was the case in the recent unpublicized and unadvertised recruitment into the Immigration. The recruitment process must be advertised/publicized and transparent. One hopes federal and state establishments have learnt some lessons from the recent scandal rocking the Nigeria Immigration Service which culminated in the sack of its Comptroller General-Mrs. Uzoma. Sale of Scratch cards or application forms into the Security Agencies must be banned because there are budgetary allocations made for the recruitment process. Besides, the prospective enlistees are coming to serve their fatherland so it will not be too much if they don’t have to cough out money to buy forms etc. One does not know of any advanced country where prospective recruits are required to buy Scratch cards or pay for application forms.

Efforts must be made to fish out bad eggs into the Security Agencies (Police) especially at the point of entry (recruitment). There is a plethora of cases of cultists, felons and terrorist sympathizers wangling their way into the Police and other Security Agencies. I had goose pimples when I heard that a notorious cultist and potentially a criminal during my university days is now a commissioned police officer. This underscores the essence of a Comprehensive National Crime Database where names of potential Police recruits can be fed into to determine whether they have a criminal history or not.

Still on recruitment, unnecessary bureaucracy in Police and Armed Forces recruitment must be scrapped. Asking prospective recruits to get a letter from their Baale/traditional ruler, Police DPO in charge of their municipality or a senior military officer of a particular rank etc exposes them to undue exploitation, stress and is of no pragmatic importance as it does not guarantee lack of criminal record. I know of a case where a potential recruit went to his Baale for a letter of recommendation and was asked to pay ten thousand naira before the letter will be issued. This same bloke took his Application form to the Police DPO to have it endorsed and they started tossing him up and down. They told him there was no stamp bla bla bla. Am sure you know what that means in the Nigerian parlance. They wanted him to grease their palms too. Any desperate and streetwise candidate can easily get such a letter arranged for him by a roadside typist or a business centre. Now imagine this scenario: in the Nigerian Army recruitment form, there is a particular section where ‘the DPO of the candidate’s municipality or jurisdiction is supposed to sign’. This particular prospective Army recruit was born and bred in Lagos though his parents were originally from Cross River State. To have this section of his Application form endorsed for him, he went to the nearest DPO’s office in Lagos but the DPO told him that he was supposed to take it to the DPO in his state of origin (Cross River) since the prospective recruit is not from Lagos state. This chap travelled to his village, met with the DPO in that area and the DPO refused to endorse the Application form for him citing that the chap does not reside in his domain and he has no information about him. Another prospective recruit travelled all the way from Lagos to Calabar for the recruitment exercise only for him to be told that his name did not appear in the list of prospective applicants. The application process was done online and the form was duly submitted with confirmations printed out, so why will the candidate’s name not be found in their recruitment list?

Please let the recruitment process be seamless and streamlined for these prospective recruits by doing away with all these unnecessary bottlenecks. You don’t collect money from candidates in the name of Scratch cards or application fee, make them go through unnecessary stress and treat them shabbily. I know Nigerian-born and Gambian blokes that enlisted into the British Army as Commonwealth citizens and others that enlisted into the United States Armed Forces and they were not asked to go and get a letter from their baale/traditional ruler how much more a Nigerian citizen enlisting into the Security Service in his own country. If these Western authorities know how to fish out the bad guys at the point of entry, why can’t our own people here.

7. Provision of state-of-the-art gadgets to the Security Agencies. Policing has gone digital. Advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have revolutionized the concept of policing. In most advanced countries of the world, rather than brandishing archaic Ak47 rifles, it is common to see Police officers armed with Palmtops, Tablet PC’s, and latest telecommunication gadgets on their bits with which they relay information to their respective offices in real time. I hereby make a case for the provision of inter alia, Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems for the Nigeria Police, the Federal Road Safety Commission and other sister agencies. Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems is a surveillance method that uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on images to read vehicle registration plates. This can help determine who a particular vehicle was/is registered to incase a car is used for terrorism/crime. In addition to real-time processing of license plate numbers, an Automatic Number Plate Recognition System can store images, dates, times and GPS coordinates that can help to pinpoint a suspect at a crime scene. Its other applications include fishing out Car insurance defaulters, witness identification, electronic toll collection, road traffic management and monitoring border crossings.

With advances in military technology-Kevlar, airborne lasers, antimatter weapons, case-less ammunitions, electromagnetic weapons, and particle beam weapons, I cringe each time I see our Police officers struggling to move swiftly with their ‘’heavyweight’’ bullet proof vests.

In addition to this, the Security Agencies need constant and ongoing training and re-training on weapon handling etc. This will eliminate cases of the so-called ‘’accidental discharge’’ and extra judicial killings.

8. Establishment of a ‘’Cold Cases Department’’ in the Nigeria Police. There are so many unresolved crimes-killings, kidnappings, rapes in Nigeria. A lot of times, investigations are not carried to a logical conclusion. A crime is committed or an incident takes place, it is talked about for a couple of days or weeks. Committees are set up, the committee’s report does not see the light of the day and it is business as usual until a similar incident takes place again. Cases are swept under the carpet immediately there is a change of leadership, transfer or death of the Police Officer handling the case.

The proposed Department will deal/brainstorm on unsolved Cases. In Europe and America 100 year old incidents/cases are still been dusted up and investigated because their government and the populace wants to know the truth and what transpired. A lot of times this have resulted in convicted criminals been set free and the real culprits put behind bars because of new evidence and advances in Science-DNA technology.

If such a department is established in the Nigeria Police, it will definitely be a lot of hard work because most of the investigations are jeopardized ab initio. How ever, with the right expertise, forensic evidence can still be pieced together that will unravel the truth.

Former Attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Chief Bola Ige was murdered in cold blood and more than ten years after there is no concrete evidence as to who was responsible. Chief MKO Abiola died mysteriously after he allegedly drank a cup of tea. Former Head of state-General Sanni Abacha died mysteriously after he putatively had an encounter with Indian prostitutes. Former NewsWatch Magazine editor, Mr. Dele Giwa was killed with a letter bomb and there is no official explanation as what happened or who was responsible except for widely circulated gist that the government of the day then, had a hand in it. The list is endless. Nigerians and posterity will like to know what really transpired. If these things are classified State Secret, we yearn to see them declassified sooner than later.

9. There is exigent need for seamless Inter-agency synergy amongst the Security Services. The Security agencies must work together towards a common goal- securing lives and properties. Inter-agency rivalry must be watered down. Information sharing will no doubt enhance the performance of the Security agencies. Sometime in 2012, Governor Adam’s Oshiomole’s aide-Mr. Oyerinde was assassinated. The Police and the State Security Service (SSS) paraded different sets of suspects with accusing fingers pointing in different directions. In the first instance, is it not a waste of tax payers money for two sister agencies to be simultaneously investigating a particular incident?

10. Much has been said and little has been done about the much touted ‘Community Policing’ and a specialized Police Intelligence School. It is commendable that the Police raised the bar on the minimum academic qualification for prospective enlistees into their fold. Henceforth, the minimum academic requirement for Police recruits is an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or a NCE. This will inject the much needed enlightened candidates into the Police.

11. Arms ‘Proliferation’ in the Police: A situation where almost every Police officer in Nigeria is armed impinges negatively on the populace. In many countries of the world, there is a Special Quad (like the MoPol in Nigeria) that is armed and responds to serious incidents. They are called upon when a particular threat or incident cannot be resolved by the regular Police. The reverse is the case in Nigeria where it is common practice to see especially the rank and file brandishing A.K 47 rifles even when they are on mufti making it difficult to differentiate between them and real criminals. Just recently I witnessed a couple of guys brandishing AK47 rifles while donning native babanriga (traditional wear). I was profoundly flabbergasted until I saw about two other Police officers on uniform tailing the ones in front. With all due respect, many Police officers lack ‘fire’ discipline and need refresher courses on rifle or arms handling.

During the course of my military career, there are standard procedures for handling arms and which must be strictly adhered to. For instance, we sign for arms say for Internal Security operations or guard duties etc and you must return your rifle at a specific time to the armoury at the end of that assignment. The Armourer takes not of the time you returned your rifle. There is a chain of custody. One is not sure this is the practice in the Police. You have cases where Police officers sign for rifle and take it home after their assignments. Don’t forget that many of these folks live in rented apartments amongst civilians. Our Police men are known to shoot indiscriminately because there is no strict requirement for them to account for the arms/bullets assigned to them. This propensity makes it possible for criminally-minded Police officers to ‘loan’ or sell arms/ammunitions to armed robbers or even engages in robbery themselves.

I recall with nostalgia, knowing a fellow student Police Officer during my university days that had a ‘permanent’ A.K 47 rifle assigned to him. He escorts luxurious buses (Coaches) from the South East to Lagos and back. Most times he keeps his rifle in the student hostel! That rifle was with that guy for the five years his degree program lasted. Imagine the crime implications and the far-reaching consequences if the aforementioned Police officer is criminally-minded.

12. Need for a ‘’Computerized/Digital Identity Cards’’ for the Nigerian Police-I guess the Police I.G or the Minister of Police affairs cannot confidently tell Nigerians the precise staff strength of the Police. Cases of ‘’ghost’’ police officers abound in the Police. It is also common practice to see dismissed Police officers donning their uniforms, flaunting their often torn I.D cards and extorting money from unsuspecting citizens. As I coalesced my thoughts for this article, I witnessed two incidents that will serve as case studies here. The current Police Paper I.D Card popularly known as ‘’The Nigeria Police Warrant I.D Card’’ can easily be counterfeited by any road-side business centre. I was in a business centre when a young man, say in his thirties waltz in, flashed a blank copy of the Police I.D and enquired if a manual type-writer was available to be used to input his details on the blank I.D Card. The Business Centre Operator simply told the young man that they lacked a manual type writer and off he went. The second encounter- I was sited in my office recently when a young man on mufti stopped by the entrance and harshly beckoned on me to come. I asked him to come right inside if he needed to see me. He told me he was a Police Officer and showed me an I.D card hung on his neck. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. It took him a couple of seconds to recollect himself. I guess he gauged my countenance cum confidence and reasoned that I am not the type he could intimidate so he left and said he will be back to which I told him I will be expecting him. Meanwhile when I looked across the road, I noticed they have arrested and packed everybody across the street into an unmarked van for no reason. I also recall going to a nearby Police Station to report the loss of my wallet containing my I.D’s etc. After telling the Police Officer at the front desk that I have come to make an entry regarding my lost wallet, he told me they don’t have pen and paper to write my complaint. I did not have to be told the implication of what he meant; they needed me to ‘shake body’.

13. A Comprehensive National Crime Database to the rescue. Nigeria exigently needs a comprehensive National Crime Database that has the names and details of ex-felons and which can be assessed in real time by the various Police formations across Nigeria. The Police Forensic Laboratory must be strengthened, well-funded and peopled with qualified personnel.

14. Police salary and welfare- This has improved considerably compared to what it was few years ago. I guess Police Constables now earn upwards of fifty thousand naira or more. Good accommodation and Life Assurance Policy will help in this regard.

Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
February 2013
Abuja, Nigeria.
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285

Comprehensive Assessment of the Insecurity & Terrorism Challenges in Nigeria and Recommendations


By
Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
Abuja, Nigeria.
Email: donnuait@yahoo.com
Phone: +2347080008285




SECTION 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The wanton insecurity, criminality, kidnapping, instability and terrorism currently ravaging Nigeria are symptomatic of a dysfunctional society and a failing State. Abysmal Poverty, hopelessness, joblessness, frustration, unprecedented levels of corruption, arrogance of power, complacent and retroactive Security Agencies, lackadaisical and corrupt judiciary, porous borders, covert foreign interests etc have a butterfly-effect on the unparalleled levels of crimes, insecurity, instability and terrorism currently bedeviling Nigeria. There is also a Crude Oil, radical religion-cultural angle to the mix.

Rather than a fire-brigade approach, Nigeria without delay needs a ‘’Coherent and Comprehensive Terrorism, Counter-terrorism Policy/Strategy cum a National Defence/Military Policy & Strategy’’. We can’t fight Insecurity and Terrorism by blowing hot and cold; it’s high time we took a definite stand. Nigeria is in dire need of a sweeping National Security Reform that embraces and emphasizes on human capital development and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

In addition to the foregoing, this writer also believes that an ‘’Extensive Vulnerability or Resilience Test/Audit of Strategic Public Infrastructures in Nigeria’’ is crucial. Juxtaposing ourselves in the position of the bad guys, our Security Agencies and government think-tanks must brainstorm on worst-case scenarios and have answers to them. Every thoughtful and security-minded country or individual, hopes for the best but prepares for the worst.

It is also imperative to put in place well-articulated programmes that will dissuade citizens from been radicalized and to resort to criminality or terrorism in the first place. Hence acute poverty, hopelessness, unemployment, religious fundamentalism etc must be aggressively tackled and curtailed through feasible programs. Research shows that death penalty via a terrorism law will not necessarily deter individuals or groups hell-bent on committing a crime or atrocities.

Another embarrassing and dangerous trend that must be urgently curbed is the propensity of some Nigerian governors to whimsically and promiscuously grant amnesty or release convicted criminals/terrorists to commemorate Ramadan, Independence Day celebrations etc. This prerogative of clemency MUST not be abused!

In my earlier Piece, ‘’The Remote, Immediate Causes of Crimes, Insecurity/Terrorism and Instability in Nigeria and Solutions’’ https://www.nairaland.com/1027585/remote-immediate-causes-crimes-insecurity, I proffered solutions which are largely Political, Social and Economic Reforms; here, my recommendations are skewed towards deployment of Critical Infrastructures and gadgets.
SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION
Security is a serious business world-over and is the primary responsibility of any responsible government.

There is no gainsaying the fact that terrorism is a growing threat to global, regional and national peace. It is a headache even for the advanced countries because of its unconventional nature. Akin to guerilla warfare, the masterminds are unpredictable, fluid and faceless. The political, social and military rules of engagement have been altered. An enemy who has nothing to lose is indeed a dangerous enemy. Our bane in Nigeria is that by acts of commission or omission, we shy away from the truth; we are rather reactive than proactive.

The Igbo’s have a saying that ‘’aru gbaa afo, oburu omenala’’. In English this roughly translates to ‘’when a crime/atrocity lasts for too long, it becomes a culture’’. Nigeria has become synonymous with terrorism and insecurity. Life has become very cheap here; there is no outrage anymore when innocent people are brutally hacked to death. Our government plays the ostrich and carries on as if there is no cause of alarm. The citizenry, especially those not directly affected go about their business without blinking an eyelid.

Sometime in early 2012, President Jonathan promised that Boko Haram will be history by June 2012. Year 2012 has come to an end and vestiges of Boko Haram miasma is still very much around. They have become more audacious.

Prior to penning this piece, this writer tried through formal and informal channels to ascertain whether or not Nigeria has a terrorism/counterterrorism Policy/Strategy or a National Defence Policy/Strategy but no tangible answer came forth except contradictory coterie of gobbledygook statements from different government functionaries and sources. Typical of most things in Nigeria, many times government Policies and information are generally shrouded in secrecy and spiced with half-truths, confusion, myths and sentiments.

I am struggling to reconcile myself with something; please can somebody in the know confirm that, ‘’the last review of Nigeria’s national Security Policy was done during General Babangida’s regime which gave birth to the National Security Agencies Act in 1986’’. This was 26 years ago! If this is true, then one is not surprised Nigeria is ill-prepared to contain insecurity and terrorism. We cannot continue doing the same thing, the same way over and over again and expect a different result. Honestly, we need to raise the bar and be on the same page with the rest of the world.

In an interview with journalists sometime in July 2011, the late former National Security Adviser, Lt. Gen Andrew Owoeye Azazi promised that a National Security Sector Reform was in the offing. Being the only person outside the core North that occupied the position of the National Security Adviser, he did not find it easy with many Northern folks. Now that he is no more, characteristic of our culture of lack of continuity and Policy summersault in Nigeria, one hopes his idea of a far-reaching National Security Sector Reform, have not been swept under the carpet.

National Security transcends an individual; National Security goes beyond randomly rejigging the leadership of the army, navy, air force or Police to soothe the agitations of some interest groups. Yes, nobody is important; anybody can be kicked out of an office but those coming subsequently need an established template and guideline to work with.

Contrary to widespread believe, Boko Haram may not after all be responsible for all the acts of terrorism accredited to them. People settle scores somewhere and the Sect basks on it. The Boko Haram quagmire is synonymous with the symptom of an ailment, until we deal with the causative agent of the disease (and not the symptom) as we are doing right now, we may just be chasing shadows.
Hence it is out of profound love, Patriotism and a call to National Service that I undertook to invest my time and resources in articulating these views. This is not aimed at traducing anybody, organization or section of the country. In a country where dissenting opinion or criticism is seen as ‘’Opposition’’, let me quickly point out that this treatise is apolitical and is devoid of tribal leaning or sentiments. This Piece is my little contribution to Nigeria’s progress on the occasion of the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. I yearn to see Nigeria running rather than crawling!


Please here is the link for the full text of this article: [url]http://www.scribd.com/doc/120448954/Comprehensive-Assessment-of-the-Insecurity-Terrorism-Challenges-in-Nigeria-and-Recommendations[/url . It is a 30 page document. Cheers


Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
Abuja, Nigeria
Email: donnuait@yahoo.com
Phone: +2347080008285

I don't mind as long as you reference and acknowledge the author. Cheers

Unemployment, Dangote’s PhD Drivers, & Fraudulent Job Schemes, Syndicates in Nigeria
By Don Okereke

There is no gainsaying the fact that the unemployment quotient in Nigeria increases geometrically. The government is helpless and bereft of fresh ideas. Government officials busy themselves bandying unrealistic figures of phantom jobs created by the government. Devoid of the enabling environment, lack of electricity etc, the Private Sector that could have created jobs is comatose. Every year our higher institutions churn out thousands of graduates who join the unemployment bandwagon.

Joblessness and hopelessness has a knock-on/butterfly-effect on crimes, insecurity and instability. An idle mind they say is a devil’s workshop.

On Self Employment

A lot of people talk about self employment and all that. Where does a dilettante and unproven Nigerian graduate start from where he is asked to pay two years house or office rent in advance, no loan or overdraft facility from the bank and no safety net. Where a bank agrees to give a loan, it is at 25% interest. I recall a friend of mine has a limited liability company in England. Immediately he opened a business account there his bank promptly granted him 10,000 pounds interest free overdraft facility. Tell me a Nigerian bank that can do that when they are busy chasing deposits and deducting sundry charges from unsuspecting customers.

In most advanced countries one can incorporate a company online within 24-48 hours. Contrast it with Nigeria where it takes the Corporate Affairs Commission several weeks to search the availability of a name and to reserve it. Over here, you need to bribe a gateman to submit your proposal and must know somebody who knows somebody to have your proposal considered. You also have to part with 10-20% to grease the palms of those that ‘pushed’ your proposal. God bless you as an entrepreneur in Nigeria, your business needs electricity supply. Business is not magic, there is always a learning phase/curve and things may not pan out the way it was thought out. One is not been pessimistic; this is the reality of everyday life and doing business in Nigeria. My take is that doing business in Nigeria could be rewarding especially if you have the right contacts but it is definitely not for the faint-hearted!

Travails of Job-Seekers in Nigeria

Recently, job seekers in Abuja protested the ‘’dumping of application forms by Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior’’. Report has it that completed application forms timely submitted by job-seekers were dumped outside the gate of the ministry.
It’s no news that a plethora of vacancy adverts in Nigeria is just a formality to give a semblance of adhering to laid down procedures. Unqualified candidates with the right connections may have been penciled down and may have commenced the job before the advert. Enlistment into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), State Security Service (SSS) and other prestigious federal and State establishments are exclusively reserved for candidates of Governors, Senators, and Ministers etc. There is preponderance for sacrificing merit in the altar of god-fatherism and ethnic jingoism. A plethora of Nigerian graduates and job-seekers don’t believe there is merit anymore. They will bluntly tell you that it is not what you know or studied in the university but who you know.

Sequel to the high unemployment rate, most employers of labour in Nigeria think they are doing employees a favour by offering them jobs forgetting that qualified employees add value and creates wealth. Knowing how risky our roads are, often times, job-seekers spend thousands of naira traveling from one place to the other to sit for an aptitude test or an interview. Scores of prospective employers in Nigeria lack the decency and courtesy to do a generic email or Bulk SMS to unsuccessful applicants informing them they were not successful and wishing them well in their future endeavor.

Here goes the Punch Newspaper of November 7, 2012, Page 9, ‘’The Federal Character Commission says it has started investigations into 16 federal government agencies for secretly employing people in violation of the Federal Civil Service guidelines’’. In a sane country, this is a very serious indictment and heads will roll. One will bet that nothing will come out of the so-called investigation and hullabaloo. This buttresses the well-known fact that many government jobs in Nigeria are seldom advertised. More often than not, applicants that get the job never bothered to apply. I recall a case where a recruit into the Nigerian Air force was sent with orders from above to commence training after others have been in training for 3 months. Nobody asked any questions, not even the instructors. Almost certainly he was a candidate of a well-connected god-father.


Dangote’s PhD Drivers

Lately, news filtered in that Dangote Group advertised vacancy for 100 truck drivers and about 8,000 B.Sc, 700 M.Sc and 6 PhD holders were said to have applied. Imagine how many graduates will apply for the so-called white-collar positions advertised by Banks, Oil, and telecommunication firms etc. Why won’t employers in Nigeria feel they are doing an employee a favour when 10,000 or more graduates are chasing a job meant for 100 people?
Make no mistakes about it. It is not unlikely to find a truck/taxi driver or a Strip Club dancer in the United States or Europe with a PhD. Abroad, doing such jobs will likely be transient, need to rake in extra income, out of choice or a passion for that career path. Overseas, there is dignity of labour; nobody looks down on you for what you do for a living.

It cuts no ice with me if a Professor voluntarily opts to be a hairdresser so much as he/she has a passion for it. Certainly a Professor that opts for a hairdressing career will bring innovation to the table and will obviously be one of the best around. I am only concerned when out of desperation; a Professor opts for a career path just to eke out a living. With our proclivity for flaunting our titles, certificates and desire to be esteemed by other folks, it’s most likely out of desperation and hopelessness that a typical B.Sc or PhD holder in Nigeria will apply to be a truck driver. A United Kingdom Metro Newspaper of Thursday, April 24, 2008 reported ‘’Switch from Banks to Planks was Plane Crazy’’. It’s the story of a City banker with UBS who left his £80,000 (Twenty million naira!)-a-year job to be a Carpenter! According to him, ‘’I am not making nearly as much money as I used to as an investment banker but I have a better quality life’’.

Fake Employment Syndicates & Schemes

Fraudulent recruitment schemes and syndicates are on the prowl and rise in Nigeria. They capitalize on the extreme anxiety of gullible job-seekers to swindle them.

Government ministries and agencies are deeply enmeshed in extorting money from job-seekers. It is an open secret in Nigeria that State and Federal vacancies are for the highest bidders. State and Federal jobs attract the sum of two to three hundred thousand naira.
It is now the in-thing for government agencies and departments to sell Scratch Cards to job-seekers. A case in point is the much touted former governor Ohakim’s 10,000 phantom jobs for Imo State graduates. Possibly 100,000 or more applicants bought the Scratch Cards at the rate of N2, 000 (two thousand naira). Do the math and you will see how much this raked in. Tell the marines that this is not daylight robbery.

Just recently, ‘’allegations of fraud trailed the recruitment of 500 school teachers in Edo state’’. Eleven thousand people were said to have applied for the 500 vacancies and the folks at the helm of the recruitment were alleged to have demanded two hundred thousand naira from each of the applicants.
The Nigeria Customs also smashed a fake job syndicate in its fold. ‘’An audit committee in the Nigeria Custom discovered that 44 Cadets on training got their appointment letters by bribing corrupt officers of the Service’’.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) docked one Abraham Walson over ten million naira fake job offer. The suspect confessed to collecting the money from about 263 youths.

Just recently, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd issued a ‘’Disclaimer of Fake Job Offer’’ in some Nigerian Newspapers. The caveat opines that fraudsters faked their logo, email address and website to swindle unsuspecting job-seekers.
Reports like this abound in Nigeria. It’s no news anymore and there is no outrage when such news or report comes to limelight.

Modus Operandi of Fake Employment Schemes, Syndicates

There is an assortment of employment schemes and syndicates out there. Private Recruitment Agency is now a booming business in Nigeria. Just set up a modestly furnished office, advertize for non-existent vacancies and watch as thousands of unemployed graduate’s troop to your office. For a start, the self-styled Recruitment Agencies ask the job-seekers to pay registration fees. After this, they will send them text messages inviting them for an Aptitude test. Subsequently they send congratulatory text messages to all the candidates that sat for the test. Another round of money is demanded from the prospective job-seekers.

Some of the fraudulent recruitment agencies have the financial where-withal to place advertorials on newspapers, electronic media and job recruitment sites. Its not every job advert you see in a newspaper that is genuine. They can even clone the website of a genuine organization.
These fake recruitment agencies also print handbills and hire their own people to mete out fliers to passers-by. Some the handbills may read, ‘’A reputable company producing Computers needs the services of …..’’ or ‘’an international organization with branches in 80 countries needs marketers, secretaries, accountants, engineers’’. Sometimes it will just read, “Vacancy’’ (Boldly written) - Factory workers, hotel workers, drivers needed. These handbills usually stipulate salaries for the various positions. The advert may or may not have an address but it will certainly have a boldly written mobile phone number.

Tell-tale Signs it’s a Fake Employment Scheme/Syndicate

The possibilities of technology and human ingenuity cannot be underestimated. It’s not impossible to clone websites. So the website you inadvertently believe belongs to a genuine recruitment organization may have been cloned. Like a chameleon, the fake recruitment syndicates keep changing their names, addresses etc.

Look before you leap! Here is a checklist and tell-tale signs of fake employment schemes or syndicates.
 Does the email address of the company match the name of their website? A company cannot claim to be Halliburton and ask you to send your CV to halliburton@yahoo.com. If it is really Halliburton, then their email address will match their website e.g. vacancy@hilliburton.com. It’s suspicious whenever an advertised vacancy by a supposedly big organization entails sending your CV to a free web mailer like yahoo mail, hotmail, Gmail etc.
 Do they ask you to pay money in advance or part with your first three months salary? If they do, then it is a fake employment syndicate.
 Does the salary look too good to be true, I mean, is it a mouth-watering offer? A man came to my office showing me a job offer in the United Kingdom promising £4,000 a month as an expatriate. The prospective employer promised to do all his paper-work, Visa processing etc. I promptly told him it was a scam.
 Have you ever gotten a call from somebody you don’t know claiming to have served with you in the same Platoon bla la bla during your NYSC days? They go ahead telling you they now work with Slumberger, NNPC, Shell etc and they promise to help you secure employment in their place of work. This seems to be a new formula or template for scammers. A lot of people have fallen for this scam. The caller may have gotten your phone number from the Corper’s magazine of the state you served.
 Fraudulent syndicates sometimes claim to be recruiting expatriates for Oil companies and telecommunication firms. With mouth-watering offers, innocent and undiscerning applicants fall victim to their plot.
 They can also pretend to be a reputable International NGO. Note the difference between this two: USA AID and US AID. The first is fake whereas the second one is genuine.
 Many of these so-called ‘’Network or Multi-level Marketing’’ Schemes are fraudulent. A sizeable number of them are fashioned after the infamous ‘’Ponzi Scheme’’. That is to say that they pay returns from one’s money or from subsequent investors than from ACTUAL profit.

Solutions/Recommendations/Advice

1. Sale of Scratch Cards for employment at the federal and state levels MUST be banned. It is unacceptable for Government Agencies and Departments- the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air force, Customs, Police, Immigration etc to be selling Application Scratch Cards to prospective job-seekers. This has become another revenue spinning venture for such organizations. Prospective recruits into the United States Army or United Kingdom’s Army, does not have to buy a Scratch Card.
2. The federal government should design a one-stop portal where all job vacancies are advertised like the United Kingdom’s Job Centre Plus website. Both public and private sector job vacancies will be advertised through this portal.
3. Activities of the so-called Recruitment Agencies must be regulated. It is criminal to ask prospective job-seekers to part with their first three months salary or to demand upwards of 200,000 naira before an appointment letter or job is given to a prospective employee.
4. Recruitment process must be transparent. All federal government jobs must be advertised. Merit must not be sacrificed in the altar of nepotism or quota system.
5. As a Youth Corper, beware publishing your Personal phone numbers in the Corpers Magazine. Desist from sending your CV to suspicious firms or copying and pasting your CV on giddy recruitment websites. Identity theft is big business!


Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com

Businesses, Technologies and Careers on the Verge of Extinction

[url]
https://www.nairaland.com/1096992/businesses-technologies-careers-verge-extinction[/url]

Businesses, Technologies and Careers on the Verge of Extinction

By Don Okereke

In the precursor to this Piece, I wrote on ‘’Scientific, Technological Innovations and Business Opportunities to Watch Out For’’. Herein we are going to explore ‘Businesses, Technologies and Careers on the Verge of Extinction’’.

Thousands of years ago, we were told Dinosaurs roamed the earth but went into extinction because they could not among other factors, adapt to climactic and environmental dynamics. So it will be for many businesses, technologies and careers that may still be flourishing now.

Advances in Science and Technology no doubt make life easier. However there is a downside to such innovations that may lead to corporations downsizing and drive businesses and some careers into extinction. Mental and automated work is fast displacing physical labor.

As I said earlier, there are downsides to scientific and technological innovations. For instance, Cloud and Quantum Computing may be good news to some people (especially end users). It will be bad news for say, Computer engineers because their patronage will dwindle because of less work for them to do. Instead of buying 200 separate system unit’s (PC’s), Software’s etc, an organization buys just one and uses ‘’Thin Clients’’ to share resources across the network. This will mean less System Units to be maintained or serviced. It is also bad news for Computer/Software manufacturers/vendors because their sales will go southwards. No wonder some of these vendors are covertly and wittingly delaying the advent of some of these innovations since it will herald their demise.

In Nigeria, the unavailability of electricity supply has drastically made manufacturing expensive leading to many manufacturing firms relocating to neighboring African countries where electricity supply is guaranteed.

Some of the businesses, technologies and careers analyzed herein may be thriving now but will fizzle out or be less competitive because of the advent of better or alternative technologies/ideas. Many of the businesses nearing extinction may still stretch their life span or survive if they can be innovative, competitive or relocate closer to where their services will be appreciated. As in many areas of life, one must choose between short-term gratification and long-term success. The future belongs to those who are futuristic (forward-thinking).

Let’s start on a national context. As we write, there are jitters in Aso Rock because United States Oil imports from Nigeria dropped swiftly from 810,000 barrels in the previous year to 361,000 barrels in July 2012. Analysts attribute this decline to inter alia, the discovery of Shale Oil and Gas in the United States. For the first time, United States has given Oil exporting licenses to two Oil giants- Shell and Vitol to enable them export Oil from the United States. It is possible that in the near future, the United States of America can even start exporting Oil and Gas to Nigeria. With the advent of Shale Oil and Gas, electric cars and other alternative clean energy technologies, global dependence on Crude oil will plummet. The earlier we diversify our national revenue income stream the better for us as a Nation otherwise time will come when we shall start drinking our crude oil for lack of who to sell it to. Perhaps this explains why the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Nigeria to save Oil money. The Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is a step in the right direction.

From Napkin to Pampas; yahoo mail/messenger to facebook; Desktop computers to Laptops and now to Tablet PC”s; diesel/petrol-powered automobiles to battery/electric-powered automobiles; Turn-table record players to Home cinemas; from black and white TV sets to LCD/Plasma TV sets etc; the possibilities of technology and human ingenuity is endless.

Several years ago, Sony Walkman was the in-thing. It metamorphosed from Sony Portable Cassette player to Sony CD Walkman. Now we have iPods, iPads, mp3 players etc. Even an average mobile phone that is memory-card enabled can accommodate hundreds of songs/videos. Sony Corporations would have been completely out of business by now if they stuck to the past. The same way VHS drove BETAMAX into extinction.
While other Camera manufacturers quickly embraced digital technology, it took Kodak time to do away with film technology. Kodak is still paying the price as they can no longer hold sway in their forte.

Nokia, arguably the most popular mobile phone manufacturers is also struggling and increasingly losing its global market share no thanks to fierce competition from other companies with more innovative and cheaper mobile phones. The Finnish phone company has gone from pillar to post trying to shore up its finances with speculations it wanted to sell its headquarters. For a while, Nokia resisted rolling out dual-SIM phones. Thanks to Chinese manufacturers, dual, triple and even quad-SIM phones are commonplace now. Their mobile phones even have analog and digital TV tuners or receivers. Above all, the prices of these China phones are 50-60% less than their Nokia equivalents.

Buoyed by advances in the fields of nano and computing technologies, gadgets (electronics generally) are skewed towards miniaturization coupled with multi-faceted capabilities. These days, the more compact, faster and more functions a gadget comes with, the better. Apart from making/receiving calls or sending text messages, some mobile phones serve as voice recorders, video recorder, camera, music player, memory storage device, radio/TV receiver etc.

American car manufacturers-General motors, Ford etc with their big Petrol/gas guzzling cars cannot compete with their Japanese counterparts-Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan etc that produce more petrol efficient cars.

Sequel to meticulous observations, research and avid study of global trends, apart from the aforementioned, here is a roll-call of businesses, technologies and careers approaching annihilation globally and particularly in Nigeria.

1. Petrol stations popularly called ‘’Filling stations’’ in Nigeria will not always be a money spinning business as it currently is. There has been a penchant for Petrol Stations springing up even inside residential homes. One wonders how they get approvals from the relevant government agencies. Apart from the advent of battery/electric powered cars, by the time electricity supply becomes stable and reliable in Nigeria, individuals and businesses will rely less on Petrol/diesel to power their houses/offices. You will concur with me that there are more generators than cars in Nigeria. Some homes/organizations have 2-3 generators. By the time this chunk of petrol/diesel users are eliminated from the equation, a whole lot of Petrol stations, especially those not strategically located, will struggle if not close shop.

2. GSM Operators will increasingly compete for customer loyalty and patronage. It is already happening with endless promos here and there just to attract or retain their customers.
GSM providers must be forward-thinking or risk been comatose. Imagine this scenario: you have internet subscription and Skype or yahoo messenger on your phone and I have on mine. We can use these free tools to call our selves free of charge so long as we pay for our internet subscription which may not be much compared to paying for calls per second, minute or hour. I think a GSM operator in the United Kingdom- ‘’3 Network’’ is offering such a service.
With number portability subscribers will be able to switch from one operator to the other with ease without been tied down to a particular GSM provider.
To remain in business in the future, these GSM operators may have to become Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) or Cloud Computing/Software Providers or Vendors.

3. Sales and servicing of generators: We don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that this business is on the verge of extinction. Availability of steady power supply in Nigeria will herald this. I once asked a young man what he wanted to do with his life and he opined to me that he wishes to learn how to repair/service generators. I promptly explained to him the implications of his choice before he starts blaming witches and idols of his father’s house for destroying his business.

Rather than brace up to realities, many Africans/Nigerians, inadvertently blame and arrogate so much credit and power to devil and witches even for their self-inflicted misfortunes. A business goes down; we blame witches and idols of our father’s house. A man dies at the age of 80, his enemies are responsible. If late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer’s were to be a Nigerian, accusing fingers may have been pointed towards his real and phantom enemies. No doubt there are witches and supernatural powers out there.

4. Small Transport Company’s and motor cycle operators popularly called ‘’Okada’’ will not be around for ever. As I write, Okada operators, molue’s etc are constantly hounded and exploited. The extinction of Okada as a mode of transportation will also have a multiplier-effect on motor-cycle mechanics and sales of motor cycle parts.

In most advanced countries, apart from Taxi operators, you will find just a couple transport consortiums operating in a geographical area. In England for instance, West Midlands Transport and one or two other Transport companies caters for the entire West Midlands. Same goes for other regions.
With the passage of time and government support, BRT buses will drive most Danfo’s, Molue’s etc out of business.
All the touts camouflaging as members of the NURTW, Okada operators and Danfo drivers should begin to look for alternative careers.

5. Media organizations-Print and electronic media must be competitive, innovative to survive as their revenues increasingly plunge. So many established newspaper houses in America, Europe and the rest of the world have closed shops. Nigeria is not and will not be an exception. 234next, a promising Nigerian newspaper closed shop due to dwindling revenue. It is an open secret that most electronic and print media organizations in Nigeria depend on government patronage-advertorials etc to survive. This explains why many of these media organizations seldom report and downplay negative news about the government.
Another factor that is driving many media organizations out of business is the plethora of free news resources on the internet.

6. Bookshop and publishing businesses must innovate or be moribund. With profound digital/electronic information out there on the internet, who cares about hard copies of text books? Google books, Kindle etc are re-engineering the status quo. A news report indicated that California gave out tablet PC’s containing electronic copies of all the text books the students could have bought. This is the trend. It is even cheaper and more environmentally friendly than buying the hard copies.

7. TV subscription business will not be the best of business in the near future. DSTV, StarTimes and the rest must be very creative to remain in business. These days, viewers can watch so many digital TV stations like CNN, BBC, and Aljazeera with a FreeView Digital TV receiver or on the internet. There are websites that stream live Premier Football league matches. A lot of television sets these days have Picture-in-Picture and built-in internet capabilities making it easy to watch telecasts directly on a television set.

The growth potential of technologically anachronistic Cable Television is been hampered by fibre optic and broadband technology. Gone are the days millions of dollars/naira is spent on broadcast equipments. With a phone that has radio transmitter, video/audio recorder and a webcam etc, one can transmit and stream TV or radio broadcasts.

8. Cyber/Internet Café business is and will continue to dwindle in Nigeria. Many of the Cafes that are not strategically located are closing shops in geometric proportions. Gone are the days when you will see the first and second floors of Storey building being converted to a Cyber café. The free data plans and promos bandied by GSM Providers are not helping this line of business. Why go to a Cyber Café when you can browse on your phone even while on the go.

9. Road-side Chemists or Drug stores: In Nigeria, just about anybody can sell drugs. All you need is rent a store, go to Idumota and buy your drugs and you are game. This contrasts with what obtains in most civilized climes where sale of drugs and chemicals are restricted and a doctor’s prescription is needed before one can buy drugs. Even in Ghana, I was told you cannot just waltz into a drugstore and buy drugs without prescription. This anomaly will not continue for ever in Nigeria. Quacks that are running such road-side ‘’chemist’’ shops have to be forward-thinking because a determined will put an end to such practices.

10. Road-side retail shops in Nigeria must be creative, be strategically located or risk been driven out of business. The era of big supermarket chains is here again. Shoprite, Wal-Mart etc are making in-roads into Nigeria. These are one-stop shops where one can buy just about any commodity under one roof.

Devoid of strict housing plans by the appropriate government agency, it would appear that many landlords and landladies in Nigeria are competing to attach shops in front of their houses. A typical street in Nigeria boasts of houses with one or two shops in front of it. One striking thing is that many of these shops sell almost the same thing or render the same service. It is not unusual to see 10-15 shops or more selling say, frozen food or 10-15 tailors (a.k.a fashion designers) in a particular street.

Some of these businesses are operated by house wives who just want to be seen as doing something not necessarily because they make returns from there.
So apart from the big supermarket chains coming on board, the streets are already saturated with a plethora of small retail shops selling the same thing and offering the same service.

11. Commercial Photography and Video Coverage business/profession is on its last legs. With Digital cameras and mobile phones that can produce stunning pictures, who cares about calling the so-called Professional photographers. There are also portable Pictures Printers out there to print out pictures from Digital Cameras and mobile phones. Once upon a time in my village, there was this renowned photographer called ‘’Odems’’. Now this guy is out of business. Don’t ask me if it is Witches or advent of technology that drove him out of business.
The same fate beckons Video Coverage Professionals. Now people can video their occasions/events using their Smart Phones, Tablet PC’s, and Portable Camcorders crammed with 5 or more Megapixels and High Definition (HD) capability.

12. Finally, on a hilarious note. How many people have noticed that native doctors, babalawo’s and voodoo practitioners’ are increasingly losing their clients to churches and pastors? In addition to prophesying, delivering people from demon-possession, doing signs and wonders, some Pastor’s are now foraying into medicine/nursing. Even those that are not trained medical doctors or Midwives now take delivery of new born babies.
Our native doctors must embrace technology or be driven out of business. They need to rebrand, advertise their service/products. They need to do away with all the unnecessary gobbledygook like asking for hen, alligator pepper, etc.

In most Western countries, a Witch will be proud to tell you s/he is a Witch or a Clairvoyant. Not in Nigeria, they have penetrated churches.
In the West too, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your house to consult a Seer or Clairvoyant, just tune in to a radio or TV Station, call the premium number given and viola, you are connected.


Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com

Emerging Technological Innovations And Business Opportunities To Watch Out For


https://www.nairaland.com/1086155/emerging-technological-innovations-business-opportunities#12721220

Scientific, Technological Innovations And Business Opportunities To Watch Out For.

Don Okereke

INFORMATION REVOLUTION with its inherent exponential implications is in all probability the greatest revolution of the human race. Advances in the fields of Cloud Computing/Thin Client, Quantum computing, Tele-Presence, Nanotechnology, Genetic engineering etc are revolutionizing the status quo. I undertook to research and do this treatise because of my unrelenting passion for innovations and gadgets generally.

For those still in the cloud about the hullabaloo of ‘’Cloud Computing’’, lets bring the concept home. Cloud Computing is ‘’a model for facilitating convenient, on-demand network access to a shared collection of configurable computing resources (e.g. Networks, Servers, Storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly deployed and released with nominal management endeavor or Service Provider interaction’’.

On the other hand, Quantum Computing will to a great extent lead to faster computing, for some kinds of problems, chemical modeling, new materials with programmed properties, theory of high-temperature superconductivity and super fluidity.
Cloud computing has the propensity to transform our current computing experience. Inter alia, it will boost efficiencies and save cost for businesses and individuals. Instead of buying say, 200 System Units (PC’s), software’s etc, an organization (School, Government departments/parastatals, Cyber Café etc will buy just one system (the Server) and share resources across the network with the aid of ‘’Thin Clients’’. This write-up will not dwell on the drawbacks, especially security of Cloud Computing.

In the near future, some organizations may even decide to outsource the whole gamut of their computing operations to a Cloud Computing Operator or Provider. This is the future of computing. This is a precursor to Computers being obsolete sooner than later. Technological advancement is good news to some people and bad news to others. This will be bad news because some careers and businesses will be jeopardized as a result of these innovations. I will do a sequel to this Piece that will highlight ‘’Businesses, Technologies and Careers on the Verge of Extinction’’.

Again, if you are the type that rushes to buy the latest gizmo, perhaps it’s high time you changed your orientation because no sooner than you have acquired the latest gadget, a newer and better version of it will be released into the market possibly at a cheaper price than the earlier one you just bought.

For the business savvy individual, being a step ahead of competition is no doubt an advantage. For those of us that are gadget aficionados, it’s cheering to know that the beautiful ones are not yet born. Some of these terms are not yet in our dictionary, my computer kept underlining ‘’memristor’’ with a red line, connoting it’s a wrong word.

Here is a run-down of emerging technological innovations and business opportunities to watch out for:
1. Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chips will help organizations to keep track of all incoming and outgoing products. This will also have applications in healthcare and checking illegal migration. This technology (RFID Chips) led to the hottest hullabaloo, gobbledygook and conspiracy theories linking President Obama to antichrist and the infamous ‘’mark of the beast’’ (666). This was such a big deal/news in Nigeria that so many people vowed they will never travel to the United States. Time will tell.

2. 3D/Quantum dots, OLED, Flexible displays, Laser Video displays and Interferometric Modulator Displays will replace current CRT and LCD technologies. With flexible displays a time will come when we shall have foldable phones, Laptop or tablet PC’s.

3. ‘’Electronic Nose’’ will displace current X-ray and MRI scan technologies for detecting cancers, chemical weapons etc.

4. Memristors and graphene will replace current integrated circuits and other electronics devices and silicon-based integrated circuits. Memristors will give rise to Smaller, faster, lower power consuming storage devices.

5. Shale Oil and Gas, Biofuels, airborne wind turbines, concentrated solar power, electronic double-layer capacitors, fusion power etc will be alternative sources of generating energy/power.
6. Wireless energy transfer will replace current power cords, plugs, batteries etc. With this technology; one can wirelessly power/charge laptops, cell phones, electric cars and other gadgets.

7. Long Term Evolution (LTE)/4G Cellular Communication will substitute current broadband technologies. This will enhance faster internet browsing experience and pervasive computing.

8. In the field of military technology; airborne laser, antimatter weapons, case-less ammunitions, electromagnetic weapons, and particle beam weapons will be the in-thing.

9. Magnetic levitation and refrigeration will replace conventional refrigeration technologies. This will lead to refrigeration without the need for compression and more energy efficient.

10. Mobile collaboration will replace existing video conferencing technologies. This will increasingly make video conferencing feasible in hand-held devices in real time over secure networks. This will have wide ranging applications- academics, manufacturing, healthcare etc

11. Aerogel will displace current insulation and glass technology and will have applications in Oil pipelines, aerospace, high-heat and extreme cold environments.

12. Maglav Train, Vactrain (Trains with very high speeds) will replace conventional locomotive trains. E.g. is the Shanghai Maglev Train Limino. With this, it will take a couple of hours for one to travel from Lagos to Maiduguri or from Lagos to Abuja.

13. Biometrics locks is already replacing conventional keys. One does not have to carry a bunch of keys about these days. Just store your fingerprint or that of your house hold or the entire staff of an organization in a biometric lock and all of them can have access to the premises with ease.

14. In the field of medicine, Stem Cell transplants and Vitrification or cryoprotectant will enhance treatment for a wide range of diseases/injuries and organ transplantation.

15. Voice Recognition and Motion Hand Signal Technology will replace current Remote controls. Microsoft is said to be working on Kinect for Xbox 360, a gaming component that responds to motion.

16. Multi-function structures will trade Composite materials with applications in self-health monitoring, self-healing morphing etc.

17. Scramjet (Hypersonic aircraft), Space Plane and Supersonic airplanes will replace conventional jet engines and airliners.

18. With the prospect of 3D Printing, Claytronics and Molecular Assembler becoming vogue, sooner than later, we can start printing customizable gadgets at home.

I hope you enjoyed this. Please feel free to add your own list of innovations that will shape the future. Thank you.

Don Okereke

donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285

Cyber Security Awareness & Tips For Nigerians

https://www.nairaland.com/1048039/cyber-security-awareness-tips-nigerians

The Private Security & Investigation Industry in Nigeria: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward

Written by: Don Okereke

Hi,

This essay was comprehensively updated on 25/07/2014 and it exceeds the maximum word length allowed on this forum.

If you don't mind, kindly refer to this link to read it:
http://donokereke..com/2014/07/the-private-security-investigation.html?m=1

Advocating a culture of debate, superior reason and civility in Nigeria


https://www.nairaland.com/1066526/advocating-culture-debate-superior-reason

Advocating A culture of debate, superior reason and civility in Nigeria

https://www.nairaland.com/1066526/advocating-culture-debate-superior-reason

Advocating a Culture of Debate, Superior Reason and Civility in Nigeria

Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com

‘’The Catholic and the Communist are alike in assuming that an opponent cannot be both honest and intelligent’’-George Orwell, English Novelist.

Coercion, intimidation and force seem to be a way of life in Africa where many leaders have dictatorial predisposition. Raw use of power is common-place in Nigeria. No particular individual has a monopoly of wisdom, knowledge or violence/evil as the case may be. That which you think you know a lot more people know it better than you do. That book you are just reading or have read that gives you a feeling of eureka, a lot of people have read it before you. There is also a propensity that the theories expounded in that very book you are currently reading or have read, will be invalidated sooner than later. You studied at Harvard etc and have say, first class in economics? A lot of people have been there, done that before you. So don’t get carried away. Quite a lot of hypothesis and theories generally acceptable and incontrovertible 20-100 years ago have now been negated. A lot of revered scientists of yesterday have also been discredited.

Nigerian leaders seldom care about opinion polls or public opinion. Once voted into or they maneuver themselves into office, a typical Nigerian leader or office holder ascribes a swagger of omniscience and sovereignty of the State to himself. Critics, no matter how well intentioned are slammed as opposition.

In advanced climes, there is some kind of debate even for the minutest issue and it is not unlikely that unpopular policies are shelved when undiluted opinion polls and public outcry indicates massive opposition to that policy. Our leaders exploit on the pliant persona of Nigerians to get away with their actions. See in your mind's eye that one of the revolutions in France was said to have been caused by an increase in the price of bread.
A lot of ignorant Nigerians will ascribe government policies and inadequacies to an ‘act of God’. Nobody wants to talk and nobody wants to die.
It beggars belief the way and manner policies, ideas etc are shoved into the throat of Nigerians. The use of force and fiat has become part of our national psyche. The foundation was laid by the forceful amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria by our colonial rulers. Successive military regimes further entrenched and perfected this culture of intimidation, coercion and unnecessary use of force. Our leaders and government officials owe nobody any explanation or justification for their actions or intentions. Many Nigerians and especially our leaders need a lesson in humility.

The air and arrogance of some leaders in this part of the world is baffling. They just don’t give a damn whose ox is gored. Dissenting opinions are jettisoned and those that voice out albeit constructively against some government policies or actions are labeled unpatriotic and enemies of the State. In extreme cases critics are slammed with trumped up charges of treasonable felony. Ken Saro Wiwa is a classic example.
Prior to the second Gulf war, the United States and the United Kingdom juggled statistics and dossiers of report supporting their claim that Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Till date, no WMD has been found in Iraq. You see why people don’t trust their leaders sometimes.
In addition to bad leadership, Nigerians contend with both a tyranny of the majority and the few.

You wake up one morning and you hear that a certain career medical doctor has been appointed say, a minister of Defence. The minister appoints a coterie of assistants and consultants. The assistants and self-styled consultants go to work churning out policies that may be for their personal aggrandizement. The dilettante minister that does not even know the rank structure in the military now starts gallivanting and bandying ‘his’ ideas.
Avoidable use of force has become a way of life in Nigeria. If it is not the landlord/landlady that is pushing their tenants around, it is the Police that is intimidating and exploiting innocent citizens. The citizens are not left out in this, everybody throws his weight about. At the slightest provocation, people start asking you whether you know who they are. Many of our leaders are disconnected from the people. They don’t feel our pains; they don’t go to the market to buy things. Everything is at their beck and call.

Individuals and even governments world over are allergic to change. Some fear change more than others. Sometimes it is just fear of the unknown. Whether we like it or not, there is a limit to which we can preserve a status-quo. Change must happen when it will. We cannot stop ourselves from growing old, dying etc.

When the idea of a seat belt was first mooted, people felt it was more dangerous to have a seat belt than not to have it. Now we know better.
The only predictable thing in Nigeria is an ingrained system of unpredictability. The high level of political cum economic entropy, volatility and a culture of Policy somersault have a butterfly-effect on the high risk of doing business in Nigeria. You wake up one morning and you hear that use of motorcycle popularly known as ‘’Okada’’ for transportation has been banned with no alternative provided.
Not long ago, the Federal Road Safety Commission came up with this idea of changing the current Car Number Plates. As usual, it was hastily conceived and deadline for compliance was announced. It took the intervention of the Senate to save the situation. What is wrong in having say, 5, 10, 20 years plan? Must we do things by fiat and in a hurry in Nigeria? Despite the outcry, the Lagos State government had its way as the toll gate at the Lagos-Epe express way has come to stay.

The last petrol pump price increment is a classic example of our government shoving their unpopular policies down our throats. The ministers of Petroleum, Finance and the Central Bank governor respectively bandied and juggled a lot of figures albeit contradictory to justify the increment. The Presidency opined that within six months, Nigeria will be transformed courtesy of the savings accruable from the increment. It is now 9-10 months after the pump price of Petroleum was increased, there is no tangible evidence on ground to justify their position. Let us come down to elementary economics. How do you convince a small business owner who relies on a generator to run his business that a fuel pump increase is in his interest? How many of our government officials buy petrol and other essential commodities from their purse?

Let’s even presume there is an iota of reason to justify the fuel pump increase. How about the timing, and the way and manner it was done. People were yet to return from the yuletide and January is usually a tough month. Why can’t we do first things first? What is wrong with fixing our refineries so we don’t have to waste money importing what we have in abundance? Imagine this scenario- a farmer produces cassava, exports it to say, the United States, the cassava is processed into garri and sold to the farmer at double or triple the amount he sold the raw cassava.

The issue at the front burner now is whether or not to allow State Police. Everybody who is any body gads about and wants to be seen saying something. The government has a way of mobilizing praise singers to advance their cause. Inter alia, northern governors, ex-IG’s of Police seem to be strongly opposed to State Police while most Southern governors seem to opt for it. Some sections of the country and individuals are threatening fire and brimstone should State Police be allowed. The whole argument is now politicized and polarized. A lot of countries that share our system of government and background have regional or state police. And we say we practice federalism? In America, there is Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police Department etc. In the United Kingdom, there is West Midlands Police, London Metropolitan Police, and Scottish Police etc. Is it just fear of the unknown at the corridors of power at Abuja or do they know what we do not know? If it is too ambitious to have autonomous Police formations in all the 36 States of the federation, perhaps we can experiment with six regional autonomous Police formations across the six geographical regions of the country. On funding, we can replicate what obtains in countries like the United Kingdom where a percentage of Council Tax payments are geared towards funding and payment of police salaries. Honestly one is not necessarily pro State Police. I am all for a debate on this rather than stifling dissenting opinion for no cogent reason. Let us explore the pros and cons and let superior argument prevail over fear and sentiments.

We cannot continue doing the same thing, the same way over and over again and expect a different result. Benjamin Disraeli, British Statesman opines that, ‘’change is inevitable in a progressive country. Change is constant’’. Francis Bacon also concurs by saying that, ‘’he that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator’’.

Just recently Nigerians were jolted by the announcement from the Central Bank of Nigeria that five thousand naira note is in the offing. This is the same CBN that is advocating a cashless policy. The CBN must convince us that introduction of N5, 000 notes is not antithetical to the hullabaloo of a cashless society. Typical of our leaders and government officials, the Sheiks in CBN have already concluded that this is a fait accompli, ‘no going back’. One wonders if expending 40 billion naira to print five thousand naira note is a priority now. It is on record that anytime a denomination is decimated to coins in Nigeria it automatically goes out of circulation and leads to inflation. Let the CBN convince us that decimation of our notes will not be tantamount to devaluation of the naira? Nigerians need clarifications and to be carried along. Good that the Presidency wielded the big stick and called the CBN to order. Let somebody out there remind Mallam Sanusi et al that even the authority of the London School of Economics (LSE) appreciates the fact that Politics is superior to economics.

One wonders if the job specification of the Minister of Information and that of the Central Bank Governor includes joining issues with and talking down on everybody, the Senate, Obasanjo etc. It does not portray cohesion and synergy when a government official sings discordant tune with that of the position of government. Perhaps these guys are bored and needs something to spice up their day and work.

The Lagos traffic law has also received a lot of knocks. It is said to be draconian and seems to be geared towards raising revenue for the State. Lagosians and motorists are yet to come to terms with the imposition of unprecedented fines for defaulters. Is this law another way of increasing the Internally Generated Revenue of the State or is it meant to bring sanity to our roads? What is the justification for imposing whopping fines of twenty thousand each to a motorist for not having a fire extinguisher, bad tire and for a car that emits smoke? Enforcers of this draconian law (LASTMA officials and the Police) will be smiling to the bank because many of the cases will end up in ‘settlement’. Given the type of cars in Nigeria, it is possible that a single motorist will default in all aforementioned three things and much more. That makes it sixty thousand naira or more! Don’t forget that minimum wage in Lagos and in Nigeria generally is about eighteen thousand naira a month. Here you are, charging an individual who earns 18 thousand naira a month, 20 thousand naira at a spot. Is there a proviso say to pardon or warn first time offenders? Does the FRSC or the Lagos State Ministry of Transport have a database of all the registered cars in Nigeria? Is traffic violation a civil matter or a criminal offence?
The SIM Card registration was also rammed into the throat of Nigerians as if it was an emergency. This is a typical example of our fire brigade approach to issues. As usual, dissenting opinion and constructive criticism were jettisoned. The exercise witnessed long queues as if money was been dolled out to people. This white elephant project gulped about six billion naira with no evidence to show that the objective of the exercise was achieved. The National Assembly swallowed the SIM registration proposal hook, line and sinker. Glad to hear that they are now asking questions albeit in retrospect to know how this money was expended.

Recently LASTMA (Lagos State Transport Management Agency) aired an advert telling people to desist from crossing the high way as we don’t know it is anomalous to do so. As usual, they reeled out penalties and threats. To be conservative, you can move upwards of 10-15 kilometers the area I live along the high way before you come across a pedestal bridge. In this case, the advice of LASTMA is a good one but not pragmatic. Recall how Ojo Maduekwe, erstwhile minister of transport bandied his bicycle riding policy and how he got knocked down in Abuja by a motorist despite all the escorts that were tailing him. Some of the government policies and ideas may be well-intentioned but the infrastructure to drive it may not be in place. So timing is very important. Why put the cart before the horse?

Now this same LASTMA and the Lagos State government are at it again. They want all motorists-Private and commercial to have a Lagos State Licensed Plate numbers. What if a motorist in Lagos lives around border towns between Lagos and Ogun state like Mowe, Akute etc but work or transact business in Lagos. What happens to motorists, probably Civil servants or other people that are temporarily in Lagos? Must they also be compelled to have Lagos Licensed Plate numbers? Is there even a database of Lagos residents or drivers in Lagos state? As I write, I can bet that many people have become victims of this ill-conceived idea. Someday they will tell us we need a Visa to come to Lagos. What a country!
Let the people in the corridors of power carry the polity along, no single individual knows it all. A local Nigerian parlance likens public office like barracks and like they say, ‘soldier come, soldier go, barracks remains’.

Debate should not be done only prior to elections, it must be an ongoing phenomenon in all fabric of our national existence.
To the online community folks, don’t hide under the cover of the internet and the anonymity it affords to insult, malign and mud-sling others.
I hereby humbly move a motion that we replace the use of force/fear/intimidation with debate, superior reason and civility in Nigeria’s Public Space. Please can the National Assembly or somebody out there second this motion? Enough of raw use of power, impunity, arrogance, grandstanding and bravado. Please let’s be civil and allow superior reason and idea(s) prevail!

Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285

CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS & TIPS FOR NIGERIANS

[b]By Don Okereke
Security Analyst & Consultant
donnuait@yahoo.com[/b]

Scientists, engineers and inventors toil day and night to discover or invent a tool or product that will advance the cause of humanity and before you say Jack, that same invention has been tailored by criminals to perpetuate their nefarious activities. There are so many criminals out there in the cyber and real world’s. Cyber crime or Cyber warfare transcends physical boundaries and as such erecting perimeter fencing and all that offers no help.

At the time of writing this piece, news filtered in that names, addresses, bank account details etc of some serving and retired personnel of Nigeria’s State Security Service was published online. What a national embarrassment and a threat to National Security. This is a wake up call. This kind of act may not necessarily be carried out by external criminal elements. A disgruntled staff could have done it as well.

Many a time cyber criminals deploy ‘Social engineering’- the art of cleverly influencing people- to outsmart and swindle their unsuspecting victims.

Some of the fantasies we read in science fiction novels or watch in James Bond movies that seem impracticable are now common place. There is no gainsaying the fact that advances in technology has thrown up a lot of security challenges.

Sequel to Nigeria’s staggering population of about 160 million people cum the advent and penetration of internet and automatic teller machines, Nigerians should brace up for increased levels of cyber and financial crimes. It is not impossible to clone ATM cards, clone a website, hack into or completely take the website down. Cases abound in the Western world of criminals installing very tiny cameras on automatic teller machines to capture the PIN numbers of unsuspecting bank customers. Desist from entering your debit or credit card details in dodgy road side shops or online websites.

As we strive to catch-up with technological innovation in advanced countries, we also need to brace up to the challenges inherent with such technologies; there is always a learning phase or curve. The following comprehensive guide and tips are geared towards making us conscious of the dangers out there and what to do to protect ourselves.

1. Be careful what you do on a computer especially a public computer like the so-called cyber cafes. When you use a public computer or the so-called cyber cafes to check your emails, ensure you uncheck the ‘’keep me signed or logged in’’ box before you sign in to your online accounts. Failure to do this means your email/online account can still be opened even after you sign or log out. It’s also easy for criminals to install key-loggers in public computers that secretly records information of users. And very importantly, after downloading sensitive documents, ensure you clear the download folder otherwise your downloaded document will still be there after you have gone. So it goes without saying that one must avoid using public computers or networks for financial and private transactions. If you cannot avoid it then take care to protect yourself and your transactions.

Don’t presume because you have deleted information from a computer therefore it cannot be retrieved. Bad guys beware! There are forensic tools that can be used to scan and recover deleted information from a computer.

2. Watch out the type of website you enter your personal information. These days, websites can be cloned. The website you thought is your bank’s, may not be after all. Its safer to personally enter the URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the website you want to visit on the address bar than to Google it. It is risky to click on every link emailed to you by friends etc. Scrutinize emails claiming to emanate from your bank, PayPal and other financial institutions. Don’t give out personal information over the phone unless you are sure of the caller.

3. Be wary of text messages or even calls supposedly originating from a particular phone number or company you think you are familiar with. This writer has gotten a lot of phony text messages telling him he has won a lottery that he never entered into. If it looks too good to be true, it is. A chap approached me lately telling me he got an email telling him he won the American Visa lottery. Without even reading the content of the email I told him it is definitely fraud because I am aware the United States Department of State no longer sends emails to lucky winners of its Visa lottery. Winners are now required to personally check in www.dvlottery.gov whether they won or not. This is not even the gist, he subsequently told me they asked him to wire money via western union to an address domiciled in the United Kingdom. This is also why it pays to be INFORMED of developments around us!

My wife got a call sometime from somebody telling her they both did their mandatory one year national youth service in a particular state. He went ahead to recite my wife’s NYSC call-up number and all that. He asked my wife if she was still searching for a job, she said yes. He instantly guaranteed her a place in Shell where he claimed to be working. There and then, I told wify that the guy was a scammer. People can get your information from so many ways. It could be the guy had access to the Corper’s magazine of that particular State/year and got all the details he needed from there. Its amazing people still fall for such trash!

With bulk SMS and internet text messaging, one can send a text message with a personalized user I.D or phone number probably claiming to be someone else or originating from a specific phone number. For example criminals can send you a customized bank transaction SMS alert purporting to emanate from your bank and anything can happen from there.

Voicemail and phone calls can be hacked too. Justice Salami has had a running legal battle with OyinloIa/the PDP over alleged text messages and calls purported to have transpired between him and an ACN gubernatorial candidate. One is not necessarily holding brief for Justice Salami; it’s just to highlight the possibilities of technology. The case is still in court; let’s see how it pans out.
Computer/Phone hacking is a global phenomenon. Lately, United Kingdom’s widely read tabloid- the News of the World closed shop over phone hacking scandal. Prominent celebrities have had their phones etc hacked into at one point or the other.

Please if you use a wireless internet subscription on your PC or mobile device, it is very important you use a very STRONG password to protect it otherwise just about any body within your vicinity can log or hack into your network and use it. With ‘’remote log in’’, somebody can hack into your Personal Computer via your unsecured network and access all the information on your PC or device.
You cannot exonerate yourself if your network is hacked into and used to perpetuate negative acts. Always switch off the Bluetooth on your computer or mobile device because it is an easy gateway to the information in your device. Your voicemail too needs to be password protected.

4. Use ‘strong’ passwords and change it as frequently as possible. Eschew using such things as your date of birth etc as passwords. Mix letters, numerals, capital and lower case letters if possible. If you fancy it, try using a memorable sentence for a password. E.g. ‘’AbujaIsTheCapitalOfNigeria’’. Take note that the aforementioned password has every word starting with a capital letter. Yes, its a long one but also easy to remember. Most importantly, it is STRONG, cannot be easily cracked.

5. Be careful who you send or email your CV and important documents to. This applies mostly to our numerous job seekers out there. I cringe whenever I see a plethora of job seekers copying and pasting their resumes, degree results, passport photos, NYSC discharge certificates etc on every available website and to giddy recruitment websites. Armed with all these information about you, what else does some criminally-minded bloke out there need to claim to be you or ‘clone’ you? ‘Identity Theft’ may not be big business here in Nigeria but it is a multi-billion dollar business in most Western countries.

As a job-seeker, alarm bell’s should ring in your head when you come across a company online claiming to be say, Shell and having an email address shell@yahoo.com. If indeed it is Shell, then their email address should be customized to their name e.g shell@shell.com.

6. Be wary the type of information you leave on social networking sites such as facebook, twitter, beebo, hi5 etc. Be careful who you allow as your ‘friend’ or socialize with on facebook et al. Recently a postgraduate student and daughter of a retired Major General by the name Cynthia Osokogu was brutally murdered in Lagos. She was alleged to have ‘met’ one of her assailant through Blackberry Messenger. You can see the hazard in blindly trusting people you come across on social networking sites. Over here, particularly amongst teens, there seem to be some kind of competition as to who has the highest number of ‘friends’ on facebook. People may not be who they claim they are on social networking sites. It’s easy to copy and paste or upload another person’s picture and claim to be that person. There is lot of impersonation, make-believe and facade going on in Social Networking websites.
If you are travelling, why must you post/advertise it on a Social Networking website. You are unwittingly telling potential goons that you won’t be around.

People have lost jobs and precious career opportunities courtesy of inappropriate information they inadvertently posted on Social Networking sites. The just concluded London 2012 Olympics recorded athletes being booted out because of their tweets. Some of the information you innocently put on Social Networking sites today may come to haunt you say in 10-20 years time especially for those with Political or leadership prospects.

On a related note, you unwittingly make your self a target or a suspect if you allow a wanted criminal or terrorist as your friend on a social networking site. Do I have to also say that these sites are very addictive! So many folks waste a lot of productive hours on facebook et al. This is not to say that social networking is bad, not at all. They also have their good side.

A lot of folks ask me if I am not on facebook because they cannot ‘find’ me when they search for me. Please it’s high time you made good use of the ‘privacy settings’ on some of these social networking sites. The privacy setting allows you to decide for example if you want your full date of birth to show or for the general public to see you.

7. Have manifold email addresses. You can dedicate one of the emails for social activities- networking and all that. Another one can be for your financial transactions and may be a third one for career-related transactions. The raison d'être for this is that if the email for social activities is compromised, it will not affect the sensitive information in your career or business emails.

8. Phone browsing has more security implications than browsing on a typical desk top or laptop computer. That is to say that phone browsing is not quite secured. A lot of times folks complain that their email accounts have been hacked into or compromised but on closer scrutiny one finds out that they have at one time or the other, accessed their email accounts on their phones. It often happens that cookies, malwares and Trojans may have infiltrated the said email account and will automatically start sending phony emails to all the addresses in the person’s contacts list.

It is not news that most of these Smart phones available today have software’s or applications that can track their owner’s geographical location or movements. Nigerians like to flaunt their wealth and gadgets; we just like to rub it in. It may interest you to know that Google officially admitted that more than 90% of android phones have mobile software’s with serious security vulnerabilities. It is advisable to install a mobile security antivirus on your smart phone.

Talking about phone tracking, the late Col Gadaffi was alleged to have placed a call via a satellite phone shortly before he was killed. The hypothesis suffices that his call was intercepted and the coordinates of his location was extrapolated. With satellite phones, the origin or location of the call can be tracked in real time. It’s not only satellite phone calls that can be tracked. It also applies to everyday phone calls we make. The nearest phone mast can be deduced and that reveals one’s approximate location.
So before you start flaunting that your latest toy, take time to consider its disadvantages cum security implications.

9. Remember that each computer/phone or whatever device you connect to the internet have a specific I.P (Internet Protocol) address. There is a tendency that at every point in time your I.P address is embedded in an email or online transaction that originates from you. With the I.P address, the location or the nearest telecommunication mast where that of that particular transmission emanates from can be deduced.

Please don’t drag this thread into the promise of altering or hiding an I.P address; using a ‘Virtual PC’ to browse or ways around some of these things. This thread is aimed to dissuade the bad guys.
To the bad guys, please desist from your nefarious online activities because the law enforcement agents will sniff you out if they are determined.

Recall that most of these insurgent or terrorist groups in and outside Nigeria issue their Press Releases online and have online presence hence they cannot afford not to leave an online fingerprint trail no matter how meticulous or IT savvy they are.
One is quite impressed with the progress been made by the Nigerian Police in using technology to fish out culprits responsible for killing Cynthia Osokogu.

It’s encouraging that the Nigeria Police recently enlisted Computer/IT professionals into the force because policing has gone beyond brandishing unserviceable rifles and mounting road blocks.

10. Regularly updating your computer also makes it more secured. Similar to this is also to update your web browsers as older versions may be riddled with security flaws. Uninstall programs or software’s you no longer use from your computer. Avoid downloading or opening programs/files if you are not sure of the sites authenticity or credibility.


By Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)

donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285