Lagos: Police Begins Counter-Terrorism Campaign

The Lagos State Police Command has launched a counter–terrorism campaign.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, a deputy superintendent (DSP) at a news conference yesterday, urged citizens of the nation’s commercial capital to be vigilant.
She said: “You must strive to know not only the person living in your house but in the surrounding environment. Find out their means of livelihood. Observe what your neighbour normally brings home at night and what he normally leaves with in the morning.
“Landlords should conduct background checks on all their prospective tenant. They should meet with their tenants from time to time. Community leaders, working in conjunction with the local police, are encouraged to form neighbourhood associations to appraise the security situation in their areas. Do not keep any object that will aid criminals to have easy access to your premises, like ladder beside the wall. Owners of uncompleted buildings must clear them of undesirable persons or request the assistance of security agencies to do so where necessary.
“Park owners, garage operators and operators of shopping malls must ensure that they thoroughly scan, search and take stock of all vehicles parked within and around the premises of such public places.
“Hotels and hospitality industries should always screen their guests and lodgers properly and ensure that they obtain accurate details of all guests. Corporate citizens high-end commercial and residential establishments, institutions mega churches/ mosques and individuals with valuable assets, including hotel an park owners are encouraged to install Closes Circuit Television (CCTV) and other surveillance systems strategically on their promises to help in monitoring and capturing criminal activities.
“Draw the attention of the police or other security agencies to vehicles parked or abandoned by unknown persons. Empty containers, gas cylinders, dustbins and other receptacles not in use must be properly disposed of or kept away from the reach of unauthorised persons.
“Do not allow unknown persons to drop or abandon bags, boxes, fruit barrows or trolleys, articles of trade, cartons or any wrapped or sealed containers around your premises. Legitimate sellers of chemicals such as fertilizer, ammonium products, acid, etc should be wary of persons they sell such products to. All suspicious orders should be immediately reported to the security agencies.
“Always check your surroundings for suspicious, unexplained and dangerous objects and immediately inform the police where any such object is found. Never accept to take possession of or watch over any bag or object kept by unknown person or persons. Be vigilant at public places as objects such as bombs can be kept by unscrupulous person in unattended bags, packages, containers, cars. In the unforeseen circumstances of a bomb blast, stay away from the blast scene.
“Avoid the temptation of rushing to the scene (except your work with any of the Security or Emergency Management Agencies). Remember, terrorist often detonate secondary explosives in order to harm innocent by standers and on-lookers. Always report suspicious person or movement with your neighbourhood to the police or other security agencies through available means of communication”.