SECURITY ALERT AND INSTANT SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE.

Due to security challenges going on in the country presently and from our past experience in combating crime through information and intelligence gathering, coupled with our visible study in crime fighting, we deem it pertinent that some important groups of the grassroots’ under tradesmen/women could be mobilized as informants in reducing crime at this critical time of high criminal records particularly in the urban centers.

The group could be segmented as follows.

(1)Motor Transporters/ Park Operators: are vital and very important because in their parks, there are many hemp joints and other hard drugs which criminals take the opportunity to make these parks as their base. Also there are bad eggs among travelers in these parks that carry dangerous chemicals and even guns in their luggage's. Alongside is the Inter-State driver’s because in time past, they have been giving us reliable and genuine information that they gathered through their transit movement. Hence we need to train the operators and the inter-states driver’s to sniff around for information gathering and dissemination to the security agencies.

(2)Business Center/Telephone Operators: most of these people can be of immense use as informants because criminals don’t make use of their personal numbers. Hence, they patronize the business centers. Operators can thus monitor them during their conversations in fact; the telephone operators can even tap their outgoing calls after they have left.

(3)Barbing Saloons/Hairdressers: These venues are vital sources of information dissemination because they provide conducive atmosphere where criminals gather and discuss their nefarious activities. Some of those customers don’t actually come to style or barb their hair, but to meet other criminals. We belief that with the cooperation and training of the shop owners, no doubt we would achieve vital information from that source.

(4)Beer Parlour Operators: This is another vital information gathering avenue that we have always emphasized and worked on. Criminal love to come and cool off after any operation e.g robbery, kidnapping e.t.c they also plan for another operation. We have consistently deployed our (PAC) members to monitor Beer Parlour in their localities and the results have pre-empted and exposed many criminals’ activities.

(5)Motorcycle Riders: There are no doubts some bad eggs in this group. For instance, the Commissioner of Police for Lagos State stated recently that crime rate reduced after the partial ban of motorcycle from some routes in Lagos. However, many of them still give vital information particularly about the hideouts of these criminals. Some motorcycle riders have led security Agent to criminal place believed hidden before they are exposed.

(6)Taxi/Cab Drivers: from the inception of PAC, we have been able to register important and reliable members of the Taxi/Cab Drivers in their various parking units. Some have carried criminals to their destinations and have secretly given vital information to security agent accordingly. From our activities we intend to encourage more of their members.

(7)Motor Spare Parts Dealers: we are also beaming our search light on the long established second hand motor spare part dealers such as Owode Onirin, Ladipo Spare parts market at Mushin and Olodi Apapa Spare parts dealers. Most vehicles especially cars including Okada when snatched by robbers are taking to these places and dismantled for sale to unsuspecting members of the public. The same thing happens in many towns all over the country. It is therefore pertinent that the Chairman, Secretary, PRO and other exco-members of the respective spare part markets should be co-opted for participation in this seminar and workshop to educate them to co-operate and be free with the Police and other security agencies in receiving and dissemination of information and intelligent gathering.

(8)Chemical Marketers should be highly co-opted because they are so many dangerous chemicals, such chemicals are Citric Acid (HCL), Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4), Nitric Acid (HNO3), Ammonia Liquor, Carbide, Gun Powder chemical and all other explosive chemicals which are used to manufacture local weapons that can be dangerous to human life and property. Therefore, all the chemical marketers in Nigeria have their Chairman, Secretary and PRO of their trade group, they should be co-opted for the seminar and workshop so that, they can be free with Police and other security agencies in receiving and disseminating of information / intelligent gathering.

(9) Student Leaders: in both Tertiary Institutions down to the Secondary Schools are been co-opted in our drive to reach a critical sector of the grassroots. We have been able to identify some responsible and God fearing Student Leaders who have indicated their willingness to mobilize their members in fighting crime through information gathering and dissemination to the Police and other Security Agencies. Through this approach, it is hoped that the issue of cultism and other heinous crimes including examination malpractices would be drastically reduced. As leaders of tomorrow students must be properly orientated about causes of insecurity and how to curtail it for the benefit of the larger society.

This would also lead to the unwholesome practice of using student as thugs by Politicians and other unscrupulous individuals for selfish purposes.

(10) Hotel Operators: Most of the medium sized hotels located all over the metropolis must be properly monitored because criminals used them as hideout after committing crimes hence the Hotel Proprietors should be advised to release their key staff like the Bar Attendant and Front office Manager e.t.c to attend any of our seminar workshop that would take place in their locality.

(11) Religious leaders: We have also endeavored to enlist the support of religious leaders who have indicated their willingness to be part of our objectives to fight crime through information dissemination to security agents. The Muslim leaders and Clerics had participated in some of our past seminar/workshop while many Christian pastors and General Overseer have intimated their respective congregations about the objectives of Police Assistance Committee (PAC).

(12)Meanwhile, we have adopted a new strategy in our determination for effective grassroots mobilization due to the ever increasing rate of crime and insecurity generally i.e conducting security seminar workshop in all major markets with their Exco members of the Association of Tradesmen/women and Artisans in each of the markets. Both the Iyaloja’s and their influential members in these markets would be encouraged to participate in the workshop on how to gather and disseminate information to various security agencies. This is better way to reach the grassroots than the former method of organizing seminar workshop in big halls with many participants some of who could be fifth columnists.

(13)There are some groups of people both men and women, who have been continually trained by P.A.C Exco members on information/ intelligence gathering through dissemination of information to security Agencies and the Police. They are trained to go from street to street with PAC certificate of security compliance, which contain important security telephone numbers for easy dissemination of information. Thus creating the much desired security awareness to interested people and the general public.

As we have been mandated by the Inspector General of Police, Senate Chairman on Police Affairs, Secretary to the Federal Government and the Presidency to organize seminars/workshops nationwide to train our grass roots members on information/intelligence gathering; the above stated groups (1-13) should be co-opted with PAC and given the required training and educate them on how to assist in bringing vital information from their respective localities and area of their trade; that could lead to track down criminals at this period of critical security challenges.

Finally, the objectives of the seminar/workshop are to orientate the populace to co-operate with the Police and security agencies on how to receive and disseminate vital information that could lead to arrest of criminals and hoodlums from their respective trade unions. Also to let them understand the importance of co-operating with Police and other security agencies. Because it is becoming overwhelming for the security agencies to contain the escalating rate of crime going on nationwide, therefore all hands must be on deck to ameliorate this security situation.

The Seminar has been going on from state to state, local government to local government whereby the new strategy is to train the leaders of market men/women, the Iyaloja’s,Secretary,PRO/Exco members of every trade association/union in their locality/market of trade.

We are therefore appealing for your cooperation and support to enable PAC continue our seminars/workshops nationwide in training our stakeholders and grassroots members.

Prophet Dr. M.J.O Oni

Director General- Police Assistance Committee (PAC)/Association of Tradesmen/women and Artisans/Exco Members. (ATA)

Tel: 08055056036, 08029122596