The growing insecurity level bedeviling all the regions of our country is on the increase. This situation is highly frustrating and painful as the security agencies and criminal justice system had made frantic effort and sacrifices towards ensuring fierce fighting and prosecution in order to reduce the threat, risk, exposure and the vulnerability.
Crime watchers, crime fighters and students of criminology studies are in one of the most difficult times of crime control as a result of the prevailing situation.
It is most painful, frustrating and the crime fighters are exhausted, overworked, fatigued and overwhelmed!
On the other hand, the criminal minded perpetrators of the various hilarious crimes are getting damned too desperate, vicious and bold-headed against all odds in the fear of the growing coronavirus pandemic.
Record reveals that almost all the103 true crimes (Collection by Stacie Quillen-Allison) are visibly experienced and are taking place in our country as of today with a more vicious approach, resulting from the influence of hard drugs, narcotics, diabolic beliefs, cultism and religious extremism. Otherwise, it is classified as strict mental retardation (insanity).
Of recent, the concentration had been on the incidences of rape, molestation and domestic violence on the feminine gender. Various incidences which are carefully being analysed in the media today supported by professional security experts have confirmed over 717 reported rape related cases within five months, which means that there are more, as very limited incidences were reported in general for many reasons, such as stigmatisation and the fear of the unknown and societal issues.
It is worthy of note that most victims hardly achieve the purpose of reporting the matter based on the process involved in the investigation, treatment, prosecution and others. This clearly means the criminal justice system has not been very effective in terms of punitive measures on perpetrators of this inhuman act.
Awareness is one of the greatest achievements if one follows the trend of the various incidences and the case studies being x-rayed in the society. The revelations are very touching, emotional, scaring and painful, especially to the victims, parents and the larger society. Unfortunately, most of the younger victims within the age of 5 to eleven years are mostly hard struggling hawking children in an effort to make a living out of sales of edible items. Most of these girls are from a very low income family or separated/broken homes in an effort to make ends meet.
It is very important for everyone in the society to put hands on deck and see that the menace of the growing trend of rape cases are reduced to the barest minimum (and totally proscribed) forposterity sake.
Norms and values of the society have degenerated beyond what the eyes could see. What a generation we have found ourselves today! Is it in the struggle of sustaining the family that parents have lost the care of their offspring? Or what actually went wrong?
Other aspects of crime that have been on the increase, especially in the era of Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown syndrome which bits harder on all categories of humanity (the rich, the middle class and the poor are all crying), include insurgency, kidnappings, banditry, robbery, cybercrime, white-collar crime, theft, pick-pockets, etc., as the decadence grows too fast while the larger society gets more vulnerable with the growing tendency.
In our effort to persistently raise the level of awareness, ensure security consciousness and apply survival measures to all and sundry, we are placing emphasis on the review of our environment, our homes, our offices, en route and anywhere we find ourselves for any reason.
Times are hard. Situations get rougher and tougher.
We must expand our horizon and apply safety mechanisms at all means to protect our hard earnings, our families and the larger society.
In today’s life, there is nothing good about the news.
We keep our eyes wide open towards preventive means while believing the fact that the law enforcement agencies shall get to the root of the desperate criminals and wipe them out of the society.
The syndrome of ‘everyone for himself’ cannot help us as a people. We must therefore put all our hands together and improve on our preventive means and create more time and energy to review our homes’ domestic staff, both in the offices and where we render services.
This level of insecurity should not be left in the hands of crime watchers, crime fighters and crime control agencies alone. The society must contribute its quota by taking the risk of reporting criminal acts, criminal hideouts, suspicious movements and sponsors of criminal related acts that hinders the growth and safety of our beloved country.
It is a fact the lockdown is biting extremely hard on all businesses and human endeavors and from available indices, it is rather unfortunate but the situation is going beyond our strength. We are living by the grace of Almighty Allah with the strong belief that the situation might change within the shortest possible time.
O’ Allah forgive our wrongs, our sins, our mistakes and let our nation return to its initial setting. No North, No East, No South, No West but one Nigeria!
Potiskum is the MD/CEO & Security Consultant
HNB Security & Protective Co. Ltd
