The world is not as safe as we would want it to be. And then no place is absolutely safe in the world – America, Britain, Togo, Bali, Sweden and Ireland among others – no place is very safe. Yet you can’t walk around with a handgun everywhere you go even with a licensed carry. If you are not personally safe everywhere, your car cannot be absolutely secured and your home is not danger-proof as well. It does not matter whether you are living in a village or an estate or a government-reserved area, personal and home security must not be taken with levity.
Lagos State is not the safest of places in Nigeria, and so is Ojodu-Berger and all other parts of the state. To keep yourself, your property and home safe in Ojodu, you may have to apply and live by the following security tips at all times:
Personal Security for Yourself
The police and other security agents are there to protect you in Lagos State and every other state in Nigeria. But no one can fully protect you if you don’t protect yourself. You must be security-conscious at all times and live by certain security creeds. If you’re in Ojodu or anywhere else, some of the security tips to live by include –
- Always be self-aware and suspicious of others anywhere you go
- Expect to be mugged or attacked or be a victim of some unpleasant situations at all times
- Do not plug your ears with speakers listening to music on the streets; and do not use for mobile phones for texting while walking on the roads
- If you suspect you are being followed on foot and can’t make a dash for it, boldly bring out your phone and call people you know describing your follower to his hearing
- Keep the phone numbers of police and other security agents on your phone and you should be able to dial them instantly with a speed-dial button
- Be very careful at the ATM and do not count your money in public
- Avoid night movements or going to any danger zones in the night, and always keep your family informed of your movements if you’re not at home or at work
Security Protection for Your Car
Do not trust that you have locked your car or put too much confidence in the security features of your car. Car thieves are upping their games and you must also do all that is necessary to keep your car safe – from security protection to security behaviours and habits. Here are some of them –
- Do not display valuables such as smartphones, cash, jewelries, travel passports, visas, laptops and certificates among others in your car. These may tempt ordinary citizens to become vandalizers or car thieves.
- Activate security alarms when your car is parked
- Install car trackers so that you car can be tracked if it is stolen
- Activate demobilizers so that your car becomes automatically demobilized when there is unauthorized entry
- Do not leave your car keys in the ignition or on the door locks after leaving the car parked
- Do not park your car at any random place, but always use car parks. Use your car garage if you have one. And if your car is broken down on the streets, be sure to call the mechanic and have it moved before nightfall
Security Protection for Your Home
Burglars and assassins are rife in Lagos and everywhere else. You don’t know who to trust and you can’t be too sure of who you have offended. So you must be careful to protect your home by heeding the following security advice –
- Keep a security fence around your house if you are able to do this in your area
- Set up an electric-wire fence perimeter around your house with a warning of electricity shock
- Get the services of a security guard to watch your house day and night if you can afford to pay for this; and alternatively, you can get a security dog to alert you to the presence of strangers in your compound
- Do not display valuables that could attract thieves and burglars to your house. Do not display valuables on your windows, porch, verandahs and in your compound. Remember that ordinary thieves can quickly become killers when attracted by valuables or resisted in some way
- Keep the phone numbers of police handy or that of local vigilantes in your area