Safety Alert for Lagosians!
By Henry Black (NFC)
The city of Lagos has recently become replete with regular cases of armed attacks during traffic jams at Apongbon, Adeniyi Jones,Osborne, Oshodi, Third Mainland bridge, mile 2, Orile and Ozumba Mbadiwe V.I, Ajah-Lekki, amongst many other areas all over the town.
while our security is only assured in the hands of God, ! it is imperative that we also take some necessary precautions and I've suggested a few below;
1. CLOSE from work early (some banks have already started enforcing this) and avoid staying late outside your home. Work smart and you can achieve this
2. ALWAYS pin down and wind up whenever in a traffic jam - even if you have no functional a / c in your car
3. NEVER use your phone or leave it on loud ring tones, while in traffic; it always serves as an attraction to ho odlums and its usually better to leave it on vibrate/silent
4. Resist temptations to buy any thing in traffic - do your shopping before you get into the traffic, or afterwards. That bag or wallet you bring out can be a source of attraction. Remember that these
hoodlums also sometimes pretend to be hawkers.
5. As much as possible DON'T drive alone, single commuters are usually more attractive targets
6. Ladies should always remove attractive accessories like gold necklaces, etc while in traffic
7. Guys should, except when going for another! function, remove their jackets and ties and look "dressed down" when going back home. The "banker look" is usually a sure attraction.
8. If you find yourself in a traffic jam with more than 2 lanes, ALWAYS ensure that you are not at either of the extreme lanes; research and experience has shown that these hoodlums prefer to attack people at the edge, and make a quick getaway from adjoining, bushes or buildings.
9. where you can, acquir e a dud or knocked down handset and leave it permanently in your car; if you're ever attacked, give/hurriedly hand it over to them in place of that your precious handset. In fact, one particular lady banker after being attacked on about three different occasions,
now carries TWO extra dud handbags and phones in her car!!!
10.God forbid it happens but if you're actually approached and directed to wind down, you're most likely better off doing so if there is clearly no escape route out of the traffic, or else your
glass may be smashed and you could be seriously hurt in the process- in addition to the robbery which would still be conducted.
Finally, remain very Prayerful at all times and remember to thank God for journey mercies for each day you get home safely