Security according to Okiro A review of Overcoming Security Challenges

“Through out history, it has been the inaction of those who should have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice, when it mattered most that made it possible for evil to triumph.” Emperor Haile Selassie. Overcoming Security Challenges is out to challenge the mind and […]

“Through out history, it has been the inaction of those who should have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice, when it mattered most that made it possible for evil to triumph.” Emperor Haile Selassie.

Overcoming Security Challenges is out to challenge the mind and induce the reader to put on his or her thinking cap on issues raised in this loaded and explosive book.

In the ethos of the revolutionary development of Nigeria, materials presented for reading by authors and writers are actualized as having emanated from the authority of the experiences of the different authors and writers. In essence, apart from the pungency of the message of the book as presented to its readers, the reader is being treated to a diet of interpersonal relationship between the author and the Police Force and the fight against criminality.

The pith of the whole exercise lies in the need for highly placed Nigerians to speak out and offer their wealth of experience in times of tribulations and contribute significantly to the restoration of peace and harmony.

Apart from other equally relevant topics covered in this book, it is a well researched work written by an author who has a solid background in law and policing. The book focuses on vital areas in the fight against insecurity and protection of lives and property.

The author brings his profound knowledge into the book and thus gives the reader a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of security awareness and challenges facing the society. The book which can be passed as a scholastic text is wriiten in a very brilliant way that enables the reader grasp the issues involved in overcoming the security challenges without getting lost in a maze of technicalities.

It also captures some of the true life stories and battles fought by the author while in service, reflecting on the conceptual perspectives of security and terrorism. The result of this is that the book opens with the first chapter which deals with knowing your neighbours and exposes the existence of impersonal relationships and the dangers involved in not knowing your neighbours as people are so engrossed with their private affairs that they hardly know their neighbours face to face which sometimes may be disastrous for the inhabitants.

The second chapter is dedicated to stalking vehicles with a detailed discussion on how to avert disaster by close observation and cautiously watching the vehicle lurking behind for a long time. Chapter three, “Guard your property at public places” recounts the experiences of people who were careless with their property in the false belief that the society they found themselves is so secure.

Chapter four takes a look at unscreened domestic servants and warns employers who are reluctant to make enquiries about their prospective employees encouraging thieves to steal from their masters, even killing some in the process.

Chapter Five states the imperative of keeping records of serial numbers of movable property with receipts as a means to surviving the intrigues and criminalities in the city. Chapter six deals with tools that facilitate crime and advised that things like ladders, axes, cutlasses and other tools outside homes should be removed as they may help criminals gain access to their victims abode.

Chapter seven, “Ask for Receipts” tells the story of a lady who lost her hand bag because she refused to collect her receipt from the cab driver out of annoyance and the driver bolted with her forgotten bag and left no trace in the city of London. Chapter eight is on the need to identify the target before shooting to avoid mistakenly shooting an innocent person. Chapter nine is a lesson on fire disaster at a petrol stations especially when tankers are discharging fuel.Chapter ten, “Open Doors” teaches that doors should not be open no matter the circumstances to deter hoodlums from gaining entrance  into the houses.

Chapter eleven is on the ethics of safe driving and aptly titled, “While Driving, Don’t Be Mr. Right.” Chapter twelve admonishes, “Don’t Rush to Scenes of Strange Noises” danger may be there waiting for you. Chapter thirteen teaches to beware of unidentified visitors through the use of peep holes, door chains and even door phones.

Chapter fourteen dwells on criminally -minded artisans who should be watched and confined to their specific area of assignment. Chapter fifteen also admonishes on learning to do certain things yourself, like driving and using some gadgets. and so the chapters proceed upto chapter thirty-one which gives out valuable security hints that must be imbibed by every citizen.

Finally, the author posited that the book was written in line with the United Nations guidelines on modern policing which allocates strategies for crime  prevention and control as against crime fighting and detection.  But above all, the book is a compendium of some real life grievous security mistakes made by people across the globe, with most references from Nigeria.

In the foreword, General Andrew O. Azazi aptly describes the book as a timely educative manual on how to live a secure life in challenging security environment.

He added that the lessons in the carefully selected stories are as apt as at when the incidents occurred. Obviously, the taste of the pudding is in the eating so just grab a copy and prove that the book is a well researched work by a veteran and patriotic Nigerian.