Festive periods are usually delicate periods where criminals launch attacks on innocent citizens, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander in Lagos State Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), has said.
ACP Disu urged Nigerians to avoid crowded places.
He spoke on Monday at the 5th Convention of the Guild of Muslim Professionals, (GMP) in Lagos.
He advised Lagosians, particularly women to be more security conscious.
“Check how you talk in the public; endeavour not to ‘stand out’, unnecessarily. Be conscious when entering your homes; don’t make calls in hold up at night. When attacked, if you can escape, do, and if not, co-operate with them. When the police come to your rescue after being kidnapped, lie down, raise your hands and identify yourself so that you don’t get mistaken for a kidnapper,” he said.
On internet fraud, the police chief urged the participants to be wary of where they input their passwords especially into public computers.
This, he said, will prevent their passwords from being cloned.
He said: “If you are not careful, the criminals would create Facebook addresses on your behalf, block you out from your mail and contact your friends and relatives, demanding money from them.
“Also, whenever your instinct tells you there is danger, please follow your heart… Ensure you have credit on your phone, enough fuel in your car and memorise the Lagos state emergency numbers.
“It is heart-warming to note that Lagos State alone has four control rooms where the calls can be well attended to. Our challenge is just that some of the people call us for play, which is usually discouraging.”
ACP thanked the Lagos State government for collaborating with the Nigerian police to reduce kidnappings in the state.