Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander in Lagos State Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), has said criminals launch attacks more at festive periods.
Disu urged Nigerians to avoid crowded places.
He spoke on Monday at the Fifth Convention of the Guild of Muslim Professionals, (GMP) in Lagos.
He advised Lagosians, particularly women, to be 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 traffic jams at night. When attacked, if you can escape, do so, and if not, cooperate 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 public to ensure their passwords are kept secret, especially when accessing public computers.
This, he said, would prevent the cloning of their passwords.
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 calls can be well attended to. Our challenge is just that some of the people call us for play, which is usually discouraging.”
The ACP thanked the government for collaborating with the police to reduce kidnapping.
GMP’s Board of Trustee (BoT) Chairman Hakeem Oyewale thanked Disu for the lecture.
He urged Lagosians to always support security operatives by giving them information.
“We should not leave security of our environment to the police and other similar agencies alone, we should be active and cautious about happenings in our vicinities. If you suspect any untoward thing, quickly alert the security,” he said.
He called for collaboration between the guild and the RRS.