Part I

Apologies that this column had to be rested for two Saturdays. I was preoccupied with the obsequies of my late mother, Mrs. Cecilia Edowaye Ekhomu. Besides, it fell to me to render an urgent security assistance to my school mate who had come to bury his father and was under a serious security threat.

Many foreign based Nigerians come home from time to time for such functions as burial, birthday, chieftaincy and swearing in ceremonies. Given that these foreign-based Nigerians are easily noticed and have weak security arrangements, they are often prone to criminal attacks. Some of these attacks have have ended on tragic notes.

While the goal of some of these visitors is to bid farewell to departed loved ones, home-based criminals often make their home-coming a traumatic experience. They are robbed, abducted or even killed.

Home invasions: Foreign-based Nigerians visiting home on vacation or for certain ceremonies are often robbed in their domains. These frequent robberies could be the result of some information that had been passed to the criminal elements by unscrupulous family members or envious friends. The informants often give the criminals the impression that the foreign-based Nigerian had come home with a lot of hard currency.

Car-jacking: As is usual overseas, these young people drive themselves while visiting home. Many have been victims of car-jackings. Some have not only lost their vehicles to robbers, they have been abducted by the robbers as a kind of insurance.

Duping: These visitors are prone to being defrauded as they may not be familiar with business practices here. They are generally more trusting and tend to pay cash to people whose character is not well known to them.

Theft: Foreign-basedNigerians are often careless with their personal items, including cash, cell phones, jewelry, wrist watches and other items. During ceremonies, lots of shady persons mill around awaiting an opportunity to pilfer valuables. The stolen items are often converted to cash by waiting receivers.

Fetish practices: The visitors are sometimes threatened with fetish practices such as ritual killings, witchcraft, “Utagba” or spiritual arrow and all manner of fetish weapons. These young people, not being familiar with cultural practices and imperatives, tend to insist on their Westernized ways of relating to the world around them. They therefore thread the village turfs the wrong way and then end up on the metaphysical gun-sights of evil men and women.

Ten tips for safety during home visit

The threat against Nigerians coming home to do what I did last weekend – bury a parent – or just visit Nigeria and spend tourism dollars here are multidimensional. However, with some security awareness, the young Nigerians can visit home safely and return to their foreign abodes without incident.

Think security: Nigerians who are based abroad should think security when visiting their country. To survive in Nigeria, you must be alert about security at all times or you will become a crime victim. While in Chicago, I depended on the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to take care of my security worries. If there was an intruder in my home, the CPD would nab him. In Atlanta, the Atlanta Police Department will apprehend a perpetrator who pulls a gun. They will simply get surveillance tapes and then apprehend the criminal. In London, the Damilola Taylor case showed that Scotland Yard detectives were high quality sleuths. His killers were caught and punished. In Nigeria, you have to mostly rely on yourself for your security. The Police is unable to guarantee the safety of residents and visitors. In this regard, the rule of thumb, while in Nigeria, is to “think security.”

Low profile: While home on vacation or for ceremonies, foreign-based Nigerians should maintain a low profile. If they fly below the radar, then the criminal element will not be able to identify and target them. But if they maintain a high, visible profile, they may become targets. They should avoid riding Hummer jeeps if they don’t have trailing security cars. Avoid spraying dollars or N1000 notes at parties. During my mother’s burial, it was announced that agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were on ground to arrest suspected criminals.

Reduce expectations: When you attend family meetings, you should let it be known that you have limited financial resources. You may even declare that you borrowed the little money on you for the ceremony. Always reduce expectations and let it be known that you are experiencing a severe cash crunch. You must be a good actor. If they believe that you are not swimming in dollars or pounds, there will be no need to victimise you for cash.

Prefer hotels: Unless you are satisfied with the security arrangement in your ancestral home, you should prefer hotel accommodation for your own safety. Ensure that the hotel has adequate security. Returnees should note that hotel charges in Benin, Ekpoma, Warri, Asaba are quite reasonable. With N3,000, you can get a good single room per night. If you want super double room, then be prepared to pay N7,000.00 per night. The point is that you are home for only one or two weeks. Your peace of mind and security are worth much more than you you’ll pay for hotel accommodation.

Protect information: Conceal information about your movements and your plans. Being mysterious is a security measure that prevents a surprise attack on you.

Safety tips for foreign-based Nigerians visiting home (Part 2)

Last week this column gave some tips that could help a Nigerian based abroad to stay safe when visiting home. This included thinking security at all times, maintaining a low profile while in Nigeria, avoiding acts that could cause residents to expect cash gifts and make the visitor susceptible to attack, staying in hotels rather than ancestral homes, and shielding information about the visitor’s movement.

The volume of reaction the piece has generated from foreign-based Nigerians is an indication that the insecurity of these visitors is a serious problem.

The following are other tips you need for a safe homecoming:

Watch your tongue: If you board a taxi or you are in your private vehicle, avoid discussing the money you have brought home for a ceremony. Display security consciousness whenever you want to talk about large sums of money. Do not make yourself the target of robbery.

Trust but verify: The relatives and friends you left behind many years ago may have changed in terms of character. Determine their loyalty and honesty before you trust them with sensitive information. Let them prove that they are deserving of your trust. However, your mom, dad, wife or fiancé have a lot to lose if something happened to you. You may instinctively trust them without making them go through the Russian roulette test.

Be kind and considerate: While in the village, speak kindly to villagers. Give a smile to everyone you come across. Little gestures mean a lot to these common folks. Avoid talking down on people or telling worn out stories about how you do things in Britain or America.

Get a guide or spokesman: A man or woman must be there to interprete the customs for you to understand. If you go out to meet with the elders or other age groups without a spokeman, they may extort you. They see a ceremony as an opportunity to enjoy the good things of life, so they usually make maximum demands. You need the spokeman to strike a good deal for you. Recently, a Nigerian – American engineer came home for his father’s final burial ceremony and he had an indolent spokesman. He was mercilessly dealt with by the villagers. I asked why he didn’t fire the spokesman and discovered that he didn’t know he could. The spokesman works for you. If he’s not productive, go and get another one. The bottom line is, you cannot and should not speak for yourself.

Communication: Foreign-based Nigerians usually employ lose language due to lack of constant practice. If you don’t speak your native language or you are not fluent at it, get someone to interpret for you. There’s no shame in employing an interpreter. Your kinsmen already regard you as a foreigner, so, having someone to translate proverbs and idiomatic expressions for you is not odd. What is odd is acting in a manner that contradicts what is expected thereby proving ignorant.

Observe the “full view” doctrine: Ensure that your food and drinks are always placed within your view. Do not leave your drink unattended to, even for a short while. Take your cup with you if you go outside for a chat. If you happen to leave your food unattended to, then ignore it and get a fresh meal or drink later. You don’t want to see if you can be poisoned. Always play safe so that you can live to tell stories about the celebration.

Avoid late nights: Return home early every night. Do not go partying all night. Aside from the risk of armed robbery and ritual killing, you also run the risk of encountering drunk security agents at night. An encounter with them can be fatal. A young man who went partying in Owerri, Imo State recently had his jeep riddled with bullets fired by law enforcement agents who thought that he did not intend to obey the order to stop.

Utilise local knowledge: Ask cab drivers, food vendors, private security agents and policemen about the security situation in the city you are staying in. There is no publicly available security report or crime risk analysis on Nigerian cities. The security hints from these individuals will give you snap shots of information which you can string together to have a composite picture.

Ask for police protection: When you are doing a wake, ask the local police chief for two or more armed men to secure the area. Invite the police chief to the party, so he will have a reason to want to protect you. You must reach out and engage law enforcement agents in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Drive safely: If you drive, ensure that you are familiar with the Nigerian way of driving. You must avoid collision at all costs. If you are being driven, ensure that the driver does not overspeed. Continually caution him if he is driving recklessly. Remember, life has no duplicate.

Profile of the writer:
Chief (Dr.) Ona Ekhomu - is a policy analyst, security consultant and corporate administrator. He holds Ph.D degree in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, (1985); M.A degree from Iowa State University, U.S.A (1979) and B.A. History (Summa Cum Laude), 1977 from Voorhees College, Denmark, South Carolina (U.S.A.) 1986.

He attended the Security Officer Training Academy of Allegheny County (U.S.A.). He holds the prestigious Certified Protection Professional (CPP).

He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) . He holds the Pennsylvania Act 235 Lethal Weapons Licence and the 2nd Degree Black Belt in karate.

 He is a member of American Society for Industrial Security, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Security and Safety Asociation of Nigeria, Academy of Security Educators and Trainers, (U.S.A.), Police Marksman Association (U.S.A.), National Association of Chiefs of Police (U.S.A.), Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (U.S.A.), and International Foundation of Protection Officers, (U.S.A.).

Chief (Dr.) Ekhomu runs Management and Security school in Lagos, Nigeria