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Safety tips for foreign-based Nigerians visiting home

By Dr. Ona Ekhomu

Apologises 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.

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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.

To be continued.