By Emmanuel Udom
LAGOS AUGUST 14TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Security is basically about the safety and protection of the lives and properties for individuals, groups, corporate bodies, states and the nations.
The bottom line is to ensure that individuals and nations are protected from all sorts of threats. Some of these threats are: robbery, murder, theft arson, fraud, ritualistic activities, terrorism, kidnapping and rape among others.
In developing and developed countries, the police is the first line in this ever evolving and slippery anti crime war. However, over the years, other paramilitary, vigilantes and ethnic militia groups have emerged to assist or partner with the police in taming the rampaging activities of criminals.
In Nigeria for instance, the police workforce over the years, have been overwhelmed by the enormous criminalities from the local, state, through to the federal level. Today, the sermon is community policing. Truth is that security of lives and properties is the business of all of us. Even with the paramilitary outfits, vigilantes and ethnic militia groups in place, the Aboki security business, emerged.
Here, some mostly untrained people ,especially from the northern parts of Nigeria migrated to other parts of the country to engage in the business of opening and closing gates for residents and business concerns. Fortunately, the aboki era is gradually fading off in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other major cities. Legally registered private security companies with trained, serving or retired top security experts have taken over the business of partnering with the police to tame criminalities.
Yes, these companies are profit driven. But, they have national and international spread and they are powered to do their jobs effectively. Like in every sectors in our country, these companies face challenges, mostly of demand and supply. Meaning, there are times, they will get juicy contracts from locations and there could be no trained and experienced guards to be posted to the locations or beats. But in fairness, the private security companies are doing their best to train intending guards , before their postings.
The interested angle to this storyline is that most credible private security companies have training academy or schools. Top on the lists are Halogen, King David, G4S, Transworld, Mega Guard, Technocrime, Kingsguard, Bemil, McDon, Sheriff Deputies, Mega Guards and Evergreen Security Limited among others.
In our subsequent write-ups, we will endeavour to take a good look at the achievements, failures, foreign links or otherwise, salaries for private guards, local, state, national and international spread, and profile of the CEOs behind these companies.
Emmanuel Udom,Eeditor, Global News Agency writes from Ogun state and could be reached via: 2347066695349
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