New Telegraph

Kidnapping: DSS warns against excessive display of wealth

…says disparity, greed fuelling crime

The Department of State Services (DSS) has warned the rich in the society against excessive display of wealth in public places, saying such tendency could make them easy targets of kidnapping. This was as the Service observed that “the disparity between the rich and the poor, coupled with greed and inordinate ambition by idle youths to amass wealth in the society has led to increasing spate of criminality across the country.” It further cautioned against engaging household employees without adequate vetting by appropriate authorities.

The tips were contained in a pamphlet titled, ‘DSS Guide On Security Consciousness in Nigeria: Tips Against Kidnapping And Other Threats’, and obtained by New Telegraph. It listed other vulnerability points to include: appearance and disposition, level of popularity, occupation of sensitive and important positions in society, as well as flippant and unguarded aides. Again, entrusting confidential and personal information matters to others, inappropriate disclosure of itinerary, inordinate business transactions involving one’s bank account, serve as catalyst for kidnapping. According to the secret police, “The disparity between the rich and the poor, coupled with greed and inordinate ambition by idle youths to amass wealth in the society has led to increasing spate of criminality across the country.

“Prominent among such crimes is kidnapping, which has become very attractive to some unscrupulous elements owing to its low risk and high financial yield.” It added that “given the pecuniary motive driving kidnapping activities, the affluent in the society become easy targets of attack.” Against this backdrop, the DSS has urged individuals to recognise their self-worth, assess the threat level of immediate environment, as well as the perception of others about them in any given location.

While calling for vigilance, the intelligence agency also underscored the need for people to be familiar with their surroundings. Meanwhile, the Service has provided measures against basic threats to national security such as terrorism, insurgency, espionage, subversion and the like.

Apart from emphasising the importance of “safeguarding information by the need-to-know principle”, it maintained that “control of movement of personnel with access to sensitive data, controlled disposal of waste, and proper report, documentation and investigation of security breaches, remained fundamental elements in national security management. The DSS is the foremost domestic intelligence agency saddled with the responsibility of detecting and preventing threats to national security.

Read Previous

UBA provides $200m for Nigeria’s petroleum industry

Read Next

Chinese loans: Nigeria’s sovereignty not at risk –Amaechi, Malami

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *