BEFORE IMO TURNS TO MAIDUGRI, IMMEDIATE PREVENTIVE MEASURES

By ONWUASOANYA FCC JONES I have had to call off my self imposed twenty four hours suspension from Facebook after confirming that truly, bombs were planted in a Church along Port-Harcourt road, Owerri. While thanking God that no life was lost, we must not fail to be conscious of this very imminent threat of Boko haramizing Imo State. We wo...uld be deceiving ourselves if we go on thinking that the bombs have finished. In fact, this may just be an intentional diversionary tactics by the agents of death and darkness. The next step you take may be leading to a scene of death, so be careful, be watchful and report whatever you are not comfortable with to the Police and other security agents. Now to the Imo State Government and the security agents, these are some of the immediate steps to take to avert the threat of Boko Haram: 1. All itinerant shoe cobblers must be banned and their operations restricted to particular areas in every community. 2. The government must infuse its complete authority within the settlements of all non-Imo indigenes and ensure that regular surveillance is maintained to ensure that both new and old dwellers among them are known. The police must adopt stunt anti-terror operations to fish out some Imo youths who can be lured with money to join the terrorist sect. 3. Agents must be trained to monitor the activities going on in Mosques and other Muslim gatherings in the State. 4. immigrants who engage in hawking and other menial jobs must be watched and possibly be encouraged to set up cooperative societies or welfare unions with a regularly updated register and movement book. 5. The Police and other security agents must invest more efforts in intelligence gathering and espionage rather than the reactionary stop and search method. 6. Massive enlightenment campaign should be embarked upon to educate civilians movements and actions that are suspicious, hence, requiring immediate police attention 7. A working toll free emergency number should be maintained by the Police and every citizen must have the number in his or her phone contact list. 8. The leadership of the Hausa Community and the entire Muslim community will be mandated to report any radicalized or about to be radicalized youth among them. 9. Eagle eyed police anti-bomb personnel must be regularly stationed at strategic areas of the State, including public places. Example; Churches, Mosques, Markets, schools, relaxation centers, Parks, video and football viewing centers. 10. All Hotel owners and pub operators must sponsor at least three of their security staff to undergo counter terrorism trainings, while transport unions across the State must sponsor some of its members for the training. IMO GA ADI MMA OZO