Dangerous Places - Nigeria

Dangerous Places.

Stepping Out In Nigeria…

Best known for its 419 international criminal scams, you know, the ones that start ‘Hello my friend, God be with you and keep you safe I am Sani Saro-Wiwa and need your bank details so I can give you billions of dollars..’ usually, at best, ending up with a clean out of your bank and at worse you take up the invitation to visit the capital and come home in a body bag!
Nigeria sits in the West of Africa with its coastal feet soaking in the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf of Guinea. Generally in the south you’ll find the Christians and in the north the Muslims.
If you are really lucky, in the North East, you’ll share a banana or two with Mohammed Yusuf leader of Boko Haram, a terrorist jihad Islamic sect dedicated to ousting the infidels, as you wait for your ransom money to be paid or better still a failed attempt to rescue you. Fun or what!
Boko Haram translates to ‘western education is sacrilege or a sin’, Yusuf founded the movement in late 2001and in 2011it was responsible for 450 killings.
Violence isn’t restricted to Boko Haram, the Country is full of it from clashes between Muslims and Christians near Lake Chad to the lawless capital Lagos where you can join in with the daily muggings, car-jacking’s, robberies, assaults and murdering of any unsuspecting foreigner who just happens to be around, broad daylight or black of night, it doesn’t make any difference. Don’t bother telling the uniformed police or soldiers as many of them are responsible for murdering just for the fun of it, what a hoot!
As well as the 419 accolade Nigeria boasts one of the highest crime rates in the world with around 100 murders and 1300 thefts for every 100,000 people. Organised crime spreads across Europe where drug dealing, counterfeiting and credit card fraud are the norm. Just ask the Germans, it seems the Nigerians really like Germany.
Out and About:
You can walk of course, or try the dilapidated railway, but you’d miss the excitement of driving around the long-distance roads built in the 70’s by the world’s richest oil companies where accidents are commonplace, who would miss this? Not to mention the dangers posed by unauthorised checkpoints staffed by armed bandits, police and the military with the sole purpose of making money either by robbing or kidnapping you. If you are up for a smack on the nose, punch in the mouth or club on the head try to engage in these activities in one of the cities and have access to lots of dollars as the Health System is limited to cities and costs an arm and a leg (you can of course donate these for sale if you are down on your financial luck). Government and International Aid money earmarked to improve the population’s health is usually spent in the Prada Arcade at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ll, Milan or deposited in a Government leader’s personal account in the Deutsche Bank Frankfurt.
As a leaving present you could come home with a dose of meningitis, cholera, measles or gastroenteritis. So prolific are these that the Saudi’s once banned all Nigerians from entering the Kingdom and visiting the Islamic world’s holiest shrines.
What Joy!
For more information on this and many other worthwhile places to visit in the world why not attend one of the author’s regular personal and corporate safety courses designed to lessen the possibility of a corporate manslaughter charge if your employees are sent away without basic safety knowledge.

Defining Piracy and Acts of Violence and Aggression.

Defining piracy seems at first glance to be a simple process but for the sake of intelligence gathering a more precise definition is needed especially when the information received could lead to the deployment of special operations groups to an area where in fact there has not been a properly defined recordable incident, leaving dangerous areas without adequate cover. The problem, of course, is one of the master’s experience and recent knowledge and analysis.
It is easy to make a mistake and to believe, and consequently, report an ‘incident’ when in fact the observed action was not what it first appeared to be. Large numbers of legitimate fishing vessels operate in the Southern Red Sea and many of these fishing vessels approach merchant ships either to improve their fishing or to warn ships away from their nets.
Keeping up to date with local intelligence is the best way to avoid unnecessary panic. Knowledge, as they say, dispels fear. Knowing that in the northern Somali Basin the preferred mother ships are usually local dhows and that in the southern Somali Basin the use of 8 metre whalers are used does give the master a definite advantage. Obviously these are not hard and fast rules and that is exactly why quantified and qualified regular information is needed to inform the intelligence services, such as United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UK MTO) who in turn will publish Best Management Practices (BMP) ensuring that everyone can benefit and contribute to everyone’s safety.
Piracy Definitions are set out in BMP 4 and in essence defining what is a Piracy attack and what is deemed to be a suspicious activity:
‘A piracy attack may include, (but is not limited to), actions such as the following:
• The use of violence against the ship or its personnel, or any attempt to use violence.
• Attempt(s) to board the vessel where the Master suspects the persons are pirates.
• An actual boarding whether successful in gaining control of the vessel or not.
• Attempts to overcome the Ship Protection Measures by the use of ladders, grappling hooks or weapons deliberately used against or at the vessel.


Pirate Attack - is where a vessel has been subjected to an aggressive approach by a pirate craft, AND weapons have been discharged.

Hijack - is where pirates having boarded and taken control of a vessel against the crews will.

Illegal Boarding - is where pirates have boarded a vessel but HAVE NOT taken control. Command remains with the Master. An obvious example of this is the Citadel scenario.

Suspicious or Aggressive Approach - includes action taken by another craft which may be deemed suspicious if any of the following occur (the list is not exhaustive):
• A definite course alteration towards the craft associated with a rapid increase in speed, by the suspected craft, which cannot be accounted for as normal activity in the circumstances prevailing in the area.
• Small craft sailing on the same course and speed for an uncommon period and distance, not in keeping with normal fishing, or other circumstances prevailing in the area.
• Sudden changes in course towards the vessel and aggressive behaviour.

Guidance Note:
In helping to evaluate suspicious activity, the following may be of assistance to determine the nature of a suspect vessel:
• The number of crew on board relative to its size.
• The Closest Point of Approach (CPA).
• The existence of unusual and non-fishing equipment, e.g. ladders, climbing hooks or large amounts of fuel on board.
• If the craft is armed in excess of the level commonly experienced in the area.
• If weapons are fired in the air.’

For the sake of completeness the following UK MTO advice is recommended:
‘Prudent and timely application of BMP can make the important difference of being approached, attacked, or being pirated. If any incident occurs, Masters are requested to report immediately to UKMTO via telephone and provide the details of the incident. This will ensure the information is provided to other ships in the area for their awareness and vigilance. If Masters are safely able to take pictures and/or video of the suspicious activity, please provide these via email to UKMTO (ukmto@eim.ae), the NATO Shipping Centre (info@shipping.nato.int) and MSCHOA (postmaster@mschoa.org).’
And
‘Vessels are strongly encouraged to report any suspicious sightings or aggressive approaches to UKMTO via telephone (+971 505 523 215). This will allow maximum opportunity for appropriate advice and assistance. Vessels are asked to follow this up with an email report and any photographs available as soon as possible after the incident.
Back.’

The Private Investigator Friend or Foe?

The Private Investigator has always been portrayed in the cinema as a charismatic dark, sometimes sinister figure and in the media as a 16 year old cyberpunk cracking foreign intelligence codes and now, of course, as a criminally minded social intruder and phone hacker.
Many see PI’s as a civilian spy, a one-man band trying to make a meagre living from day-to-day routine enquiries waiting in anticipation of the ‘big job’.
So what exactly is a private investigator? The ex-police officer serving papers from the court in divorce proceedings? The retired person whose sense of curiosity and justice stirs them into action? Or the slick, quick, industrial-espionage specialist who continually tries to foil and outwit unscrupulous business people who are bent on financial and political power? Or the PI working for them to bring power by information at any price?
The truth of it is that all of the above and many other definitions fit into the world of the modern day Sherlock Holmes. The type of work carried out by investigators is as diverse as the people who take up the profession. As well as the usual, widely accepted and well-known matrimonial and divorce work, the modern investigator can be called upon to act as a professional witness, involved in gathering evidence to support legal applications put before the court. Sometimes the PI will be called upon to work in criminal investigations to help prove a theft or some other crime, and to gather evidence to be given to the police as part of a court case being presented before a judge or passed to a journalist to expose a wrong-doing. On the other hand, the PI may have to work for the defence of a suspected criminal, meticulously sifting through the evidence and challenging any inconsistencies or locating and interviewing possible defence witnesses.
I’ve worked as an investigator for more than 30 years and I have been called upon to carry out investigations to locate and prove that firms or individuals are manufacturing or supplying goods without the license-holder’s consent. Retail and manufacturing companies have used the skills I learned as a soldier to work undercover or to carry out covert surveillance, gathering information to determine how their employees operate out of site of management, to identify individuals or teams involved in theft, using company equipment without consent or selling intellectual intelligence and testing the company’s security and systems. I have been deployed overseas working undercover to expose Letter-of-Credit fraud, child abduction and protection. I’ve lived in attics, under garden sheds, in disused properties, even in drains gathering video evidence to show that a claimant – although saying that he/she is unable to work – is in fact fit and healthy. I’ve met with Special Branch and handed information over to uncover future terrorists leaving the UK for training abroad.
I would argue that society will always have the need for information and in most cases the needy will not really care how that information was gained.

What to do in a Hijacking

Nowadays terrorists may strike almost anywhere, and there is a chance that you might be subjected to some form of terrorist attack. The events of September 11 2001 – terrible though they were- formed a highly successful terrorist plan. It woke the world up to the power of terrorism and the terrorists’ total disregard for innocent people.

Taking control of a vehicle to use as a weapon of destruction is not, strictly speaking, hijacking. Hijacking assumes that the terrorist have demands, and have chosen a passenger vehicle to use hostages as a tool of negotiation to either attain those demands or gain publicity for them. In a 9/11-style attack, you can do no better than the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, and try your best to overpower the terrorists.

World governments advocate that they will not give in to hijackers’ demands. This is not strictly true as many have paid ransoms to hijackers not least to the Somalia Pirates albeit the actual negotiations and handovers have been organised by the ship’s insurance companies using marine security organisations as regularly documented in the Marine Security Review.

In any event, hijacked passengers and crews do undergo long periods of high stress often resulting in eventual release, but occasionally death. Obviously, survival in these situations is a very tuff challenge, but not impossible. In all survival situations the basic rules are the same, and you will benefit from knowledge, confidence, physical condition, a sense of humour and the will to survive. The usual survival priorities of protection, location, water and food still apply. Your best personal approach is to adopt as low a profile as possible – Protection, be constantly aware of your surroundings – Location, keep yourself hydrated, by drinking water, not alcohol – Water, and eat whenever it is possible – Food.

Blend In.

When hijacked, it is vital to assess the hijackers at the outset, and ascertain their potential to carry out their task, their political and religious beliefs, their aims, even the actual group they belong to. Generally, you will be told some of these things early on. If your political, religious beliefs or nationality do not conflict with the hijackers’, your chances of surviving are slightly higher than those of someone to whom this does not apply. If someone is executed to prove a point, the hijackers are more likely to pick someone they dislike. If you are unlucky enough to simply be from the wrong place, avoid attracting attention, become the grey-person the person that no-one really notices.

Extremes.

Despite all your efforts, hijackers may become violent towards you. At this stage, there is very little you can do. If you are absolutely sure you can overpower the terrorist – or you are certain that they are about to take your life – then fight. Otherwise, resistance will only make the situation worse, so do your best to take it. Show pain naturally, when it hurts: showing pain too early can make the aggressor impatient and more violent; trying to show how ‘tough’ you are will just get you beaten to death.

Gaining the respect of your captors through arrogant resistance only happens in movies. If you decide to risk game playing, try to build a relationship; if you can get a good rapport, it often leads to survival. If not, of course, you are liable to become the first victim.

Your bearing will affect the way you are treated. Some people have a ‘military style’ about them; they walk very upright, with an air of authority. Avoid this at all costs, as the terrorists, who will be used to the police and military, will assume you are a soldier or undercover operator and quickly eliminate you. On the other hand, slouching and looking unconcerned will mark you out as an arrogant troublemaker. Being aware of your body language and adjusting it accordingly is a very important skill that you should think about and practice before you need it in a real life emergency.

Communicating.

Communication, or the lack of it, is a difficult area. Your non-verbal communication will begin the process. It is hard to get the balance right; showing hate is as provocative as showing compassion in some situations. Try to look attentive, obedient. Inevitably, any communication will single you out and defeat the object of keeping a low profile.

If you have to communicate avoid deep eye-to-eye contact, but do not avoid eye contact altogether, as this is antagonistic. Blatantly looking away from your aggressor is as much an act of defiance as staring.

Rescue.

The decision to use military force to effect a rescue is only ever made after all other efforts have failed, when the lives of the hostages are seriously at risk. The country you are in may not have a properly trained, professional, competent, ant-terrorist force. Specialists may have to be brought in for support and advice as the crisis unfolds. Information gathered by the authorities needs to be correlated and assessed and this takes time.

Even an experienced anti-terrorist team has its limitations. The aircraft may have been flown through restricted airspace, and the observers’ surveillance craft not allowed to follow, although it will still be tracked. If the plane is flying from place to place, then the team may monitor its fuel consumption and plan an assault when the plane has to refuel at the next stop. Available refuelling facilities can be identified in advance and an assault planned.

Release.

As a goodwill gesture, hijackers often release some hostages. If you are so lucky, the authorities will need to interview you as soon as possible to get a better idea of the threat. Whilst still a hostage, make mental notes of events and descriptions of the terrorists, it will help if you can use known images as identity markers for example: look-a-likes, he looks like John Lennon etc. Take note of the weapons in use and the armed terrorist locations. If you are not released early, your chances of being involved in some form of armed conflict will have increased. Most assaults begin with stun grenades; these cause a shock wave that affects the balance and co-ordination. Do not run, there is likely to be a hail of bullets and a lot of confusion moments after the assault begins, so standing up exposes you, and the rescuers have enough to do without you popping up and down. The best option is to drop to the floor with your hands outstretched showing that you are unarmed and not in a position to trigger an explosion. If possible stay in this position until you are ordered to move- hopefully by a friendly force. If you have to move because of fire or other hazard stay low, and if possible, evacuate the aircraft. Once outside, stay down and get clear of the aircraft if you can, remember to keep your empty hands in full view, do not carry anything. If you are not sure where to go, lie down and stay in position until you are told to move.

Survivor’s Guilt.

If you survive a hijacking, you may have stood by whilst others were executed, even possibly because you kept a low profile. This can bring intense – but inappropriate – guilt. You have survived an encounter with people who have no scruples about killing, and you are not ever responsible for the actions of others.

Business Leaders Failure to Protect

More than 50% of Business Leaders Fail to Plan for Disaster!


The growth of a successful business is rarely rapid, but its demise may well be.

According to statistics supplied by the Business Continuity Institute more than 40% of businesses do not recover following a terrorist attack or, I suspect, civil riots. In fact, the demise of the business could be overnight!

So why is it that, more than 53% of businesses have failed to put together a Business Continuity Plan? Is it that the business leaders are complacent, inept perhaps? I’ve had a number of conversations with CEO’s and Managing Directors who have volunteered that their recovery plan is to work from home on their laptop, keeping contact with other business colleagues who are likewise working from home, until they can re-group.

‘Expecting the Unexpected Business continuity in an uncertain world ‘ a booklet published by the UK’s National Counter Terrorism Security Office, London First and the Business Continuity Institute as far back as 2003 defined business continuity management as:

‘A holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organisation and provides a framework for building resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value-creating activities.’

Laptop – Home….I think not.

Having a robust, proven business continuity plan is absolutely fundamental to a professional, well run organisation. Size has no part to play in this, big or small, there is no excuse for not expecting the unexpected. The aims and objectives of the plan should be hammered out and agreed at the outset and everyone within the organisation should not only know what to expect but be encouraged to actively contribute to the plan. The fact that you have taken the time to prepare for recovery is a factor that should be commonly known and shown. This is important for two main reasons. Firstly, because in the search for recognition and support, in these competitive times, potential investors, customers and service/product users will want to know that the business is sustainable and can continue to perform through adversity. Secondly, each member of the organisation will have his or her own ‘hidden’ concerns and worries. They need to feel that their overall contribution to the business success is seen as worthwhile and that they will continue to have a job, a wage and continuity of employment. That’s the responsibility of quality business leaders, there’s nothing worse than dissent and lack of confidence in a workforce and in uncertain times it is the leadership that has to remain steadfast, laptops at home is not steadfast leadership.

Critical Path Planning.

Planning is a relatively simple process, initially taking into consideration three main areas, People, Physical Assets and Systems. This in mind, the start can be an uncomplicated affair, a pencil, piece of paper and quiet corner is all that is needed. Pause for a while, and let your mind think about the possible outcomes if you do not have a plan. You could lose your business position as your competitors move in on your customers, taking advantage of your inability to perform leading to a loss of reputation, not to mention the effect on your staff and loss of expertise, also, possibly to your competitors as your workforce migrates to those who did have a plan. Then there is the probable health and safety claims and the inevitable increase in insurance policies, for the future, if there is a future.

Having realised the effect of not having a plan you now need to begin the process of putting one together. This is universally recognised as a five point checklist beginning with, Analysis of the Business, and secondly Assessing the Risk both of these you will know better than anyone else. Developing your strategy is the third stage and here you could bring in outsiders with relevant experience. That experience may well be worth the investment as the fourth and probably most crucial stage is the actual Development of the Plan. Finally, you should rehearse your plan to ensure that it is in fact workable. For example, let us say that your plan includes using a ‘Hot Site’ agreement. This is office space with equipment usually provided by specialist continuity companies such as Internet Central based at Keele University in the UK. They advocate that they will have desks and facilities available within four hours of the need arising. It is no use waiting for the disaster to happen and then expecting your plan to work. You need to test and experience the plan in the cold light of day without the trauma. Once tested you may well have to go back to the paper and pencil stage and re-think your plan. But that is certainly better than it going wrong at a critical moment.

This is a brief article by way of introducing you, the reader, to the concept of:

Proper Planning Preventing Poor Performance.

If you need any further information please do contact the author.

Riots take out Businesses

Proper Planing Prevents Poor Performance!

Statistics show that 40% of businesses do not recover following civil riots and terrorist attacks.

Most businesses in the do not have a plan in place to allow them to carry on with their business following a disaster. Today in Cities around the World people will be turning up for work only to find that they have no building to work from. Doctors, health professionals, social workers, solicitors and many other much needed services will be unable to help decent, innocent people to come to terms with the day-to-day problems they encounter.

Throughout my adult life I have been involved at grass-routes level in riots as a soldier and special police officer, spent years working as a social worker with delinquent and disturbed adolescents and been on the streets as an undercover operator gathering evidence for anti-social behaviour.

There’s nothing new in rioting and civil unrest, it’s all happened before; the difference is the speed of communication and the willingness of individuals to gang-up and cause mayhem.

To believe that rioting helps to move society forward is nothing more than folly, I fail to see any gain. Destroying the very fabric of a society does nothing to help those most needing help. If there is a need for political change, then do it in a constructive way not destructive.

Businesses need to learn a lesson and prepare properly for continuity of business following a disaster. Signing up for a ‘Hot Site Office’ where there are desks and equipment in place usually within 4 hours is the first step to not becoming one of the 40%.

Phone Hacker or Intelligence Gatherer? The Private Investigator

The Private Investigator has always been portrayed in the cinema as a charismatic dark, sometimes sinister figure and in the media as a 16 year old cyberpunk cracking foreign intelligence codes and now, of course, as a criminally minded phone hacker.

Many see PI’s as a civilian spy, a one-man band trying to make a meagre living from day-to-day routine enquiries waiting in anticipation of the ‘big job’.

So what exactly is a private investigator? The ex-police officer serving papers from the court in divorce proceedings? The retired person whose sense of curiosity and justice stirs them into action? Or the slick, quick, industrial-espionage specialist who continually tries to foil and outwit unscrupulous business people who are bent on financial and political power? Or the PI working for them to bring power by information at any price?

The truth of it is that all of the above and many other definitions fit into the world of the modern day Sherlock Holmes. The type of work carried out by investigators is as diverse as the people who take up the profession. As well as the usual, widely accepted and well-known matrimonial and divorce work, the modern investigator can be called upon to act as a professional witness, involved in gathering evidence to support legal applications put before the court. Sometimes the PI will be called upon to work in criminal investigations to help prove a theft or some other crime, and to gather evidence to be given to the police as part of a court case being presented before a judge or passed to a journalist to expose a wrong-doing. On the other hand, the PI may have to work for the defence of a suspected criminal, meticulously sifting through the evidence and challenging any inconsistencies or locating and interviewing possible defence witnesses.

As a Private Investigator I have been called upon to carry out investigations to locate and prove that firms or individuals are manufacturing or supplying goods without the license-holder’s consent. Retail and manufacturing companies have used the skills I learned as a soldier to work undercover or to carry out covert surveillance, gathering information to determine how their employees operate out of site of management, to identify individuals or teams involved in theft, using company equipment without consent or selling intellectual intelligence and testing the company’s security and systems. I have been deployed overseas working undercover to expose Letter-of-Credit fraud, child abduction and protection. I’ve lived in attics, under garden sheds, in disused properties, even in drains gathering video evidence to show that a claimant – although saying that he/she is unable to work – is in fact fit and healthy. I’ve met with Special Branch and handed information over to uncover future terrorists leaving the UK for training abroad.

You would be surprised at some of the trouble-shooting tasks investigators get involved in. The following is one such problem I was asked to solve

The Background:

A world financier should have arrived for a meeting in Dubai, but didn't show. Eleven million pounds sterling was also missing. His life and work partner had information that suggested that the financier was in his hometown of Beirut and probably being kept there by his family who were members of a well-known terrorist group.

The Task:

1. To locate the exact whereabouts of the financier.
2. To make contact with him.
3. To assist him to escape from the Country if he wished to.
4. To deliver him to a safe environment and ensure that he would be kept safe.
5. To locate the eleven million – believed to have been given to the terrorists for the purchase of arms.

Did I sort it?

Professional investigators have a code of confidentiality!