By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The elderly persons have become the soft targets for kidnapping, a former spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Ajayi Okasanmi, has said.
This is even as Okasanmi described Kwara as one of the safest states in the country.
The former police image maker stated this on Wednesday during the monthly meeting of the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ) in Ilorin, the state capital.
Okasanmi delivered a lecture on security tips for the elderly.
“The elderly are the soft target for kidnapping. Kidnappers know that children will do anything to secure the release of their fathers/ mothers. So, elders should be careful about where they go and the activities they engage in,” Okasanmi stated.
He also advised the elderly persons to exercise restraints in responding to messages, especially ones on financial issues so as not to become victims of fraudsters using internet to perpetrate crimes.
“We should be careful not to fall into fraudsters’ hands through messages sent to us on telephone. We should lexercise restraint in responding to messages on financial transactions on phone so that the fraudsters don’t empty our bank accounts,” Okasanmi advised.
He expressed delight that Kwara is one of the safest states in the country, adding that, “whatever indices you are considering, Kwara will be between number one and three of the safest states in Nigeria”.
Okasanmi thanked journalists in the state for their support which he noted had made his tenure as the police spokesman in the state eventful and successful.
In her remarks, the new police spokesman in the state, DSP Toun Adeyemi, thanked journalists for their support for her predecessor and requested them to extend same to her.
She promised to build on the legacies of Okasanmi which had endeared him to journalists in the state.
Earlier, speakers including the league chairman, Alhaji Tunde Akanbi, had poured encomiums on Okasanmi for effective delivery of his mandate as police spokesman in Kwara State.
Other speakers included the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ahmed AbdulLateef, the chairperson of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bola Olupinla, former chairmen of Radio Kwara and Kwara State Television Service, Mr Kayode Adeyipo and Alhaji Hameed Adio respectfully, former general manager of The Herald, Alhaji Rasaq Adebayo and regional editor of LEADERSHIP, Alhaji Abdullahi Olesin.
The rest are two former editors of The Herald on Sunday, Mr Charles Osagie and Mr Dele Olokoba respectfully, former director of programmes at Radio Kwara, Mrs Tina Olaoye, former manager of News/ Current affairs at Radio Kwara, Hajia Silifat Adeyemi and former head of the Federal Information Centre, Ilorin, Hajia Biliqees Oladimeji.