If this topic came up 40 years ago, it would have been irrelevant at that time. And that’s because the medium of information dissemination was basically via newspapers, television, letters, e-mail, radio and fax. Fast track to 2018, the development of online interaction platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, Whatsapp, Instagram, and so on, have created a social circle for viral information dissemination.

These social channels are available in almost all the mobile devices used by humans today. In Nigeria alone more than 92 million people use phones that have access to mobile browsers and major social media platforms specifically Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, making it very easy and affordable to share information.

Knowing how important it is to secure our lives and properties, we need to stay informed and educated on how best to stay safe. Since you can’t provide for this information yourself, you have to depend on external sources that are authentic.

And this is where the internet as a reliable medium of information dissemination comes in very handy. Online, there are blogs and other social media handles whose objectives are to provide you with up-to-date information on security.

Top 5 Social Media Accounts on Security You Should Follow to Improve your Security Consciousness

In this article we are going to be sharing with you, the top 5 (in no particular order) online media accounts you should follow if you want to improve your security consciousness.

1. SHERIFF DEPUTIES BLOG (@SheriffDeputiesNG)

Sheriff Deputies is Nigeria’s No.1 digitally compliant security company. The company owns the foremost security blog in Nigeria, with an average of 20,000 monthly visitors; providing security updates as it concerns businesses, schools, home and office security. A visit to their social media pages on facebook, intagram, twitter, and LinkedIn will confirm how resourceful they are in terms of helping Nigerians fight crime and stay safe.

2. NIGERIA POLICE FORCE TWITTER HANDLE (@PoliceNG)

The Nigerian Police Force is Nigeria’s law custodian; their duties are to ensure the prevention, detection and investigation of crime. Her twitter handle is the most trusted security channel in Nigeria. You can’t go wrong believing what is posted on the channel, only verified security information are shared there!

The account has been verified by Twitter and there are more than 600K followers. If you are on Twitter you should follow, a tweet from @PoliceNG could help you clear your doubt on the Nigeria Police Force (if you have any).

3. NIGERIAN ARMY TWITTER HANDLE (@HQNigerianArmy)

Unarguably, the most critical security agency instituted to protect the country of Nigeria. @HQNigerianArmy is the official twitter handle of the Nigerian Army. The various combats of the Nigerian Army have helped reduce to the barest minimum the activities of Boko Haram and ‘herdsmen’ in some states in Nigeria.

The actions of the Nigerian Army have led to the restoration of peace in some communities that had experienced militant attacks in the past. Making these areas now open to the business again. The social media handle promotes the agencies resolve in protecting the peace and lives of the Nigerian citizen.

Important information on threats and how to respond to threats are also posted on this channel to inform the citizens on how best to stay safe and what to do when we see any form of attack. This handle has also been verified by Twitter as the authentic handle of Nigeria Army with over 300K followers. Should you hear a rumour on the activities of the Army, head straight to the twitter, DM or check through their twitter feeds.

4. SECURITY WATCH ON TV

Security Watch is a flagship interactive TV programme usually aired on African Independent Television (AIT), a privately owned television station based in Lagos, Nigeria. Security Watch comes up every Saturday at 12:30pm-1: 00 pm. The program features top security experts where they discuss trending security-related issues in Nigeria and Africa. AIT is available for streaming and it’s also free-to-air.

5. CRIMEFIGHTERSNG.COM

The Crime Fighter as it’s popularly known; is an independent TV programme that focuses on crime reporting, law enforcement, and the safety of lives and property. The Television program is aired across different TV stations in Nigeria. The programme also has an official news blog/website where the activities of the Nigerian Police Force are reported.

The website; Crimefightersng.com have an impressive online traffic. Crime fighters Youtube channel with over 100 videos have more than 3K active subscribers. You should take a moment to visit this site or take a step further to visit the official YouTube channel; you surely will be more informed.

What to do next?

Staying safe means being aware. If you and I must improve our security awareness we need to get updates on security issues from time to time. Thankfully, the twitter handles @HQNigerianArmy and @PoliceNG can be accessed on your internet enabled device.

On-air TV programmes like Crime Fighter and Security Watch also provides you with security news every time. Sheriff Deputies’ blog is your everyday Nigerian security blog giving firsthand information on how to stay safe.

Feel free to share with us, other security shows, blogs and social media handles to follow, we like to hear from you.