Basic  security  tips and  principles are  a  whole  web  of  concepts  requiring  explicit explanations  to  untangle  for  a  perfect  understanding  to  be  achieved. This  begins with  the  word ‘basic’ as  a  prefix attached to  the  term  ‘security’  and  means,  the simplest or lowest, but very important level of knowledge of what it takes to secure whatever it is by someone who has the responsibility to do so otherwise, referred to as security or security personnel  and to also secure self-other words  referred to as personal security. This understanding includes knowing the functions or functioning of security as it concerns both professionals who should know better and non- professionals with little or no understanding until they are fully inducted.

Similarly, it also means what everyone must remember always and apply wherever one  finds  his  or  herself  and  the  need  arises  to  use  these  tips  and  principles. This becomes important or imperative as movements to certain areas or places are made normally as humans either within the school especially students when attending classes or performing other engagements and sometimes other outdoor or off school activities through permissions. Equally included are: visitors, parents, food vendors, contractors and others doing one form of business or the other within the institution’s environment and in all cases, there are some security issues and challenges confrontations.

To fully grasp these tips and principles, it is important to first take a careful or cursory look  into  what  security actually entails  or  means. Security therefore,  is  a condition that is achieved when there is no loss of human lives and no damages to items of property achieved deliberately through the direct promptings of security or security  personnel. This  presupposes  that,  the  causes  of  loss  of  human  lives  and damages to items of property in a security setting could be attributed to both natural occurrence and security negligence or human error. In this very short position, two issues stand out and these are ‘no loss of human lives and no damages to items of property’  and  means  that,  security  at  all  times,  stands  against  loss  of  human  lives and prevention of damages to items of property and therefore, every security personnel or operative  sighted anywhere, stands to achieve the prevention of lives losses and damages to items of property of everyone including those of the students not destined for death or destruction yet by God Almighty.

It is also ‘the provision of and maintenance of an operating environment in a manner that affords the necessary freedom of action, when and where required, to achieve objectives’ (Buratai, 2016). Again, from  this assertion, it is clear that, before an action or planned objective is achieved where and when required, that area of concerns  must  be  free  from  security  threats. This  implies  also  that,  until  security ascertains a place as being free, the required action to be taken may not be assured and guaranteed. Under this situation, a reassurance of use of venue is achieved or ascertained through technical sweeping of the area(s) before such meetings or events are held.

Furthermore,  where  there  are  perceived  security  hindrances  preventing  a  planned action from taking place, security is said to be ineffective and where such hindrances are man-made, security  is said to be compromised. It is important to note that, security operates in different spheres and the most common includes:

1. The Neighborhood Security.
2. The Institutional Security.
3. The National Security.
4. The Industrial Security.
5. Personal Security.
6. Family Security (new concept).
7. Physical Security.
8. Technical Security.

The various security spheres have their modus operandi, but in this particular presentation,  the emphasis  is  on  institutional  security  leveraging on  the  Wigwe’s University located in  the cool land of Isiokpo, Ikwere Local Government Area, in the city of Portharcourt, Rivers State. This is where some of the issues bothering on institutional security are exhausted.

INSTITUTIONAL SECURITY

Now, institutional security simply refers to the nature or designed surveillance, security structure or architecture framed around a school’s environment, in this case, the Wigwe’s University to check inimical actions that attempt to undermine standard security expectations and the counter measures or offensive available to halt the actions. To this end, a joint and capable security personnel of: The Sheriff Deputies Ltd under a Location Commander, the attached detachments of a Nigerian Army Platoon under a Platoon Commander (Pl Comd) and the Nigerian Police Force under a Unit Commander (UC) are put in place or employed with the mandate to ensure essentially, the protection of lives and items of property of all students, lecturers, staff, visitors and all those having one form of business or the other to do within the precinct of the institution.

In a broader perspective and with extra remuneration this may include, no vital items of information or documents are taken out clandestinely or through the means of surreptitious attack (accessing information and documents through technical means like Cyber-bully) and espionage (spying and copying) does not occur and the morale of personnel remains all the time high. High morale stands in the gap to ensure that, no security operative compromises security for personal, illegal or illegitimate gains.