THE gruesome murder of a Lagos-based Christian cleric, Pastor Sunday Ogofotha in his hotel room, recently, has once again brought to the fore, the lapses in Nigeria’s security architecture. The man, a native of Owhelogbo, in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State had lodged at Century Home Hotel in his community and settled for an evening of tranquility, hoping to wake up the next day to attend a funeral programme. This was not to be as he was later found to have been murdered by alleged criminal elements, who were reportedly allegedly aided by the hotel operator, Mr. Godwin Iboirode.
The circumstances surrounding Ogofotha’s death is similar to that of an Abuja-based chartered accountant, Timothy Adegoke, who travelled to Ile-Ife, Osun State, to write his Master of Business Administration examinations at the Obafemi Awolowo Distance Learning Centre on November 5, 2021 but never left Hilton Hotels and Resorts where he lodged for the purpose alive. Just like the case of the Lagos-based pastor, it was Adegoke’s telephone conversation with his wife on arrival at his hotel room that gave clues to his whereabouts until he was discovered to have been murdered in his hotel room.
Nigerians started noticing these acts of killings often referred to as being ritual in 1996 when an 11-year-old school boy, Anthony Okoronkwo, was drugged and killed by ‘money ritual’ murderers inside a hotel in Owerri, Imo State. Okoronkwo’s death later became popularly known as Otokoto ritual killing.
This heinous crime perpetrated in hotels across Nigeria, no doubts poses serious challenge to the nation’s efforts towards overcoming her economic backwardness occasioned by capital flight and the global climate change.
In our view, this poor security narrative is a threat to foreign investors wanting to tap into the numerous business potentials in Nigeria. More so, the situation is a stumbling block between Nigeria and international fun seekers who, ordinarily would love to be part of the country’s tourism facilities in states like Delta, Cross Rivers, Lagos and Osun.
There are many approaches that can be adopted in order to dislodge the nation from the hands of these authors of criminalities. To start with, authorities concerned must, as a matter of urgency begin to classify hotels in the country into their appropriate grades. This must be published and regularly updated. With this, visitors who are worth staying in five star accommodations will not be deceived into checking-in into lower grades of hotels with deceitful looks.
Apart from being equipped with security gadgets such as Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTV), hotel owners must be mandated to provide trained security personnel, including men of the Nigeria police and Nigeria Securities and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who can professionally monitor their facilities in manners that are difficult for criminals to understand, including under-cover modes.
Intending hotel users must be orientated on the minimum standards of security precautions expected of them. They should be able to leverage on the opportunities offered by communications channels such as the social media and the Global System of Mobile communications (GSM) to always make their whereabouts known to loved ones at all times.
The nation’s orientation agencies owe the people a duty to educate everyone on the need to avoid taking to ritual killings and other vices as a means for fast moneymaking.
On the part of government, it is also our considered notion that greater measures should be taken to create the necessary enabling environments for legitimate businesses to thrive in the country.
Government approving authorities must not only set the standards for hotels to receive approvals, they must monitor and control such directives to avoid the acts such as the establishment of shrines in hotels as was the case of Udoka Golden Point Hotel and Suites in Umueze, Anambra State where more than 30 shallow graves were recently uncovered.
In all of these, it goes without saying that the security agencies must be seen to be apprehending the perpetrators of these crime and bringing them to justice in order to act as deterrents to intending others, who may be thinking along the same line.
