The Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Joseph Ikpea, has called on Nigerians, particularly his Edo constituents, to be vigilant and report any strange activity in their areas to security agencies and concerned authorities.

The Senator, who made the call in a statement, which was made available to journalists in Benin yesterday, said: “It is pertinent at this juncture to call on Nigerians to be more vigilant.

“The issue of security, given the development in our dear nation today, has gone beyond being the exclusive preserve of the government. All citizens must be involved and take the matter as part of their civic responsibilities to the Nigerian State.

“I want to appeal to the people of Edo Central not to consider the alert as raised by the Department of State Services (DSS) as the problem of Edo North Senatorial District, because the security advisory did not mention Edo Central.

“It is obvious that the undesirable elements responsible for this dastardly act of kidnapping don’t discriminate against tribe and region. Therefore, our people must be conscious of their environment, study all unfamiliar faces in their neighbourhood, and take the bold step of reporting any suspicious activity to security agents and the relevant authorities. We should not wait till it happens before we act.”

Reacting to the closure of some schools in Edo State, Ikpea commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for the proactive steps taken following a red alert issued by the DSS about a plan by some bandits to attack schools in the state.

Ikpea said that by closing some of the schools identified as being prone to the threat, as warned by the DSS, Okpebholo had shown uncommon leadership and a full grasp of the elementary principle of governance, which places a premium on the well-being of the people.

According to him, given the nation’s security situation, it was ideal that the governor did not treat the security red alert raised by the top security agency with kid gloves.