Security Expert, Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Aning says the lack of security consciousness among Ghanaians can hinder a national effort to prevent terror attacks on the country. 

He said the nature of attacks by the terrorist groups, their alliances with local indigenes, and choice of targets as happened in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast is difficult to detect.

If Ghanaians are not taught how to detect irregular and suspicious behaviour of people in their surroundings, the country will become vulnerable to attacks, he stressed.

According to him, terrorist groups such as ISIS, IS, Al Qaeda and Boko Haram are able to form opportunistic networks with groups and local people with the influence of money and that Ghanaians must be taught to watch out on such behaviours.

Dr Aning recounted that the three suspects arrested in neighboring Ivory Coast in connection with the Grand Bassam attack lived among the people in what is referred to as a compound house yet went undetected. Their attack on beach resort left 16 people dead and hundreds injured.

Speaking on the Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Dr Aning said: “When you don’t tell the people what to look out for; what is it that is out of the ordinary within the context which they are used to, they become vulnerable.”

On March 16, Minister of Defense, Benjamin Kunbuor disclosed to Joy New’s Dzifa Bampoh that the country is facing an imminent terror threat.

He said it has become so credible that event organizers in the country have been told to downstream their programmes in the coming days to help avoid mass casualties when attacked.

He urged citizens to help security officials detect terrorists or irregular activities of individuals within their surroundings.

However, Dr Aning said the citizens have little education about terror-related activities and are therefore not in the position to offer such services to security officials.

He said the information of the terror attack is bereft of the specific guidance Ghanaians need, adding the people need credible information about the imminent threat.

He advised the government to liaise with other security experts in the country to adequately equip the citizens to prepare in the event of an attack.

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