Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, an international relations and security expert, has expressed concern over the low level of personal safety awareness among the public and urged individuals to take their security seriously at social events and public gatherings.

He advised them to remain alert, avoid accepting open drinks, refrain from following strangers home and be conscious of their surroundings at all times.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Friday, Dr Antwi-Danso said many people wrongly assumed that the presence of police officers or private security personnel at events automatically guaranteed their safety.

“Personal security is very, very important. You have to take your personal security into your own hands,” he added.

Dr Antwi-Danso said that although security agencies provided general oversight and crowd control at events, individuals must remain vigilant and pay attention to their environment, the people around them and suspicious behaviour.

“So these are things that people should understand, that when you are going to every event, you think negatively and protect yourself,” he advised.

The security expert cautioned against leaving food or drinks unattended to, stressing that drinks should always be opened in the presence of consumers.

“Do not leave your bottle, do not leave your food. Finish your plate before you leave for any place. When you leave the plate and you go to the washroom or whatever, when you come, don’t touch the food anymore.”

“No matter who you left behind, your personal friend, wife, brother, when you come back, don’t touch the food again… Save yourself,” he advised.

He further advised patrons to inspect bottled drinks carefully for possible signs of tampering.

“Don’t get a drink that is already opened. Again, when you take these plastic bottles and want to drink, squeeze them a little to see if there are any puncture points.

“Because the liquid will come out from those pierced points, and then you realise that it has been contaminated. It’s very, very important,” he said.

Dr Antwi-Danso warned people against ignoring unusual tastes in food or drinks.

“When you taste any food, and the taste feels weird, don’t go further by saying, ‘let me taste more and see.’ The very first sign is that your body is talking to you. Your saliva in your mouth and your tongue will tell you that it tastes weird, something funny.”

“Don’t go further because you are adding more poison. But the little that has gone in may be treated, or your body may react to it and get it off. But if you want to push more and more, you are going to have trouble,” he cautioned.

He described following strangers home after social events as “the worst thing any human being would want to do,” warning that such situations could expose people to robbery, assault, exploitation or even death.

The expert also cautioned against peer pressure and bad company during outings, urging people to walk away from situations likely to put them into trouble.

“The principle is to walk away from trouble,” he noted.

On cyber exploitation, Dr Antwi-Danso advised the public to avoid suspicious online invitations, unknown contacts and schemes promising money, love or favours.

He encouraged victims of suspected drink spiking or exploitation to seek immediate help, alert people nearby and report incidents to the police as soon as possible.

He urged families and friends to support victims psychologically and help them seek professional counselling where necessary.

Dr Antwi-Danso’s comments follow the recent arrest of Joshua Kojo Anane Boateng, a 36-year-old entrepreneur, over the alleged non-consensual sharing of intimate images.

The Ghana Police Service said the suspect allegedly operated a Telegram platform known as “VIP Sleep Fetish 2025”, where he reportedly drugged unsuspecting female victims using sedatives, sexually abused them, recorded the acts and shared the videos and images online.

Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, said the suspect was arrested following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Cybercrime Unit and the Bureau of National Investigations.

Section 67 of Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) criminalises the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, often referred to as “revenge porn.”

It prohibits sharing explicit photos or videos, digitally or physically, without consent to cause emotional distress, embarrassment or anxiety, carrying penalties of one to three years imprisonment.