Technology-enabled patrols reduce thefts for communications infrastructure provider’s Nigerian sites

Protecting multiple assets in remote and urban locations is nothing new for G4S security professionals in Nigeria, as they cover thousands of square kilometres across the country.

To make sure the correct staff is deployed to the appropriate locations, the team uses G4S’s Risk360 platform to stop thefts, and criminal damage and support the police in making arrests.

Keeping connected 

Since January 2019, G4S has worked across the south of Nigeria deploying 40 security teams to protect a large percentage of the country's communications infrastructure to keep everyone connected.

G4S works hard to save thousands of customer sites in Lagos and the south of the country from thieves attempting to steal metal components, generators as well as the valuable diesel used as a source of power.

Deploying targeted patrols

Because we cover so many different sites across the south of Nigeria, we carefully divide up our patrols"

The location of the customer’s assets varies; from cities to rural villages, and remote and isolated plots of land, meaning that officers are strategically positioned to enable them to get to a particular location as quickly as possible.

In the first six months of 2022, G4S patrols carried out 73,962 site visits, averaging at over 12,000 per month. “Because we cover so many different sites across the south of Nigeria, we carefully divide up our patrols,” said Bukky Bademosi, Head of Sales for G4S in Nigeria.

Safety and protection 

“We deploy 40 vehicles on every 12-hour shift. The teams deployed include a driver, a supervisor, and two armed mobile policemen who support our officers."

"This work can be dangerous and criminals sometimes carry weapons with them, so it's for our safety and protection that our officers patrol with armed police officers who are subcontracted to help us.”

Real-time footage

Working closely with the patrolling teams, colleagues at a Surveillance Centre monitor real-time footage across various sites. If they spot any suspicious activity or criminal actions, they quickly contact and deploy the closest ground unit through the Risk360 application. 

During the first six months of 2022, employees in the Surveillance Centre recorded 353 incidents on Risk360 of an alarm warning them of unknown activity at a site during the night.

Teamwork catches and deters criminals

The number of successful thefts has also decreased during this same period by 35 percent

This swift teamwork resulted in 82 foiled theft attempts between January and June 2022 and eight arrests, with evidence supplied to law enforcement.

The number of successful thefts has also decreased during this same period by 35 percent. Between April and December 2021, G4S has been successful in reducing thefts by just under 50 percent.

Intelligence-led reports

After attending a call out to a possible disturbance, the ground unit will complete a report for the customer on Risk360, which they can access in real time.

G4S also provides intelligence-led reports to highlight sites that have any vulnerabilities or have been targeted frequently by criminals as well as being able to correlate the data to calculate the most effective patrols for the most vulnerable sites.

Risk360 app

G4S employees concluded that over the last 12 months Thursdays and Fridays were the days where theft at the sites was most likely to occur (410 thefts and 273 thefts respectively). As such, G4S increased patrols during these evenings. “Our data-led approach to deploying patrols strategically allows us to deliver the best service for the customer,” said Bukky.

“The Risk360 app helps us deploy speed to protect the customers' assets and apprehend criminals.” Sid Odoi, Managing Director of G4S in Nigeria said, “The statistics show that our operation is having a positive impact on the security of the customers' assets and we are delivering a service regularly deterring criminality.”