Make security of worshipers a priority- Olaoye, MD Halogen…says, “online offering prone to attack”

L-R::Senior Pastor, First Assembly, Pastor Steve Akoni; Group Managing Director, Halogen Group, Mr. Wale Olaoye; President, Church Administrators Society of Nigeria (CASON), Pastor Seyi Oladimeji; Senior Pastor, Christ Livingspring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM), Apostle Wole Oladiyun and Reverend Stephen Oyinlola representing Lagos State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rt Reverend Stephen Adegbite at CASON’s 9th annual conference on Church and the challenge of insecurity held in Lagos on Monday, September 25

The Chief Executive Officer of Halogen Group, Mr, Wale Olaoye has advised pastors and church leaders to put in place adequate security architecture to forestall incidences of attacks and theft in their churches. He said also that offerings collected online are prone to cyber attacks

Halogen Group is one of  Nigeria’s leading security risk organisations

Olaoye gave the advice at the 9th annual conference of the Church Administrators’ Society of Nigeria (CASON) on Church and the challenge of insecurity held in Lagos.

He advised, “There is a need for church managers to engage security professionals to help do threats and risk assessment of their facilities across the different dimensions. There is a need for risk assessment on kidnapping, armed robbery, assassinations, and other areas of threats. There is a need to take a holistic look at different areas of vulnerabilities”,

Olaoye said further that having an in-house security officer is not enough. “There is a need to have both internal and external security personnel to create a balance. They need to develop a security policy document that will state various risks that everybody who attends the church is exposed to; and how the safety of the people can be guaranteed.

He said the security measures will cover the safety of assets, the safety of the people, safety against kidnapping, safety against rape, bombing, and the security of the entire church.

“There must be a strict access control system in place. At this point, the training of ushers should no more be limited to just ushering. They are now part of the church security system.”

He suggested that a “dedicated budget for security must be made available to manage emerging threats against the church institution. Also, churches must begin to wake up to the reality of cyber-security threats. This is because offerings paid online are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.”

Speaking about the event, the founder of the Church Administrators’ Society of Nigeria (CASON), Pastor Seyi Oladimeji explained that the body was established to bridge the knowledge gap that exists between church managers and their counterparts in the corporate world.

The event was attended by key church leaders and administrators from different parts of Nigeria which included Senior Pastor, First Assembly, Pastor Steve Akoni; Senior Pastor, Christ Livingspring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM), Apostle Wole Oladiyun, and Reverend Stephen Oyinlola representing Lagos State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rt Reverend Stephen Adegbite and other eminent church leaders.