… As WHO says 1bn people at risk of hearing loss due to loud music***

The Lagos State Task Force has arrested two men suspected to be specialists in picking pockets of commercial vehicle passengers.

The suspects – Sodiq Olagoke, 25, and Lucas Patrick, 26 –  who confessed to making an average of N80,000 daily from their operations, take advantage of the rush and confusion in commercial vehicles to pick the wallets and other valuables from the pockets of their victims.

The agency’s spokesperson, Abdulraheem Gbadeyan, in a statement, said that the suspects were arrested after they had dispossessed eight unsuspecting commuters of their phones at Oshodi/Ikeja axis.

Gbadeyan said that the officers, who made the arrest, explained that the suspects looked suspicious.

“Our men noticed that both the driver and the two male passengers seemed uneasy after driving past them (officers).

“Our officers trailed them for a few minutes and later blocked their vehicle at Oshodi; immediately they sighted our men, the three occupants of the bus took to their heels.

“Two of them were arrested with the assistance of people around, and eight mobile phones were stolen from unsuspecting passengers who boarded their vehicle were found on them,” the statement said.

It quoted Olagoke, a painter, as confessing that he had been in the pickpocket business for over a year and makes 80,000 Naira per day which he usually shares with his partner.

“Olagoke said that they operate mainly on Tuesdays and Fridays because those are the busiest days of the week and there is usually a lot of hustle and bustle at the bus stops

“He said that passengers, who make use of their phones while in their bus, are usually falsely alerted that there is a fight going on in front which would scare them into pocketing the phones that would then be stolen.”

Gbadeyan said that the second suspect, Patrick, a driver, also disclosed that pickpocketing was a very lucrative business for him.

“Patrick said that they make a lot of money from it, but lavish everything on drinks, women and gambling.

“He said he was originally a driver of a commercial bus but when he met Olagoke, after a successful pickpocket operation in his (Patrick)’s bus, he decided to go into partnership with him by driving him around while Olagoke steals the phones from the passengers.”

Gbadeyan said that the agency’s Chairman, CSP Shola Jejeloye, had vowed to make Lagos uninhabitable for all criminal elements.

He advised Lagos residents to be vigilant and conscious of their environment at all times and ensure that suspicious moves were reported to the Agency or to the nearest Police Station.

“The Taskforce is on the trail of the buyers of stolen phones as they complete the chain of trade in the illicit pickpocket business; we shall do everything to rid Lagos of miscreants,” he said.

The statement said that the two suspects would soon be charged to court.

In another development, World Health Organisation (WHO) says over one billion people, aged 12 to 35, risk losing their hearing due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music and another high volume recreational noise.

WHO gave the warning in new international safety advice on Wednesday to tackle the rising threat of hearing loss.

The new international standard for safe listening at venues and events was launched ahead of World Hearing Day, which will be marked on March 3, on the theme, “To hear for life, listen with care!’’

The theme applies to all places and activities where amplified music is played.

Over 1.5 billion people globally live with hearing loss, and according to recent estimates, this number could rise to over 2.5 billion by 2030.

WHO estimates that 50 per cent of hearing loss can be prevented through public health measures.

According to the UN health agency, many common causes of hearing loss can be prevented, including over-exposure to high volume sounds.

“Millions of teenagers and young people are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices and exposure to damaging sound levels at venues such as nightclubs, bars, concerts and sporting events,” Dr Bente Mikkelsen, WHO Director for the Department for Noncommunicable Diseases, said.

“The risk is intensified as most audio devices, venues and events do not provide safe listening options and contribute to the risk of hearing loss,” she added.

The new WHO standard aims to better safeguard young people as they enjoy their leisure activities.

The Global standard for safe listening at venues and events highlights six recommendations for implementation to ensure that venues and events limit the risk of hearing loss to their patrons, while still preserving high-quality sound and an enjoyable listening experience.

The new standard was developed under WHO’s Make Listening Safe initiative, which was launched in 2015, and seeks to improve listening practices, especially among young people.

WHO alerted that hearing loss due to loud sounds is permanent, underlining that exposure to loud sounds causes temporary hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing sound interference in the ears), and prolonged or repeated exposure can lead to permanent hearing damage, resulting in irreversible hearing loss.

Calling for the new global standard to be supported, WHO encouraged governments to develop and enforce legislation for safe listening and raise awareness of the risks of hearing loss.

The UN agency also advised that behaviour change can be motivated by civil society organisations, parents, teachers, and physicians, who can educate young people to practice safe listening habits.

“Governments, civil society and private sector entities such as manufacturers of personal audio devices, sound systems, and video gaming equipment as well as owners and managers of entertainment venues and events have an important role to play in advocating for the new global standard,” Dr Ren Minghui, WHO Assistant Director-General, said.

“We must work together to promote safe listening practices, especially among young people,” he said.