Anybody who has undergone a training programme in self-defence and unarmed combat, would know the importance of identifying vulnerable points. Vulnerable points are areas of weaknesses in the human body, as well as areas of weaknesses in a persons’ character, which can serve as points to prey upon, when the need or urgency arises. Taking undue advantage of peoples’ vulnerable points may be an unethical practice, neither is it safe to do so, but in self-defence, there is a principle of “no hold barred”.
A chain is said to be as strong as its weakest link. This idiom translates into the reality that an individual or a nation is as strong as the vulnerable points, if not protected from exposure. Thus the issue of personal or national security is a vital concern which demands priority attention and where any form of negligence can have costly consequences. Security includes plugging loopholes that can expose vulnerable points, with nothing left to chance.
While every precaution is taken to shield our back, cover our entrails  and remain safe by locking out unwanted elements, there are some individuals and organisations whose business have to do with discovering vulnerable points to prey upon. For example, there are professions devoted to the acquisition of expertise in the discovery and exploitation of points of weaknesses in individuals, groups and nations, for exploitation when necessary. A Commander of “Wasting Operation” once boasted that he was well trained in the profession of violence and was skilled in 261 ways of killing human beings! Thus fear is one of the leading preying antics, whose purpose is to weaken victims through threat or violence, by overwhelming surprises and force. Application of this strategy is most effective where the victims are slothful and asleep. Thus fear and sloth often account for men’s fall! Including nations too!
Beauty and gold attract attention easily, such that they are prone to predators. Therefore,  where beauty and wealth are exposed out of vanity, then there is an invitation to predators, who would want to take over or desecrate them, out of envy. Surely,  eternal vigilance is the price that must be paid for liberty or security. In this case, vanity and boastful display of beauty and wealth cannot be described as being vigilant, in the midst of predators. That there are wolves and predators among humans, is a reality which is quite obvious and which no one should ignore. While wolves may represent ill-disposed predators looking for who to prey upon, lambs would represent mild and harmless members of the human population. Self-preservation is the first law of nature, which no one can afford to ignore.
To talk too much and carelessly would be to expose oneself unwittingly, because such habit attracts attention and can easily be exploited. It is quite sad that this talking epidemic is one of the most prevalent habits among Nigerians. With smart phones everywhere Nigerians tend to forget that they can talk themselves into the traps of fraudsters. Security lapses in this country have become common such that one of the most prevalent preying antics involves the gross desecration of religion for base and sad purposes. Crime statistics indicate that a shockingly large number of crimes have been committed through desecration of religion and the abuse of mutual trust and confidence. The result of this sad trend is the increasing loss of faith in proselytism. When salt has lost its use or value, then it deserves to be trampled upon!
It is sad that the trend or mechanism involved in the degeneration of a nation is rarely recognised early enough for remedial measures to be applied. Human weaknesses are quite many, of which tolerance, permissiveness and pandering to evil, foster social degeneration. Since amnesty was granted to Niger Delta militants, whose agitations had to do with malfeasance in the oil and gas sector, then terrorists, cut-throats, and bandits must all be granted amnesty too. The indefensible political antics involved in the “blanket amnesty” being canvassed in some quarters, is quite easy to figure out. Weakness, particularly in the miscarriage of justice, can bring harm in all cases, including those we imagine we are pleasing by it. Similarly, when law becomes an ass or a football, then it would have lost its value and respect, and thus deserves to be abused and disrespected. When law and the institutions protecting and interpreting it get compromised, then preying antics would have become social virus of a most deadly nature.
Weaknesses which can destroy any nation include the perversion of justice, under the common name of corrupt practices. These would include ignoring or treating with levity high and treasonable crimes involving the high and mighty in society, while giving maximum attention and severe penalty to minor offenders, because of their status in society. Thus preying antics include focusing attention on weak segments of the society, while regarding people of high status as above the law.
One-sidedness in the administration of justice is surely one of the preying antics in a society where corrupt practices prevail. We cannot deny the fact that some of the crimes committed in Nigeria are embarked upon with revenge motives, where victims of miscarriage of justice feel embittered, and then resort to anti-social crusade. It would be wrong to think that there can be a sustainable peace in society, without justice paving the way.
Rejection of the European Union (EU) report on the last electoral process in Nigeria by the Federal Government, is an example of how public and external opinions can be thrown aside in an effort to assert right. Thus preying antics also include the use of might to assert sanctimony. To stand still even when there are compelling reasons to shift ground, is not always a sign of might or wisdom. Rather, we can gain from those who point out our vulnerable points, so that such information can be used to make positive changes for a better future.

By: Bright Amirize
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.