By: Okosun Dennis
It is assuming an ignominious pattern. Humanity has been debased; living a deep chasm in human relations hence animalistic behaviours seem prioritized in the midst of total confusion that has enveloped our beloved country.
In the last two years, Nigeria, unlike before, has been bleeding from uncanny human scarifices on fellow human beings over issues that could have been amicably resolved. Worst enough, senseless, mindless kidnapping and ritualism coupled with other evil manifestations have blighted the least human decorum in us.
Unfortunately, because we have lost touch with reality; or seeing others as either inferior or sub-human beings, caution have been thrown to the banals and human institution desecrated.
From the South East, people are hacked to death and their neck slit; from the North Central to North East banditry, kidnapping have enveloped the horizon. Pitiably, the South West is having a slice of terrorists attacks as churches have become a target with the latest being on Sunday, 5th June, 2022 living scores dead and many injured in mindless terrorist attack.
In another places, avalanche of cases abound; almost on daily basis. From victims of mob attacks, alleged religious fanaticism to moronic kidnapping of private individuals, political juggernauts and clergymen, leaves sorrow and blood.
Unpardonably, the horrific lynching by motorbike riders in Lekki-Lagos, the stoning to death of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto for alleged blasphemy and another man also lynched in Abuja defines a nation enveloped in an orgy era of bloodletting and cannibalism. Even though we are not cannibals!
The killing of Deborah Yakubu by her fellow students, at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto by some religious fanatics in a state known for peace and candour suggest that all the traditional institutions, state and local governments have a huge role to play in calming down nerves and making people see reasons to respect one another and stop fighting for the creator.
It also goes to show that the lynching of David Imoh by Okada riders at Lekki in Lagos shows the extent total decadence has suck; morality thrown to the abyss and human feelings exterminated from people’s consciousness. Despite various interventions by individuals and security agencies, all that the suckers of blood were after was to kill and spill blood of innocent Nigerians for no justifiable reasons.
Unfortunately, we seems to be living in a country where crimes are committed but no corresponding punishments apportioned. This has been a major missing point! It also suggest that overtime, criminals seem favoured either by the powers that be or individuals who are very influential and are taking decisions on behalf of others, have derailed.
This goes to embolden the criminals to commit more crimes because they will find shortcut to evade judgment and punishment. Incidentally, where crimes exist and there are no corresponding punishments, the nations suffer and the citizens bleed more. This is a web-like situation we have been catapulted unwittingly.
ANYWAY OUT OF COCOON?
Over the last one decade, government has been largely slow to action. Bandits became more audacious; kidnappers more daring while terrorists became more monstrous and domineering. Even the so-called Yahoo Yahoo Boys and ritualists have penetrated all the nooks and crannies because they felt they could act and go scot-free.
If we must save the soul of the nation, our security forces must act and be decisive. The time of dialogue should have expired. The judiciary must come to the rescue by acting fast, apportioning punishment where desirable. Every institution responsible for law enforcement and prosecution must be active; they must restrategise and their strategies must be a top-notch that would ensure that individuals that commit offences irrespective of how low or serious are brought to justice and promptly punished.
Recently, the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association to postpone its annual conference in Sokoto goes to show its concern for the sanctity of human lives. Its statement addressed the immediate concern and also shows how we have degenerated as a people and how security have slumped. As a step further, the judiciary should stop playing hacky-packy games with adjudication and dispensation of justice which hasn’t been a top-notch.
Regrettably, no amount of tears can bring both Deborah, David back to life or those slaughtered in the South East by the so-called unknown gunmen which has become an added word to our lexicon or those massacred by bandits at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, but only justice, appropriate justice can assauge the pains, sorrow and trepidation that the families have been thrown into.
It’s only adequate punishment for whoever that is involved that can change the ugly narrative Nigeria is swimming in – a country where lives and properties including investments seem not safe!
It is also the concern of Nigerians that it is high time the judiciary sought for prosecutorial powers through the National Assembly to commission a Special Court to try such murder cases, kidnapping, killing for money rituals, arrested unknown gunmen, terrorists and bandits rather than making the culprits face regular Court that might have a case dragged endlessly through careless and frivolous adjournments and injunctions that we have witnessed in the past and tends to rubbish the value of such court process and determination of justice.
The unresolved question has being: How did we get here? When did it start and how is it going to end? Palpable answer is, cook or hook, the nation is head-deep in this insecurity mess – travelling by roads are no longer luxurious; by train is scary. Even trekking is fearsome. Is it the air that is safe? Even the winds is afraid!
END IN SIGHT!
Ending this ungiddy state requires that the Federal Government should stand on its feet to defend the country. Instead of dialogue that seems to have failed, use sledgehammer. This is not the time for the hunter to miss its prey.
The military, though stressed out of its elasticity, must stand its ground to defend the territorial integrity of the country. Explore local intelligence; engage and deploy retired personnel scattered in all nooks and crannies of the country to sieve tangible information that would work against the terrorists and other organised criminals.
They need every support to defeat criminal elements; they need more budgetary allocation and ensure such moneys are not misappropriated. The Nigerian Police need to hold the ground conquered by the military from slipping back into the hands of criminals.
Beyond that, Nigerians must defend its own country by assisting the security organization with top-notch, timely and credible information. Politicians should slide from hunting for votes to hurting criminals. The farmer should engage his “Ukataba” to sieve criminal locations rather than limiting it to his palm kernel. It is a choice; a responsibility to save this country.
When the late Dr Nelson Mandela agitated for the Independence of South Africa against Apartheid regime, he never slaughtered a soul to achieve his aims. He was kept in the prison for 27 years, he preached peace at the slightest opportunity without provocation. Eventually, he came out and ruled South Africa.
These are incidences that should interest any freedom seeker or fighter. Those seeing Nigeria as a territory to conquer should be reminded that collective force will stand against them. When you called for arms against a state; when you make pronouncements calling for arm insurrection; when you call for securitymen to be slaughtered unprovoked, you have created a Frankenstein monster that has become monstrous and killing everybody.
We need peace not war. We need progress not destruction. We need togetherness not violent separations. Brazen attack of security men by unknown gunmen is only worsening the security situation. Killing people at worhsip centres in the church and mosque; is only retarding progress; stoning people to death in the most uncanny manner in the name of blasphemous comments, is rude and wicked.
A nation that fight against itself cannot stand. As a people, we are not limited by any standard. We are dogged and resilient people and let’s channel that spirit of resilience to deal with concomitant security problems. We can’t allow insecurity, senseless killings by criminals to dwarf our collective, positive thinking that can bring prosperity, more investment in trade and commerce. No matter the humongous individual investment in politics, without peace and harmony, there cannot be any political Uhuru.
Interesting, this piece will be concluded with a lavish quote from a poem titled: “The Tragic Tale of a Nation Under Siege” by Uwem Mbot Umana, a United Kingdom based Nigerian author and poet, “๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฆ
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ฌ
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ.
“๐๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐จ
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐
“๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐.”
