The headline of this piece crawled to my brain while envisaging the pickle of the incessant kidnapping and the burning terrorism unleashed by men of the underworld, making this country an abode of dastardly acts. The dailies are replete with this horrendous news, creating among peace loving citizens.
In July, President Muhammadu Buhari’s convoy was brazenly attacked, two people were killed while several vehicles were damaged by sporadic gunshots. This attack mindlessly launched by the blood thirsty criminals confirmed the fact that Nigerians’ live in trepidation. Frankly, the question is: does the dog want to bite itself with its viperous teeth?
On August 14, 2022 hoodlums purportedly invaded a market in Igalamela, Odolu local government area of Kogi state in broad day light shooting into the air to scare the people. The attack led to the killing of one innocent man called Johnson and dozens of people got whisked away to an unknown destination. As reported, the invasion is the third in the area. The abductors demanded a colossal amount of N20 million not minding that nemesis will catch up with them one day.
Honesty, those who had encountered abduction can only cogitate the unsavoury condition the abductees’ relatives, friends, well-wishers would be; I am sure the whole earth would be in obscurity in their faces. This vividly reminds of one Yoruba apothegm which states thus, “Eni ti n wo alaare gan ni nnkan se ju”, meaning, an individual treating the sick always suffers the most. As the person prays for recuperation of the affected person, he/she would, also, not thwart or desist from beseeching the Architect of the Universe not to transfer the ailment the person is suffering from to his body.
According to newspaper report, Government Science Secondary School, Nasarawa Eggon local government area, Nasarawa state, in almost dead of the night on Saturday, August 12, witnessed a dastardly attack by armed robbers. In the process, they hacked a teacher, Auta Nasela, to death.
In Ogbomoso, Oyo state, the land of valiant, also experienced the metaphoric ‘Nigeria’. Within the interval of less than two months, three abductions were carried out by men disguised in army uniform. The manager of Alao Akala Farms and a ‘doctor’ were kidnapped. Before granting them freedom, after payment of ransom, they were subjected to excruciating torture. What raised the ire of residents of Ogbomoso was the abduction and killing of a hotelier, a final year student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH) and others after payment of ransom. Consequently, a rally which was graced by eminent personalities, journalists of both local and national newspapers, security operatives, comrades, monarch, chiefs, patriotic Ogbomoso indigenes et al was launched to show their grievances.
However, the security operatives are trying but not excellently well to get these incessant dastardly acts curbed. This is ostensible with the arrest of a 37-year-old abductor over threat to kidnap three students of a private university in Oyo state. If they were doing their job diligently, they would have put a stop to the menace of insecurity in the country. According to the constitution, the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property of citizens. It is unfortunate the government saddled with this duty has failed. Are these actions orchestrated by those in the corridors of power?
At this juncture, I want to admonish the government and other relevant authorities, especially in South-west, to come to aid of their fellow Nigerians by empowering the conventional and non-conventional security personnel, so that they can be armed to the teeth to tackle these buffoons unleashing terror on Nigerians. If government can’t help, let us help ourselves.
Ó tó gé, ajinigbé, agbénipa, ó tó gé.
Inaolaji Olayode,
Ogbomoso, Oyo state.
[email protected]
