By Wale Sokunbi CURRENTS,
08056180228 walesokunbi2003@yahoo.co.uk
Last week, Mubi in Adamawa State, a name which literally means peace, prosperity and progress, became a city of weeping, blood and gnashing of teeth. Can Nigerians hear the sound of wailings at this recent theatre of Nigeria’s descent to jungle justice? Can we picture the wringing of hands, the stamping of feet, the groans, the cascading tears? Every true Nigerian should. These are the lamentations, weeping and wailing of parents, friends and colleagues of about 46 students killed by gunmen and machete-wielders two Mondays ago, specifically in the night of the nation’s 52nd independence anniversary on October 1.
The 46 or so students and their families began that day just like everyone reading this piece. They, surely, would have discussed the nation’s 52nd independence anniiversary and the fact that there was so little to cheer. They also probably seized the opportunity of the lecture-free day to ruminate on their own lives so far, and their plans for the future. But, that future was never to be! Between 10.30 pm and midnight that day, the students were cut down. Gunmen stormed the private hostels of students of Federal Polytechnic; Adamawa State University and the School of Health Technology, all in Mubi.
They called out the students one by one, lined them up and either shot or stabbed them to death. The picture of the dead students lined up like giant sausages on newspaper pages testify to the bestiality of this massacre. It is a gory example of the depth of depravity to which some Nigerians have sunk in their malice for their fellow man. The sun of these young Mubi victims was forced to set at dawn, and Nigeria is the worse for it. Like so many other Nigerians whose lives have been snuffed out under the canopy of insecurity that has been spread across the country, the Mubi 46 are dead are gone, left mostly to be mourned by their friends and families.
They have joined close to a thousand lives that have been lost to the campaign of violence in the country, especially in the North, with nobody actually seen to have been brought to justice for these killings. Sadly, this spirit of unconscionable killings is fast spreading to other parts of the country.
As if the reports of the murder of the Mubi 46 were not enough heartache for our troubled polity, Nigerians woke up again last weekend to news of the gory killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt by a mob, allegedly for stealing. In an incident that appears more fictional than real, and which was video-taped and has since gone viral on the internet, four students of the University of Port-Harcourt simply identified as Tekena Erikena (School of Basic Studies); Mike Lloyd Toku (Year 2 Civil Engineering); Ugonna Kelechi Obuzor (Year 2 Geology); and Biringa Chidiaka Lordson (Year 2 Theatre Arts) , were killed by a baying mob in Omuokiri, in Aluu Community of Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State for allegedly stealing phones and laptops from off-campus hostels in the area.
The students were stripped naked, beaten and set ablaze by angry mobsters in the community, which was said to have been under siege of armed robbers for about three months. Naked pictures and video shots of the victims taken shortly before they were killed and burnt are another example of the heinous disregard for human life that has taken hold of some parts of the country.
The horrible picture of four young and healthy men being beaten and set ablaze in broad daylight in a country with a government and security agencies is a big shame to Nigeria. It is the latest confirmation yet that life is of little value in the country. It also shows that all those responsible for security and administration of that area did not play the role expected of them. This latest incident is probably the effect of the frequent killings going on in the country. It would appear that people no longer think anything of the taking of life. Life has simply lost its sanctity.
It can be snuffed out at any time without any sanctions. This is the unfortunate, sad lesson that Nigerians, including the youths, are taking away from the mindless killings going on in the country. This type of barefaced, extra-judicial murder will not happen in any country with a responsible government, and in which lawbreakers are sure to be brought to justice. But, in a country where people know that they can get away with any crime, no matter how serious, dastardly incidents such as these are bound to occur. The killing of these students is condemnable, to say the least. As the Students Union of the university has said, it is barbaric to have killed the students.
Wether they were actually robbers or cultists as has been claimed, the best thing their accusers could have done was to have handed them over to the police for investigation and prosecution. Their killers ought not to have been accusers, judges and executioners at the same time. Last week’s multiple killings in Mubi and Aluu should worry all right-thinking Nigerians. What exactly is going on in this country? Why has life become so short and brutish? When did it become acceptable that aggrieved persons take lives of persons they have a dispute with just like that?
Although the failure of the security agencies and the courts to ensure justice for victims of robberies and other crimes has been cited in some instances for citizens’ penchant for taking the law into their hands and resorting to jungle justice, these extra-judicial killings cannot be excused for reason. Life is sacred and should not be carelessly cut off. With the turn of events in the country, Nigerians need a new orientation on the value of life. This is necessary because life now appears worthless. With such orientation gaining ground across the country, no one is safe anywhere.
Life will truly become even shorter and more brutish under such a situation. As we need to commit more resources to security, other areas of national life are bound to suffer. Already, security took about a quarter of the nation’s entire budget for 2012, yet insecurity in the country is getting progressively worse. The only way to stem the tide is to bring killers in all parts of the country to book.
They need to be made to pay for their crimes to send a strong message to others of like mind that they will no longer get away with such crimes. The authorities must do everything necessary to unearth killers of the Mubi and University of Port Harcourt students. Nothing less will do. Here is sympathizing with the families, friends, colleagues and schools of the deceased. May God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
Goodbye Bakassi
So, its goodbye to Bakassi. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, on Monday confirmed that Nigeria will not appeal the International Court of Justice judgement ceding the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroon. The government based its position on its belief that the appeal was bound to fail. So sad. Obviously, the government is not ready to stick out its neck for the people of Bakassi. Adoke explained that a failed application for a review will be “diplomatically damaging to Nigeria.” Since Nigeria does not want to be “diplomatically damaged”, the authorities ought to have been alive to their responsibilities to the people of this area.
Now that Nigeria has lost the chance of an appeal forever, Adoke and the government must go beyond expressing concern on “the plight of Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsular and the allegations of human rights abuses being perpetrated against them” to real action to protect the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians in the area.
The Federal Government has had all of ten years to do this, it did not. Now that the appeal has been foreclosed, let the government demonstrate commitment to engaging Cameroon and also applying itself to the task of securing the Nigerians in the troubled territory.
May God help Nigeria.
brethen,were are we going from here!!what really is happenin to the precious life God gav to us free of charge!!dnt forget the popular axion that is precious,life is sacred!!
Iam appealing to the F.G to put the issue of more new hostel in each higher institution serious. Look at innocent souls that were killed within one week. Those days govrnment always make sure that each student has accomodation in the school campus. It has been an oversight for the Nigerian Government to build more hostels. With this present situation, it is not safe to the students living off campus as the demons are finding one way and the other to suck human blood. Sir, our able Mr. President do something about enough accomodation for our students to avoid all this mess. And i will be happy too if those killers can be trace out. Thanks.
Lloyd. Ugonna. Chidiaka.Tekona
Some call you thieves
Some call you cultists
Initially you were worried about the shame of being stripped naked in full the view of the crowd.
The shame quickly turned into fear for your life
They beat you so badly you could not mutter a word
Your heart is saying “Please, Please wait” but your mouth would not move
You were tired, aching and gasping for breath
You look at the crowds and you see children, women and men that are your fellow country men
Shock met disbelieve
Your hearts cried for help
You were thinking this cannot be happening. This cannot be happening. They are not going to kill us …oh they are not going to kill us.
Somebody Help. Please somebody help! HELP!
You were so badly beaten you were hoping to just die so it will all end
Then came the petrol ….and you were thinking …No they won’t burn us …No No No No
The fire came …oh the pain …unbearable
NO ONE SHOWED MERCY. NO ONE!
Then there was peace …you crossed over to eternity. Finally you found rest from your tormentors
Your death will not be in vain
You are heroes …this will remain in our memories to remind every Nigerian …in Aluu and every city in Nigeria that every man is innocent until proven guilty. It will be a reminder to Nigerians that there is the rule of law and it must be respected.
You were betrayed
… betrayed by the person who won’t pay his debt and dare turn on you and watch you die in such anguish.
… betrayed by the community who made so many assumptions and exercised their judgment on you
… betrayed by those who stood by and enjoyed this injustice.
… betrayed by the authorities that has no immediate response to community uproar.
… betrayed by every observer who thinks for whatever reason you deserve this treatment.
… betrayed by any human being who whatever reason thinks any circumstance around your death justifies the judgment you were served.
You are heroes martyred for the cause of justice in Nigeria. You will not be forgotten.
NaijaInjustice
Thank you for this piece Wale Sokunbi. I want to commend M.D Abubakar, our visionary I.G and The Nigerian Police, Festac Division for their role in the arrest and the on going prosecution of the killers of “Cynthia Osukogu”. I, on behalf of The citizenry of Nigeria commend you for this. I also want to say that if there’s anything Nigerian Citizenry expect from you now, it is the arrest of the killers of the four (4) port harcourt students and the investigation into the killing of the fourty six (46) students in adamawa.
M.D Abubakar, pls act fast. The killers of the port harcourt students in particular are the community people and they will be fetched out easily.
PLEASE, M.D abubakar, act fast. NIGERIANS are waiting for you.
It is so disheartening that human lives are no longer valued in this country.The gruesome murder of the four UNIPORT students has further exposed our dear nation as a very insecured state.Even if the said offence as we are meant to believ was committed by the boys,they boys ought to have been handed over to the police where they would have had the opportunity of fair hearing and trial.
The River State Commissioner of Police,the Divisional Police Officer,the Divisional Crime Officer of the nearest police station together with the tradional ruler of Alum community should be tried by a competend law of jurisdiction since the homicide was committed in their territory.
As for the massive killings of students of The Federal Polytechnic,Mubi,questions should be asked of the whereabouts of the security agents within the school premises.
It is hightime the president declared state of emergency in some volatile states in the northern part of the nation.
We should see ourselves as brothers irrespective of our cultural,religion and ethnic differences.
Killing is now a common tradition in our country ba? Ok! Just continue! We are only waiting for God’s judgement
How the mighty is fallen! Protect Nigerians living in a foreign country? Under which laws will that happen? Who owns the Falklands? The U.K or Argentina? Who owns Kashmir? India or Pakistan? A dieu Bakassi!
1. The horrible picture of four young and healthy men being beaten and set ablaze in broad daylight in a country with a government and security agencies is a big shame to Nigeria.
2. security took about a quarter of the nation’s entire budget for 2012, yet insecurity in the country is getting progressively worse.
Nigeria is full of POOR EXECUTION………….in-short this NATION needs GOD’s intervention
Nigeria is indeed a FAILED state.
Where was the police in all of this?
Where is the rule of law?
The government is virtually non-existent if a crazed mob can methodically torture and destroy 4 people with impunity.
It seems people in Nigeria have degenerated to the basest level of existence. Even animals are incapable of such barbarity to their own kind.
Where is the human compassion and respect for sanctity of life?
What crime did the unfortunate young men commit? It does not matter.
Nothing can warrant such a treatment.
where are we heading to?
where are we heading to?
where are we heading to?
a chunk of the killer crowd if examined must have been involved in stealing or cultism (of some form ) in the past or even at present.
JUDGE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU JUDGE OTHERS.
remember the bible says – THOUGH HAND JOIN IN HAND THE WICKED CAN NOT GO UNPUNISHED!
Y attract curses and yokes to your lives and that of your generations!
little actions bear great consequences. just a stone cast is too much a mistake to be made for life.
He that has ears should hear!!!
The spate of gruesome killings, human right abuse, bloodletting & general insecurity in our land today has undoubtedly taken a top level than any reasonable Nigerian could have thought of. Nigerians in any part of the country can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed, being unaware of what and where next it could happen. God save our souls.
Nigerian should transfer aggression to indegenes of that community anywhere in the world. Employers of labour, banks hopspital etc, once you are identified as an ALUU man., from that moment may tha man know no peace, because killing runs in their blood. It is from generation to generation. So let all nigerians put hjands together to fight this ALUU syndrome.
It aches my heart each time I remember being a Nigerian. infact, I always believe that is unfortunate that am a Nigerian. there is just nothing to qualify this nation with…… kai! (my heart still aching) which one do I mention and leave the other? Is it the poor economy, poor system of aquiring knowledge, or the insecurity? talking of the terrorisms by the BokoHaram, it seem to get better, now came another system of the terrorism infact, my heart is seriously bleeding that am a citizen of this God forsaken country where a foreigner can come in from no where and claim citizen right atimes wax stronger than a citizen, no one cares, he may even commite offence and still go free. imagine such a lawless country! what is the difference between their literates and the illiterate if not the cert? because the 2 have seem altitude in this state. what an unfortunate country where life is at risk any where, anytime. my heart is always conscious of disaster which no one can tell from where it may break out. traveling a long distace in this country is a fear. even walking on the road because u don’t know who is who, with this fear of that person walking next to you may be a bokoharam or a blood tasting dracula, who knows he may be a life hunter……….. is unfortunate for me to be here!