At 59, Human Life So Cheap in Nigeria
he list of problems bedeviling my beloved Nigeria grows per second. It has been lamentations galore over our monstrous unending inept leadership, disunity, nepotism, religious extremism, unemployment, hunger, disease, poverty, insecurity and malnutrition. Suddenly, insecurity now stands atop. The last five years have been horrendous. Abduction has become a big business. A friend of mine arrived his country, Nigeria, last week Tuesday, and did not go beyond his abode at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja. He simply invited family and friends to meet with him there. This man was so scared; he thought he could even be abducted in front of his hotel, just as kidnappers strolled into Engravers College, Kaduna on Wednesday and abducted six students and two staff. They want N50 million before releasing them. The situation is really very bad, with the near collapse of civil authority in our beloved country. Nigerians are living under perpetual fear of being kidnapped. The criminals walk in and abduct people in their homes, on the streets and on the highways, unchallenged, and collect hefty ransoms. Sometimes, they disfigure, rape and molest their victims, before they are released. It is so painful that these felons are roaming freely across a country with a government and they are hardly apprehended. Nigeria is now one of the most dangerous places to live in the world.
In some cases, victims die in their dungeons and they still collect ransom. Sometimes, they deliberately kill the victims. A recent example here is that of late Esther Katung, the wife of Pastor Ishaku Katung of ECWA Church in Bagoma, Kaduna State. She was killed by her abductors after they collected a ransom of N250,000 from her family. The deceased was abducted on September 14 when bandits broke into her home. Esther and two other victims escaped from captivity, but she ran out of luck and was recaptured by the kidnappers, who broke her leg and smashed her head, leading to her death. The bandits dumped her corpse in the bush. Even after killing her, the beasts gave the impression that she was still alive and collected the ransom. Her dead body was later discovered days after the family paid the ransom. Human lives have evidently been reduced to nothing in Nigeria. What a country.
The agony list is unending. Funke Olakunrin, 58, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was murdered by suspected herders early in July. She was travelling from Akure to Ore when her vehicle was attacked alongside others on the highway. Despite all the boasting by security agents, they are yet to bring her killers to justice.
The case of Prof. Gideon Okedayo, a senior lecturer at the Ondo State University, presents another gory tale. Okedayo was abducted on Igara road in Akoko Edo area of Edo State while traveling to his hometown on September 5 and few days later, murdered by his abductors.
The Akure-Ado Ekiti Expressway has also become notorious for kidnapping and killings, with our lackluster security agents standing by. What about the notorious Abuja-Kaduna highway where scores of people are abducted (some killed) almost daily for ransom? This has been on for over a year, yet, the government has woefully failed to nip it in the bud. Kidnappers hibernate in villages along the road. Everybody knows this except our incompetent security agents.
Let’s move over to the North-east where Boko Haram has been killing Nigerians relentlessly. Over 27,000 innocent people have been murdered by the terrorists in the last 10 years. The gruesome stories are never-ending. One of the most traumatic this year was the slaughtering of 65 mourners (on July 28) during a funeral procession in Badu, Nganzai Local Government Area of Borno State. Yes, 65 human beings murdered in one day! No news yet on bringing the killers to justice. We can’t overlook the day Boko Haram suicide bomber killed at least 50 people in a mosque in Mubi. We can’t forget the abduction of Saifura Khorsa and Hauwa Mohammed Liman, both Red Cross workers by Boko Haram in the IDP camp in Rann, Borno State. They were subsequently murdered, despite numerous appeals for their freedom. We can’t forget the day our own military dropped bombs on IDPs in Rann, killing close to 300 people.
Even when terrorists kill soldiers, they are hardly apprehended. Few weeks back, a Colonel and 20 soldiers were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram in Yobe State while another Colonel and six others, including a Captain, were killed in Borno State by the same Boko Haram. The Army has lost hundreds of gallant soldiers to Boko Haram without ferocious retaliation. This country has also witnessed unprecedented killing of officers by Boko Haram. Some of those killed included Lt. Colonel O. Umusu, Lt. Colonel K Yusuf, Lt. Colonel Abu Ali, Lt. Colonel B. U. Umar, Captain Victor Ulasi, Lt Col Yusuf Aminu, Lt. Col. A E Mamudu and Lt. Col. Azubuike.
It did not come as a surprise that my beloved Nigeria was poorly ranked in the 2018 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report on global life expectancy. Our country has the world’s third lowest life expectancy rate of 55 years. UNFPA said life expectancy of an average Nigerian is only better than those of the people in Sierra Leone, Chad and the Central African Republic. These three countries have 53, 54, 54 years respectively, as their life expectancy rates. Life expectancy rates are even higher in war-torn countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia, with 73 years, 65 years and 58 years respectively.
It is not just about Boko Haram, killer herders and bandits mauling our people. Nigerians are dying in droves because of our shambolic health system and piercing economic problems finagled on the country by a persistent failed leadership. Life expectancy is also on the decline in Nigeria because of hunger, poverty, disease, malnutrition, and unemployment foisted on the citizens by successive failed governments.
Forces of good must continue to put pressure on governments at all levels to perform their constitutional responsibilities of providing security and welfare to the people.
It is heart-wrenching that the leaders we entrusted this country to, evidently lack ideas on how to end these killings. It was the usual rhetoric, razzmatazz and showboating by President Muhammadu Buhari while delivering his 59th independence anniversary speech. Our President is always giving the populace false assurance that all is well. Just rhetoric. The truth that must be told is that security in Nigeria is in a deep mess. This country’s security architecture needs to be urgently overhauled. Those sitting atop our security agencies must give way to result-oriented officers. Patriots must put all those in charge of our security under pressure until the needful is done.