On Abdulkareem Na’Allah’s Murder

The murder, last Sunday, of Abdulkareem Na’Allah, son of Senator Bala Na’Allah, is another sad reminder of the level of insecurity in the country. The killers, according to a statement by the Senator, “simply gained access to his (Abdulkareem) house through the roof and strangulated him to death.” Nothing can be more tragic for any parent than to lose a child in that circumstance. More depressing when that child happens to be a successful one in his thirties. But Na’Allah has taken the tragedy with uncommon grace and a strength that can only come from total submission to the will of the almighty. His public posture is no different from what he has been saying privately to his friends.

While I commiserate with Senator Na’Allah and his entire family as I pray God to grant them the fortitude to bear this huge loss, the authorities must get to the root of this murder. Anybody that would go through the roof of a house to get at their victim before subjecting him to such a gruesome death must have a motive. And this kind of murder is becoming all-too frequent, perhaps because culprits are never brought to book.

The essence of crime investigation and diligent prosecution of culprits is not only to ensure justice for victims but also to deter other potential criminals. And in the past, in this same country, no matter how clever they thought they were (like Jimoh Ishola Adeyemi aka Ejigbadero and others), the authorities always got and brought them to justice. Conversely, where criminals know they can easily get away, as it is the situation today in Nigeria, nobody is safe!