"If I can provide my own water,
provide my own electricity; if I have to pay for security and ‘ndi nche’; then,
I can as well execute justice myself. Thus, jungle justice."
Yes, many of you have watched the video and probably seen the pictures of some UNIPORT students burnt alive by Aluu villagers in Rivers state, Nigeria for allegedly stealing phones, laptops in an off-campus hostel of the university.
Why isn’t
anyone taking this matter seriously. Oh! You all think they were criminals and
received their wage in death abi, but a cruel one. As much as so many watched
this wicked act of justice and felt pity, atleast as humans, i’m sure that for
some, that feeling of pity was for a moment. Later, the same people would have
a contrasting reasoning and would feel satisfied on the treatment meted out to
them. If you think they deserved such treatment. Can you honestly say why.
Do you
remember years ago when there was a mass attack on the Igbo’s in the north, i
think in 2006 precisely. Then, I had left Lagos for Nnamdi Azikiwe University,
Awka, my alma mater, to submit my Industrial Attachment report. I had spent the
night in Onitsha and the next day decided to go to Awka. That was the same day
the Igbo’s decided to retaliate in the east.
I was
in Onitsha that day about to take another bus enroute Awka. It was pathetic to
see how hausas were chased around and butchered like animals. I remember
vividly how my bus climbed on bodies because the roads were all littered with
dead bodies of ‘ndi-hausa’. One that has remained indelible in my mind is
seeing one man hide behind a car. I watched him quietly from my bus, hoping
that my gaze would not direct anyone towards him. I observed him tiptoe to a
nearby bush away from the rear of that bus. He just hid there, watching how the
Igbos cut his brothers to pieces. What could he be thinking, i tried to place
myself in his situation. I tried to think his thoughts.
They
made sure even the dead were not spared, they killed the already dead again
perhaps hoping that even their souls may feel the pain of a matchete on their
already decapitated body. Then i heard them say ‘rapu ya, anyi ga egbu ya. O
chere na anyi afuro ya’ (leave him, we will kill him. He thinks we haven’t seen
him). I felt sad when it dawned on me that I wasn’t the only one who had seen
him, unfortunately he had been seen. Watching him die was worse than the death
of these students, it was real, I had seen enough for the day, or so i thought.
Our drivers had driven across so many bodies, I had seen many even jump into
the river Niger below from the Niger-head bridge that joined Asaba to Onitsha,
they drowed obviously, how many could swim. I saw corpes flaoting, it was enough.
Tears
fell from my eyes, a woman had said to me, ”e n’ebe akwa and laughed’ (you are
crying).
She
then reminded me of how ‘our’ people who work tirelessly to build the economies
of those states are killed by even their close friends and neighbours because
they are either christians or ‘nyamiri’.
That
hausa man was caught, his leg cut off, just one leg at first; then his fingers
cut bit my bit. I wached his penis cut off, yet he groined in pain. Crying. His
hand was cut also, they gave him all the time to feel the excruciating pain
that would lead to his death.
Our
bus suddenly filled up and we drove away, climbing on bodies and trying to
avoid the ones we could. I was sure the hausa man was later beheaded. What was
his crime? If he or they had commited any crime, couldn’t our courts have
discharged the right justice.
Earlier
in the week, I was praying and in my bible reflection was a very popular verse
or perhaps a very popular story: ‘a woman caught in adultery’, from john 8:
1-11. She was caught in the act, obviously like those boys. And she was beaten
by the mob, just like those boys were. She was about to be stoned to death and
we all know what Jesus did here. In His exact words: ”all right, but let he who
has never sinned cast the first stone”. He had given them the order, you all
can go ahead and kill her if you wish to, there was no miracle here. Jesus
didn’t send angels from heaven to guide the woman. He simply spoke to their
conscience. Unfortunately for Ugonna, Tekana and Chiadika; Jesus wasn’t there
to speak words and write on the ground. They we’re stoned to death or rather,
the Nigerian should be, burnt to death.
Yes,
we are all sinners. Irrespective of the gravity of our sins. We are all
sinners. Then, how dare you join a mob to beat someone and you’ve advised your
girlfriend to abort a pregnancy, you’re a murderer. Yes even you ladies, some
of you also strip, prostitute, do aristo runs all for blackberry, school fees,
fun and financial benefit abi dat one no be sin? So, you dare pick up a tyre to
burn someone else and you’re gay, putting your dick in another man’s asshole
and you shout ‘kill them, kill them them be thieves’. You, yes you, how dare
you bring a lighter or matches and you’re fucking a goat. And you, you dare
offer the fuel amidst the scarcity of fuel and you in a secret society that
offer blood rituals. Fuck you all. Yeah. I said it. Fuck you.
What
could be the reason for this sort of justice? Some have said it is simply
because we believe more in jungle justice than our courts.
Therefore,
I believe three groups must bear responsibility for these deaths: the Nigerian
Police Force,the Judicial system and the Government. All must bear
responsibility for any jungle justice meted out. The blood is in your hands.
All those judges, justice and lawyers that have twisted the law to set a
criminal free, may thunder fire you.
Also,
the Nigerian system should also be blamed. What has happened to the Otedola and
Lawan issue, where are those that stole our subsidy money. What has happened to
the Abacha loot that was recovered; some individuals have assets declared to be
in thrillions of naira, yet have no business, how come?
If
Ibori wasn’t disgraced by a London court, perhaps our courts would have
discharged and aquitted him plus embraced am join, like they’ve done the
others.
Nigerian
Police Force, please who really killed ken-saro wiwa; who exactly killed Dele
Giwa. I heard that M.K.O was also killed, who killed Bola Ige, Who killed my
friend Bassey, who killed my fellow King’s college old boy, Ugo Ozuah days
after his wedding, who are the killers of the mubi students. Where are the
killers. Please answer me.
Even
the Col. Hamza Mustapha sef that was arrested for taking part in killing Alhaja
Kudirat Abiola hasn’t been really charged since over ten years.
Those
indited for fraud, the arrested boko-haram suspect, how long have they been in
your custody. None has been charged and we’re all aware that Mutallab has been
charged sharp sharp in America.
I have
no words for the police force, ok, actually I do but words enough can’t
quantify nor properly express my anger and disappointment. The only question I
will ask is: why are you always present at the scene after the incident?
These
and obviously more is the agitations that has culminated into a new imbibed
character of the people, Nigerians don’t trust Nigeria anymore. If I can
provide my own water, provide my own electricity; if I have to pay for security
and ‘ndi nche’; then, I can as well execute justice myself. Thus, jungle
justice.
The
meander of justice and lawlessness of a supposed arbitrator, the Judicial
system; the weakness of the governnent and the obvious misplaced priority and
lateness of our Police has disseminated to the people.
Lawless
breeds lawlessness.
by Olisa Ezeanya
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