By Orwell Ezeh
“Ransom was just paid to secure the release of two women kidnaped by Fulani herdsmen last Sunday in Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area. It is really sad as I learnt violent adductions and murder by herdsmen are regular occurrences in that area. I heard none of the violence makes it to electronic or print media. Terrible situation. The ransom was very huge and I sent in my contribution.”
Dr. Okey Izaga
Another narrated how a driver was shot at the same location by herdsmen and how he escaped with injuries while all his passengers were raked in by the ransom-farming herders. A picture of the driver recuperating from the gunshot injury in orthopedic Hospital Enugu is published with this post. The narrator also lamented the loud silence of the media.
Nnamdi Kanu should ordinarily, in a fairly good society, have no followers. His shameless racialism against black people would’ve been enough to turn everybody against him. I was appalled—for want of a more intense qualifier—the day Kanu said that a table in a white man’s house is more important than ten black people. Igbo people from Enugu, in his caste system of Igbos, are Hausa-born saboteurs. He made no secret of these stupid prejudices.
The marvel is how a man as undiplomatic, and as apparently tactless as Kanu should have this multitude of followers, willing to execute his every command. This is the explanation of it: insincerity and media statements have replaced governance. Government at all levels can no longer inspire any confidence. This is a dangerous vacuum in the presence of an existential crisis.
We in Enugu are supposed to have the forest guards. We are among the southern states which ceremoniously banned open grazing. We were again ably represented when Ebube Agu was launched, to terrorize terror. With all these impressive measure in place, one wonders that even as I write this, people are still being kidnapped and ransomed and maimed and slaughtered.
Nnamdi Kanu has been arrested, Christ or Allah or both be thanked. I also did not support him; but how about the next Kanu? In so far as the fundamental issues are not full-heartedly addressed, there will always be an Nnamdi Kanu. Look at history, peace and injustice have always been incapable of peaceful co-existence. Wait: do you know whose local government area is under siege? Your guess is as good as mine.
