As we celebrate and take a sigh of relief at the killing of Osisikankwu, the kidnapper of Aba in Abia State, I cannot help but wonder if we realise who the kidnapping kingpin really is.  You see, sickness cannot be cured until we properly diagnose and identify the cause/causes before applying the right medication. So, the question here is whether Osisikankwu was the Nigerian kidnapping kingpin.  By killing him, has Nigeria killed the key person/persons responsible for inflicting unprecedented pain, terror, poverty, deprivation, agony, malady and misery on the population?

 

The way I see it, there is a dichotomy in Nigerian criminal elements.  On one hand, you have the little thugs, kidnappers and robbers represented by Osiskankwu.  These are small time local champion criminals created by our dilapidated economic and social system.  They kidnap and hold hostages for ransom, innocent and hard working citizens in small towns such as Aba.  They only steal few millions of Naira from their victims.  They make it unsafe for people to travel freely and safely on minor roads and highways.  However, they do not carry the millions of naira they stole to foreign banks and enrich other countries.   They steal from their victims with guns and by intimidation. In most cases, they spend all their stolen money within Nigeria and the money circulates within the stream of commerce in Nigeria. Their stolen money hardly goes abroad to Foreign Banks. You may look at them as the present day Robin Hood. They rob the rich and spend the money on the poor.  By no means am I justifying their criminal activity. However, I am simply explaining the hard facts of this matter. Those are the few characteristics of your small time kidnappers and robbers represented by Osisikankwu.  The Nigerian society hates and publicly condemns these small time criminals and loves to kill them off as a reward for all the small and temporary pain and agony they have brought upon the society.

 

On the other hand, you have the big time and mega kidnappers, thugs, and blood sucking vampires.  They are represented by the Nigerian local government Chairmen, Councilmen, House Representatives, Senators, Governors, Ministers, Presidents, Police and top Government Officials.  These are the people who have kidnapped Nigeria and held her hostage for many decades now.  They steal with their pens and because we trust them, you can hardly notice their criminal acts; until they are done.  They steal from the coffers (public funds) in BILLIONS of Naira and put them away in Foreign Banks, leave Nigeria bleeding and the masses in a state of squalor.  They are the ones that create the small time criminals like Osisikankwu of Aba.  They have the Nigerian judicial system in their pockets. The courts and the Judges often set them free whenever they are caught.  Case in point, someone like Mrs. Ibru (not sure of the proper spelling of her name) was arrested and accused of stealing about 300 BILLION Naira and caused the collapse of many Banks in Nigeria.  The Nigerian court sentenced her to only 18 month in prison and my opinion is that they will see to it that she will not spend more than 6 months in jail.  (b) Former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori has been accused of stealing about 200 BILLION naira from his State.  He is now facing trial but my guess is that he will also get a slap on the wrist. (c) It was published few months ago (hope the report was accurate) that the Senators and Reps in Abuja make about 200 million naira each in annual pay package – just for doing what?  What is the justification for such staggering amount when there is no reliable power supply and citizens are condemned to using personal generators?  What is the justification for their huge pay when there are no reliable hospitals for the citizens and the politicians travel overseas for good medical care? (d) Every year, money is allocated to the Ministry of Health but we have no reliable hospitals; money is allocated to the Ministry of Aviation but the Nigerian Airline is defunct; money is allocated to the Ministry of Works but there are no sanitised pipe borne water. Citizens are condemned to unsanitised borehole water; etc. What happened to the billions of Naira allocated every year to these dummy Ministries? Your guess is as good as mine and no Minister is ever questioned or investigated for the whereabout of the funds.  Every year, the funds disappear to Foreign Banks.  But here we are, celebrating the death of a local champion kidnapper in the person of Osisikankwu of Aba who probably got into the crime business because of the hardship inflicted upon Nigeria by politicians and people in authority.

 

It is confusing for me to observe how Nigerians both at home and abroad celebrate and dignify these big time and mega thugs, kidnappers and blood sucking vampires.  We address them with big titles such as “Honourable” and “His Excellency”.  What is excellent and honourable about a big time thug, kidnapper, and a blood sucking vampire?  I have not been able to figure that out in my mind.  Why do we hold them in high esteem as they continue to inflict unprecedented pain and agony on the masses?  Celebrating the killing of Osisikankwu is nothing but a distraction from the real problem that is crippling our beloved country Nigeria.  When shall we start holding these mega thugs accountable for their criminal actions against Nigeria?  When shall we stop worshipping them with the hope that they will give us a little bit from what they stole?  We prostrate before them and want to be seen in their company and hope to eat the crumbs that fall off their dining tables.

 

It is a known fact that kidnap victims, while being held hostage, often develop some feelings of attachment to their kidnappers.  They sympathise with, and often take steps to protect their kidnappers from harm while being held captive.  Well, I see Nigerians in this picture.  For decades, politicians and the Government of Nigeria have inflicted physical, emotional and economic brutality on the citizens to the point that the average Nigerian is seriously beaten down.  So beaten down that he/she is now admiring and adoring his/her kidnapper. The average Nigerian worships his oppressor and holds him in high esteem.  That is how deep the psychological damage is in the life of the average Nigerian.  We sing and praise the mega kidnappers and we turn around and kill the small time kidnapper who was created by the mega kidnapper.

 

Where are the prophets?

 

Religion has a deep rooted strong hold within the Nigerian society.  Most of the conflicts we have in Nigeria have their roots in religion.  Muslims in the North want their Sharia law to be imposed on every Nigerian.  Southerners who are predominantly Christians resist the Muslim religion and their Sharia law.  Simply put, that is the root of most conflicts we have in Nigeria including the Nigeria-Biafra war which claimed the life of about 3 million Igbos.  My question is as follows:

1.       Where are the Muslim prophets when the hand of a petty thief is cut off because he was caught stealing and the Alhaji who stole billions of naira and hid the money in a Bank in Saudi Arabia, Monaco, Dubai or Libya, is worshipped by other Muslims?

2.       Where are the Christian prophets when politicians and those in authority who claim to be born again Christians embezzle billions of Naira from the coffer and donate part of the stolen money to the Church Ministry?  Where are the prophets?

3.       Where are the prophets when Christianity has become a lucrative business for the “pulpit pimps” who feed on the vulnerable ones in our society in the name of God till they suck them dry?

4.       Where are the prophets when our so-called Pastors (pulpit pimps) adore themselves with false and bogus titles before you ever get to their names?   Some of them who never earned a Bachelor’s Degree from a University claim the title “Dr.”  I personally know some Pastors in Nigeria who never completed secondary school education but they are now addressed as Rev, Dr, Bishop, Most High so, so and so.  I keep wondering what the purpose of lining all these titles before his name could be.  What type of message are they sending to the young people in our society?   If he can get up one morning and declare himself to be Dr. so, so and so, then why should a young person who looks up to him, go through the rigours to achieve academic excellence?  Is this why Jesus died on the cross.  Are these Pastors’ servants or masters – I often wonder?

 

Nigerians at home and abroad have to rethink our approach to this matter and get our priorities in order.  We need to identify who our enemies are and stop chasing the shadows.  There is no future in worshipping the very ones that are standing on our necks and choking the life out of us. These mega kidnappers have made it almost impossible for Nigerians abroad to come home and help build the nation.  They are constructively evicting Nigerians from Nigeria and keeping them and their children in exile. My opinion is that Osisikankwu of Aba was not your Kidnapping “kingpin”.  He was simply created by your mega thugs in the Nigerian politics and the judicial system.  Open your eyes and do not allow yourself to be fooled.

 

 

Dr. Mike Okeke

Ifekanku

Atlanta