It is with a heavy heart that I commiserate with the families and victims of the senseless killings in Nibo last Sunday. The news of this tragedy was shocking, and I can only imagine the pain and grief that the surviving victims and the families of the slain are enduring.
I extend my sincere condolences to Ezeike Nibo, the traditional ruler of Nibo, in whose domain this tragedy occurred. I pray that God grants all those affected the strength to bear this irreparable loss and that the departed souls find peaceful repose.
What pains me most about last Sunday’s incident is that it is not the first of its kind. Despite previous attacks, those responsible for our protection seem to have been fiddling while Rome (in this case, Anambra) burned.
Yesterday, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, finally visited the disaster scene for the first time in several months. His visit came a full day after 12 of his citizens were brutally killed by hoodlums, just a short distance from his residence.
These attacks are a glaring embarrassment to the state’s security architecture, which has been under scrutiny by many well-meaning citizens of Anambra State. The fact that such violence could occur unchallenged so close to the governor’s residence highlights a significant failure in securing the lives and property of the people.
The governor’s belated visit to the crime scene is equally embarrassing, as it seemed more like a formality than a genuine act of concern. To make matters worse, he turned a mournful and sober situation into a casual event, eating moi moi without regard for the sensibilities of the victims and their families. It is no surprise that social media is flooded with complaints from embarrassed citizens.
But should we be surprised by these recent developments? Since the current regime took office, there has been a resurgence in the activities of agberos (touts), who have been given free rein to carry out their nefarious activities under the guise of acting as the state government’s revenue agents.
Many of these agberos are known to be on the fringes of criminality or are full-blown criminals. Yet, they have become favoured by the present government. It is no wonder that cultism has overrun the state, as these individuals make up the majority of cultists. This situation is deeply saddening.
The time has come to put an end to these unwarranted and preventable acts of violence in our beloved state. These incidents have discouraged visitors, destroyed our once-thriving tourism and related businesses, and instilled daily fear and anxiety in our residents. The entire security infrastructure must be restructured to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and suitability for its purpose. If the governor has run out of ideas, he should step aside, for we CANNOT and WILL NOT continue to live like this.
Once more, I commiserate with the victims’ families and urge them not to lose hope for a better tomorrow.
– Chief Valentine Ozigbo
