When I opened the newspaper over the weekend, I saw the following headline:
“26-year-old man arrested for arson of grandmother in Jikawa”
“Police searches for cultists who killed Ogun City Council candidate”
“Guns kill two people and set fire to houses in Benue”
“3 dead, 1 missing in Anambra journalist kidnapping”
This is no longer uncommon in Nigeria. Death is no longer a burden. But most pathetically, the taking of life has become so commonplace that it no longer evokes disgust. In most Western countries, when an animal is accidentally killed, it causes public outrage. But in Nigeria, the deliberate killing of a human being is not seen as anything special. Christians, Muslims, and followers of traditional religions will conclude that this is God’s planned way.
But we were never like that. In recent years, devastating events have occurred in Nigeria. It has completely changed the way we value human life. It has rendered the value of human life almost meaningless.
Many things contributed to this. One is that the message that there is no punishment for taking a life has permeated society. People are killed, but many of the murderers are never prosecuted. To be fair to the police, they do their best to solve many murders, despite being underfunded and lacking tools. The problem is that many cases are difficult to successfully prosecute, mostly due to judicial bottlenecks.
In contrast, police forces in many Western countries take special measures to ensure murders are solved. The case of Adam Boy in England is an example. On September 21, 2001, the Metropolitan Police discovered the torso of a small boy in the Thames. He had no head, no name, no identification. DNA tests revealed that the body was that of a young boy who had recently arrived in the UK and was the victim of a ritual. Some countries would have delayed processing the case because it was clear that the boy was not a British citizen. The Metropolitan Police Department did not do so. They have offered a reward of £50,000 for information that solves the case. They visited countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Germany, and commissioned Nelson Mandela to broadcast it, which was translated into various African languages. They visited various villages and schools asking people whose children were missing to come forward. In the end, although some arrests were made, no one was directly sentenced in this case.
Why did the British police and government invest so much money into the case of a boy who was clearly not a citizen of their country? This was because they knew that even those without a law could be led to believe that they could kill someone in Britain and get away with it. The Metropolitan Police is frustrated that the case remains unsolved, but believes the publicity surrounding the case is acting as a deterrent to further ritual crime in the UK.
However, Nigerians have seen criminals, including government officials, get away with their crimes. They see people killed every day with no consequences. The president’s subtle justification of retaliation wipes out the community. They see people making threats against communities and law enforcement with no repercussions. They hear the government issuing warnings to various groups without doing much. They know that security services are overwhelmed by the violence occurring in many parts of the country.
The second reason is the strong belief that sacrificing human life can make one rich or invincible. This belief has three sources: local traditional beliefs, religious beliefs, and movies. Nigerians strongly believe in the power of magic and juju. Christianity and Islam could not eliminate it or even dilute it. That belief was simply transferred to Christianity and Islam and continued under a new platform. For example, it’s rare to hear of someone dying without someone being charged for their involvement. Diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, asthma, car accidents, heart attacks, etc. are believed to be caused by enemies and evil people.
Additionally, challenges such as childlessness, failure in business, failure in marriage, failure in exams, poverty, drunkenness, drug addiction, sexual indiscretion, anger, and delay in suitors are tagged as acts of jealous relatives and neighbors. It is attached. Some people secretly visit a shaman to get rid of these spells, but many people openly go to see a pastor or imam to get rid of these spells. And none of these visits are complete without an exchange of money. The only difference is that Christians and Muslims demonize traditional beliefs by tagging them with “superstition” and “idolatry,” forcing many who engage in them to believe in secret.
The third culprit is a film that simply exploits existing traditional and religious beliefs that human sacrifice brings wealth, longevity, and protection from attack. The first film that gave birth to what is now known as “Nollywood – Living in Bondage” was based on the belief in human sacrifice. The second film, Circle of Doom, is also based on that concept. The same concept has permeated the Nigerian film industry for the past three decades. Rather than discouraging people from engaging in such things, many have come to believe that it works. Ironically, some people who were caught killing people confessed that they did not receive the promised riches after performing human sacrifices. However, because many do not make this confession, people still believe that human sacrifice brings wealth and continue to waste the lives of others.
Another factor is the government’s attitude towards human life. It is known and accepted that the Nigerian government does not value the lives of its people. It shows how resources meant for people are misused and people die in avoidable circumstances. It is also reflected in how security agencies interact with people. When security agencies engage with people, even on simple issues such as peaceful marches, there are usually deaths. Live ammunition is used when bullets are not required.
The way other countries prioritize the lives of their citizens trapped in conflict zones sends a message, compared to how the Nigerian government responds when its citizens are lost overseas. Nigerians have come to believe that their lives don’t matter. They drum these words into the ears of those who are trying to be heroes during protests. They are reminding such people that if anything happens to them, the Nigerian government will not care. Nigerians will move on as if nothing happened. And only their families will miss them.
Next, there is the issue of poverty. Over the past decade, Nigerians have faced the challenge of economic tightening. The number of people living in poverty is increasing. More than 60% of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, according to the latest report. Poverty breeds despair. Unlike in the past when a strong reason was needed to end a person’s life, the murderers confessed that they were promised a minimum of N20,000 to kill a person.
Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people, and there is a sense that the country is overpopulated. There is a sense that even if one or two people die, there will be plenty to replace them.
All these factors are contributing to the devaluing of life for Nigerians. Therefore, it doesn’t take much for someone to kill another. Nigerians have been paralyzed since 2011, when Boko Haram began using suicide bombings and mass killings in its violent operations. Death no longer sounds strange. Nigerians are no longer shocked by any form of killing or the number of deaths. They just ripple and keep moving like nothing happened.
That’s not a good thing. Death is a big problem. Human life should have great value. Nigerians need national therapy and a change of direction. This is not us.
– – – X: @BrandAzuka
