The usual destructive elements have yet struck again in Owo, Ondo State. They left in their trail 28 to 50 people dead, explosions and agony. A strike that has thrown south western Nigeria into a panic mode, “Is our region under attack?” that’s the question that has dominated the social media discussions following the attack.
A day before the bomb blast in Owo, an explosion had rocked Okene in Kogi State – two hours and 40 minutes drive from Owo. But, unlike Owo, which caught and shook the nation’s airwaves, Okene was swept under the carpet and spoken of in hush tones.
In like fashion, the Federal Government had issued a state condemning the massacre in Owo. Will this be followed by swift action and apprehension of the suspects? We never can tell. Our leaders deemed it fit to hold a dinner – on the same day the attack had happened in Owo – Aso Rock with jollof rice and celebration while many families have been thrown into the bottomless pit of agony.
It was like the Federal Government had picked a pin and burst the bubble that we live in, the bubble that the government cares about us. It seems the blood of a Nigerian is worth nothing but a “condemnation”.
Security of life has continued to seem like an insurmountable challenge for the Nigerian government. The unknown gunmen attacks, mob actions, herdsmen attacks and other killings all point to the fact that lives are no more sacred in the country. Now, the fundamental right to life seems like a paper thing as no one is safe anymore.
The insecurity which used to be more accrued in the Northeast is now domicile across all parts of the country. Nonetheless, the government prides itself in taming the scourge of insecurity. It is either the Nigerian government does not hold dear, the sanctity of lives of her citizens or it takes the citizens for a joke.
Enough of the press releases of strong condemnation. No amount of strong condemnation will bring back the lives lost. Security of lives and property is a dire need for any country to thrive, lest it remains exposed to threats and violence. However, the attitude of the Nigerian government to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians remains unsatisfactory.
If the government continues to dish out phrases of condolence and condemnation rather than ferreting out and punishing perpetrators of mob actions, gunmen attacks, kidnapping, and other forms of violence, then the next tragedy is just a doorstep away.