Posted by By Jonas Odocha on
The uniqueness of death lies in its finality. It is for this reason that life is held sacred and its mystery shows the awesomeness of God, our creator. Human life, therefore, must be seen and treated as sacrosanct, in keeping with our religious understandings.
The uniqueness of death lies in its finality. It is for this reason that life is held sacred and its mystery shows the awesomeness of God, our creator. Human life, therefore, must be seen and treated as sacrosanct, in keeping with our religious understandings.
To do otherwise merely portrays a beast-like attribute, devoid of a conscience that is nurtured in civility and morality.
In the human society, taking of life is abhorred and where premeditation in life taking is judiciously proven, appropriate judgment is passed on the culprit. To the extent that even attempts at taking own life, as in attempted suicide, is condemnable and punishable. There are also punitive measures meted out to individuals who contravene laws regarding protection of endangered animal species. In East Africa for example, where wild life preservation is important for revenue generation, poachers of game or illegal hunters are hounded like societal miscreants. In international circles, there are meetings upon meetings convened to determine policies and guidelines on whaling and other aquatic resources in the seas and oceans. What of the activities of societies like the RSPCA [Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] that are determined to monitor and report the way and manner pets and other domesticated animals are treated? In recent times mink coats have gotten out of fashion for the rich and famous as a result of concerted efforts by environmentalists and wild life protectors to save fur-bearing animals, killed for their furs, used in making warm clothing.
If the human society can go to all these lengths to preserve and protect life, especially lower animal life, how come there is glaring little regard for human life in Nigeria?
It may be instructive to recount a few cases which vividly demonstrate the way we have, in the past as well as in the present, reduced human life to insignificance. In 1956 a certain lawyer was on his way to attend court when his car knocked down a pedestrian. As he alighted from his car to attend to the accident victim, a mob had gathered to accost him. He ran for his dear life when he sensed imminent danger, securing shelter in the residence of the priest of the nearby church where he had run into. This mob pursued him into the church premises and threatened to kill the expatriate priest if he did not produce the lawyer. All entreaties by the priest to this mob fell on deaf ears as the mob continued to surge into his house. In desperation, the priest had no other option but to produce this lawyer, who was immediately dragged out of the house and slaughtered by this village mob. No sooner did the mob make their retreat from the church premises to cart away their kinsman accident victim who had been abandoned all this while, than they found him staggering back on his feet, albeit still dazed but alive. Realising that they had killed this lawyer on the assumption that their kinsman he knocked down had died, they hurriedly killed the recovering accident victim as well, so as to justify their earlier indiscretion. This turned out to be a celebrated case between the state and the town, as all those involved, including pregnant women, were sentenced to death and subsequently executed. This town was ostracized for a very long time and it tarnished their image up to this day. This incident must have been lost on most people who were around at the time, but even as a little boy then, it has remained indelible in my memory.
I have recounted it in this piece so as to illustrate how the colonial masters investigated and handled cases of extra-judicial killings at the time they were in government.
In 1995, when under a military regime, some prominent citizens were charged for some offences, tried and hanged, the international community referred to their execution as extra-judicial murder and held our government responsible. Nigeria virtually turned into a pariah state, as visas were denied government officials into some countries. We will recall that even at the Common-wealth, Nigeria as a country was sidelined and labeled as insensitive to human rights. The vestiges of the repercussions of this action are still evident today on our national standing in the comity of nations.
Over the years stories are rife of security agencies summarily eliminating suspects through extra-judicial killings. In some instances, based on false reports of bravado, this has earned some of them promotions. But the truth remains that we are talking of suspects who ought to be brought before a court of law. I may not be a law student but conventional wisdom dictates that an accused remains innocent until proved guilty in a judicial system. It gets more complicated and worrisome when life is involved. In this day and age, even in murder cases, it is no longer life for life, as some countries are doing away with the death penalty.
Recently we are once again in the eyes of the world as the international community is waiting and watching us handle the now infamous Apo Six killings. Many Nigerians are already shrugging their shoulders as they are aware and convinced that some other events will crop up and assign this one to the back burners. It is all too familiar, they will tell you, and then give a catalogue of similar past occurrences. But we are talking of human life! We have heard of some prominent Nigerians employing thugs to sack school premises for the sole reason that their children or wards were given corporal punishment!
It is left to you to imagine what such people will do if their children or wards are subjected to more serious harm in course of disciplinary action at school. Why do we then turn a blind eye when fellow Nigerians have their children, bread-winners, or parents gunned down under circumstances not in conformity with civilized norms? Do we simply resort to the ethnic, religious or class game, to shrug our shoulders and look the other way?
We were yet to recover from the Apo Six killings when we were once again presented with the summary shooting of a motorcyclist by a Naval officer, whose car was run into by the cyclist. It is futile trying to peep into what must have prompted the security agent to draw his official weapon under the circumstance. The message is simple and clear, materialism and the national psyche. We are ready to worship our cars, and the higher the class of car, the more the adoration. In the civilized world where responsible governments have provided decent public transport system, the big and the small, the rich and the poor, the famous and the ordinary, all use public transportation to move from point A to point B. But here in our country, it is a status symbol and therefore, our rail system must remain at the colonial level, the good old LCTS buses must disappear and our waterways must remain clogged with water weeds. Otherwise the bulk of our police force will not be busy checking vehicle papers on our roads, to know whether our precious cars have been stolen.
I have witnessed car bashing and accidents in countries outside Nigeria and those involved merely exchange insurance covers and go their various ways. No, not in Nigeria. Insurance cover is to fulfill police checks and not to absorb risks of damage or loss.
There are, therefore, myriads of lessons to learn from these extra-judicial killings rampant in our country. Today we live in a global village where instant communication relays goings-on world-wide on a steady basis. The days of disingenuous denials are over as no one can afford to play the ostrich in this global village. All countries of the world are now like the gold fish, with no where to hide and also nothing to hide. We must therefore institute strategies to change this mind-set of ëanything goesí. First and foremost, all those entrusted with protection of life and property must be properly educated on the use of firearms. There is also the need for periodic checks of mental balance of individuals permitted by law to carry arms. We should intensify efforts at enlightening the general populace on mob justice, as we witness ëneck-lacingí or lynching. Policing must de-emphasize road-block mentality and concentrate on community protection with friendly disposition. We must strive to attract credible candidates into the police force, as they are the most ubiquitous to the general public. Let the selection process into the various forces be more rigorous so as to engage the best. We should then follow up with structured training, learning and development programmes. We must ensure that their remuneration and welfare packages are such that they are comfortable, and as such will lead to their retention in service. It is absolutely unacceptable that members of the forces are left to fend for themselves. This is what leads to stubborn corruption. But above everything else, let genuine love of neighbour be our collective watch-word.
Odocha is a General Manager with the NLGN