Barawo banza

A good day I trust? Today's piece is one I wish I didn't have to write. With some trepidation however, I pen it. There’s not going to be any witty banter, nor a deliberate attempt at a joke. Years after the Aluu killings -- which for the wide coverage it got in the media, thankfully brought to fore a sickening trend that is seemingly entrenched in the Nigerian society; the concept of Jungle Justice. While some of us are still trying to get over the horrors of what was done to those very young boys — boys who were in my age bracket; there have been, unfortunately and rather disturbingly, a series of recurrences in which alleged criminals were lynched. And burned

Most everyone in Nigeria has a degree of education. Be it formal, or the readily available home training. Common sense doesn't come with education though, as these unfortunate series of happenings have made apparent. I've been a victim of attempted robbery and when a dude was caught in the act weeks later, I swear to God I wanted nothing more than to bash his face in with the bare knuckles of my hands. How could you have the temerity to snatch something you didn't work for. How could you. I grew up piss poor myself, as did millions of other Nigerians, so don't use the economic hardship excuse for me -- I'm not a thief. How could a young man cause psychological trauma to my sisters and my mother...such that whenever they hear a loud bang, they recoil in horror and think 'these people' are trying to smash the door in again. How dare you. How very dare you. 

But I wouldn't allow myself strike him, as he was vulnerable. I would be a coward if I had. Dude was surrounded by the neighborhood, very ashamed, very afraid. Of course some people posited that he be beaten to a pulp to teach him a lesson. I was sorely tempted to take out my anger on the bastard, but it just felt wrong. And the thieves who visited weeks earlier didn't even gain access fa. 

Now imagine being the victim of a successful armed robbery. Imagine you losing your valuables to these fucks. Imagine the anger you'd feel and the accompanying natural tendency to lash out. The law is very fucked in the country I know, and criminals are often spotted roaming the streets weeks after conviction. But is it not an indictment of our moral compass as a society, when an innocent man is wrongfully punished? If we should teach every criminal a lesson, it'll affect someone innocent. I could very well scythe a mob on the law student who's dating the girl I want to date -- just by shouting 'thief, thief, thief'.

Look at those bastards who tortured the alleged 'pepper thief' in Lagos. It just doesn't make sense. What right have they to uphold the law? What happened to habeas corpus -- the right to a fair trial. I can't believe the words coming outta me mouth, but, better to set free a hundred criminals than spill the blood of an innocent woman/man. Its like killing the baby to catch the kidnapper. Its not alright. In the grand scheme of things, you're not helping.

I could write shorter sermons, but when I talk about issues that pray on my emotions, I tend to drone on, and on, and on. That could've been Cue. Or dozens of other people. When the infamous Aluu incident happened, I fictionalized a letter from the underworld; ominously addressed to the lot of us. This one is long enough as it is, so I'll post that letter tomorrow.

Until then. Do the bit you can to stop the rot. And be excellent.

--->>>@Captaincue