Do you know the most lucrative business now in Nigeria?. Don't go too far looking for answers. It's something so simple, risk-free and requires little or no capital. It's Kidnapping. Please know that when it comes to Nigeria we defer logic. Kidnapping might be risky, hard to carry out and illegal in other countries. Though it is termed "illegal" here. It is a business.
Let me start with a question- "What is the minimum wage in your country?". Permit me to ask another- "What's the dollar rate of your currency to the dollar?". It might be low but trust my country's ridiculous when you see the value of our naira. In March 2021 the minimum wage was increased from N18,000 ($36) to N30,000 ($60). Meanwhile to have a good meal be prepared to spend $2 and above.
When people are pushed to the wall they comply until they can't take it any longer. They fight back. We tried this last year with the Endsars protest which I talked about months back. The protest yielded nothing but the death of many youths. There is no job out there for graduates. And every year lots of people graduate from the various institutions in the country. The solution given by many is that these graduates should learn a trade or go into business. Without capital, the dream of going into business looks blurry for them and those that manage to go in find it hard to survive. The number of sellers is now more than buyers.
Internet fraud is now seen as a normal thing. You see parents advising their children to go into it. You will ask "What are the law enforcing agents doing about this?". They are exploiting this situation instead of curtailing it. Once an internet fraudster is apprehended, be rest assured he will be out within 24hours but he must have dropped some money for the policemen.
These guys make those that work hard look like fools. They spend lavishing and paint the social media red. There is no age limit. Boys as young as 14 and 15 years now indulge in it. And ladies fight to date them. This has made so many people concluded that to live a happy and meaningful life, the best thing to do is to leave and never come back.
If the issue above is the only problem, it would have been better. Terrorism and unrest are now increasing every day. Fulani herdsmen attack farms. Cart away with the products, feed their cows with the things planted on the farm, rape the farmers' wives and daughters, and kill the farmers. When the food-producing source of a nation is being attacked daily, it will surely lead to famine.
The worst of it all is now the trending cases of Kidnapping. These guys are kidnapping anybody, anywhere, anytime. Remember, I said Kidnapping is simple, risk-free and requires little capital. I will explain that. In broad daylight, these Kidnappers put barricades on the road and the car that passes through that side at that moment is in trouble. To show how serious they are, after stopping the car, they kill one of the occupants of the car. Most likely the child or wife and take their phones to call the family members. Threatening to kill the father too, or the person they choose to spare.
How is it capital free?. All they take with them is a cutlass or guns handed to them by politicians during elections. The food and cloth they use will be provided by the family of the abducted. Staying outside your compound in the afternoon is now dangerous. Travelling to a different state within the country is now a hard task because of these guys.
This is a country where Government negotiates with terrorists. They request ammunition in exchange for hostage and they are given. The government added this to the list of their achievements. According to the Aare Ona kokanfo of the Yorubaland. The southwestern region of the country has given out N3 billion as Ransom to Kidnappers in the last four years and over 200 lives have been lost in this same period. This is the amount recorded officially, but we all know it's more than that.
People are dying every day. The youths are indulging in illegal activities. People are trying to leave the country through the most ridiculous means. Yet our Government says "All is going on well". The religious ones have called on God for help. If this is a result of our father's sin, we need his forgiveness but it's like trying to quench a fire but still pouring petrol into it. How do I explain this?.
You and I are part of the problem
We blame the Government each day, but we also act like them in the little position we find ourselves. Right from School associations, you see student leaders misusing their power and embezzling funds. It seems selfish behaviour is inborn in people nowadays. And the most painful part is- both young and old are plagued by this.
Fathers now advise their children to go into politics or internet fraud. So far it brings in money and you are not caught, no problem. We misuse the power given to us even if it's just 10-20 people we are leading.
Way out...
As I'm typing this, I'm still clueless about the way out of this mess the country is in. To say the Government is also Clueless is an understatement. They claim things are getting better when it is the direct opposite. They don't care about the masses. Doctors and Teachers go on strikes at will. The state of our hospitals is nothing to write home about. And when they are sick, they travel out of the country for treatment.
I think, for now, we can start from homes. Teach our children. I'm not trying to tarnish the image of the country or sound hopeless. But this country is already going down the part of destruction. I still believe we can rise again to be the giant of africa as we are called. We all need to do our part and if you are the type that knows how to pray. Please pray!.
Thanks for reading! 😔
References:
Vanguard news publication. August 20, 2021. -Gabriel Olawale.
It is so saddening to see these things happening.to a country. It feels sad that it is not only pandemic you are struggling about but these things as well. Let's pray for Nigeria.