Unrest in Nigeria: We are the monsters you made

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Avatar for HappyBoy
2 years ago

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.

Screenshot from my noisecash page

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.

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2 years ago

Comments

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.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

I read through the article and then the comments, one gentleman mentioned something about fraudster spoiling the image and integrity of the country and the government should do something about it. We shouldn't forget the government pushed the youth so hard into doing this , and it's not at all their fault for trying to survive, I'm not saying they should continue,but the government should check it self, then afterwards the youths.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Exactly! The monsters we see out there were created by the Government. Though what the youths are doing is not justifiable, we cannot help but mention the impact of the Government in all these.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

You are absolutely right my friend things are not longer going right in this country again, there's no plan for the youths anymore the only thing they keep telling us is that we are the leaders of tomorrow, even when our leaders knows too well that the tomorrow they are talking about might never come.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Reading this got me feeling like every inch of my body is tingling with mixed emotions. While some of us are complaining about mundane things, you and your countrymen are experiencing one of the worst. And you are absolutely right when you said the change to happen, must start from every home, from everyone. Prayers for your country and for the world as a whole...

$ 0.05
2 years ago

Thanks Farmgirl🙏

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Kidnapping is so scary! 🥺 I have read your entire article & I hope that the Government could still see the light and do something. Just like what you have said, it is not that thay are clueless or what. The youth in minor ages don't deserve such works & people's lives should be a concern as well! 😭

$ 0.04
2 years ago

Thanks Charmingcherry. I sincerely hope they act too.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Kidnapping is now one of the easiest way to make money here in Nigeria and our government keeps them without trying to improve the security problems we have.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

You are very correct. Our government has failed us, so also we have failed ourselves. We make ourselves thugs for these politicians to use for their criminal acts. In short the problem of this country is too much.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

You are well on point my brother, the country has turned a garden into a battlefield where everyone does crazy things just to stay alive.

The issue of kidnapping, terrorism and yahoo has turned into something else and taw enforcement is the strength of these people. I don't see it getting better, we all have to prepare for the worse.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

That's the painful truth. Things don't look like they are getting better at all. Instead it's deteriorating.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Living in Nigeria now is not easy at all. To travel to anywhere in the country is now dangerous. If Bandits don't attack you, terrorist will or even kidnappers . My dream is to leave too.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

I have been interacting with Nigerians long ago since I was at uptrennd. There at time, we had seen a same situation like this and police were attacking the people (I cant remember the whole situation) And now the situation is somehow likely. The govt is staying calm and not doing anything. I pray from my heart for the safety , recovery of the Nigerians.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Yes you are right. That was during the Endsars protest.Amen.Thanks Ayat

$ 0.00
2 years ago

yeah may be the END sars protest...welcome

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Hmmmm may God just see us through all this bad situation because now in Lagos you can't walk freely with you phones or laptop or any accessories with you

Nobody wakes up by 5am in my area until day break no security at all Only God knows where everything is going to now

$ 0.03
2 years ago

You are right. My friend got robbed in yaba last week. Even in broad daylight they rob people

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Hmmmm can you imagine that nothing is secure in this country again

$ 0.00
2 years ago

I never knew that this is the current condition in Nigeria. Let us hope for better days and pray.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

True, we should be able to practice what we want to see in the government. If we want a good government, let's start in making ourselves better.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

As a good citizen of my country I will always believe that the country can work again. The condition is beyond what the government can fix, it requires our collective efforts to get things working again. Government may try to fix things by way of providing infrastructures to enable business to thrive, but government can't fixed the mind of the people. Lack of no job in my opinion is not the fault of the government but the educational system that we passed through. Government never told us they will employ us after we leave school, it's the teachers that lied to us, that when we have good grades we will land a good job.

Educational was not intended to make anyone a job seeker, but a job creator. But when the education is all about A is Apple, B is for Ball, the system ended up producing kindergartens in the garment of graduates.

Individual politicians are the problems we have in our country. When ambition become higher than expected men do anything to get what they want. They are the ones sponsoring violence, high profile kidnapping and adoption. When they lose in an election they make the winner tenure a hell on Earth by sponsoring violence all around the country so the masses can blame it on the government. Let me stop here. You can use some of the points I mentioned here to write on the way out to correct the evil in the land. Thanks.

$ 0.05
2 years ago

Thanks for the contribution and i will surely work on the points. You're right sir, each political party tries to paint the other as a bad one by making their tenure a living hell. And when the party leaves and another comes in they replicate it. So the cycle continues

$ 0.00
2 years ago

I sometimes wonder where the country is headed, almost like there is no future for the youth. Everyone is seeking means to make fast money through rituals, kidnapping and internet fraus which we call yahoo yahoo. Thiugh it's a criminal act, we can't exactly blame these people as it all began with the government being basically irresponsible and only caring about embezzling funds for their family. I'd leave the country as soon as possible.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

We shall leave all these mess behind only if there is a change of hand in the government, because they are not ready to make things easy.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Kidnapping business is the talk of the town in Nigeria 🇳🇬. May God deliver us

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Amen o 🙏

$ 0.00
2 years ago

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.

I had goosebumps reading this.. Even staying inside the compound isn't safe anymore. Yet the government is not taking action? Did the UN say something about this too? It's truly a serious issue.

$ 0.05
2 years ago

I think the UN is tired. Our Government have a way of frustrating even the most patient of all. They lie and try to cover up their misdeeds. Currently, there is a twitter ban and crypto bank in the country(banks can accept crypto transactions). All because the 2 was the driving force of the last protest. Protest grounds were communicated on twitter and celebrities like beyonce, burna boy and co sent bitcoin to support the protest. Immediately after the protest they placed a ban on it. We are running a mini military rule here. Security is now a big issue to all coupled with the hustle for what to eat each day.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Yes, we all have our part in society. It's sad to read all those and I wish that the government do it's part because that's what they are there for. We can only wish for good government but the politician should be the one taking action. I will keep my faith but I will trust myself more. They have the power and you need that power to help everyone in the country but if there's no help we have to rely in our own strength. Not easy but that we can do.

$ 0.05
2 years ago

The ills in society are on a rise and we are all participants in it directly or indirectly. Whether you are part of it or silent about it but we are also the change we envisioned. It starts with a completely new moral structure been built on the minds of children.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Exactly! Being quiet about it is also a form of contribution.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

i don't know what to say about this apart from this made me very sad, but the corruption thing you mentioned about student union levels is EXACTLY the same thing in India too, all politicians claim it is getting better but people are literally suffering. Violating other's body for money is the worst thing in the world. :/

$ 0.03
2 years ago

I really like this article,it touches the main part of how they are spoiling the image of this country,you would see a kid of 5 yrs doing yahoo and scamming the white of their hard earned money, almost all my friends are into it and i think the government should find a way to stop this it is spoiling the image of the country.

$ 0.02
2 years ago

It will be hard for the Government, since they are also "yahoo boys" just that they steal from the citizens, not foreigners

$ 0.00
2 years ago

The beginning of this article is very funny 😂 But on a more serious note, kidnapping is now the new oil in Nigeria. Bandits will kidnap students and will start asking for ransom from the government, they even have a middleman between them and the government who helps to facilitate their trade. It's really pathetic

$ 0.03
2 years ago

That's the most annoying part. We have people that lias with the government on behalf of the kidnappers. I thought Governments don't negotiate with terrorists.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

They handle terrorists with soft gloves but unleash hell when it comes to peaceful protesters. The hypocrisy of the federal government is legendary

$ 0.00
2 years ago