lynching

Grimot Nane Zine

Why is Anyone Surprised at the #SouthernKadunaGenocide?

Southern Kaduna Massacres are the stuff Nigeria is made of. Before anyone dismisses such a claim, we have to examine the pervasive ‘value of life’ in Nigeria to both ordinary citizens and the government as well as the cost of ‘taking life’ in Nigeria; ‘life’ here mainly refers to that of the ‘underdog’ [the weaker Nigerian by dichotomy]. Religion and oil politics have led to the biggest massacres in Nigeria’s history, including the Civil War, but life is taken daily with sudden and unexpected spontaneity everywhere in the country for innumerable reasons, some totally inane. Tragically, unless the United Nations, Amnesty International or some heavyweight foreign NGO takes interest in the matter, Nigeria’s leaders, politicians and intellectuals simply ignore the problem. The White Man’s Burden all over again, in another dimension?

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Nigeria's Big Thieves and Small Thieves

Nigeria’s Big Thieves and Small Thieves

Nigeria’s Big Thieves and Small Thieves.

“We hang the petty thieves & appoint the great ones to public office” – Aesop. Was Aesop not discussing Nigeria? #UniPortFour – 11 Oct 2012

I sent the tweet above in reaction to the broadcast. It was of the lynching to death by inferno of four University of Port Harcourt students alleged to have stolen a mobile phone. It was a major international embarrassment, even though the international press did not run with it. Shortly afterwards, there was another broadcast. This time of a girl accused of stealing a Blackberry phone in a market in Lagos having a phone shoved up her vagina! On the other hand, politicians and bureaucrats that are accused of stealing millions and billions of dollars from state coffers become more popular and powerful in the country. (more…)

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