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By now the news of Tu Face Idibia's attack must have spread across the various Nigerian media outlets. But for those who haven't gotten the news, here's a brief summary.
On Thursday night about 8pm, Tu Face Idibia and a colleague were attacked in their car by gunmen whilst on their way home (FESTAC Town) from the Murtala Mohammed Airport. They both sustained injuries and are on admission at Cedar Hospital in the FESTAC Town area. Tu Face was hit in the thigh whilst, whilst Ifeanyi Orji, Faze’s elder brother was hurt in the arm. Apparently a laptop computer on Tu Face's lap saved him from further injury. The gunmen did not remove anything from their person or the car.
My first source of this news was via BEN TV's Internet site. I don't quite know the source of their information but they sure made things sound very critical with their claims that Tu Face was battling for life. This prompted me to run a quick Internet search for further verification, and thankfully I found one, supplied surprisingly by the Ghanian site modernghana.com. It gave a more detailed and less scary take on the news, reporting that the doctor, at Cedars Hospital, Festac, where Tu Face is being hospitalised, stated that the artist was not in a life-threatening situation.
What a relief! But it is no cause for rejoicing at all. The fact that one of Nigeria's most promising artist could be attacked in such a manner is very troubling indeed. The fact that lightening has struck twice on the same individual calls for urgent attention. It was only barely 2 years ago he narrowly escaped death at the hands of armed robbers, and now this. Similarly, he had just returned from a trip abroad. The guy had been in the country for barely 2 hours before being given the kind of reception nobody would wish for.
It all reeks of tons and tons of fish. It was reported that his assailants didn't take anything from the car or its occupants. It bears all the signs of foul play. The extremity with which Nigerians like to operate sometimes presents dangers at the most unexpected times. Here we go again attempting to destroy what works for us. You have someone like Tu Face, a creative talent anyone would be proud of, who has worked hard for his success, who is being a worthy ambassador for Nigeria. This is the person some wicked elements conspired to attack.
It shows how much criminality has been allowed to fester in Nigeria. It also shows the greed and ill-intent some in our midst have. Enemies of progress, doers of evil. Their insecurity is so deep they will do anything to be relevant or make a headway. I have no doubt that Tu Face's growing fame and success is unnerving to some unscrupulous elements. Because they are unable to compete fairly, they resort to the tactics of eliminating the source of their perceived competition. What other reasons would anyone want to harm one of Nigeria's brightest stars.
It will be sad if this ugly incident was designed to harm or scare Tu Face into oblivion. It will be a tragedy if the dark side of Nigerian politics is now being transferred to the music and entertainment industries. Creative people are the life-blood of any environment. Through their enterprise, they provide welcome release from the grind of everyday living. Comedians fill us with laughter, musicians and dancers entertain us, and fine artists amaze us. Unfortunately the greed and callousness of some people blinds them to this fact.
I know the Nigerian Police under Mike Okiro's leadership is doing a great job fighting crime at the moment. But this and other robbery incidents highlights the monumental challenge we have. In spite of the many successes of the Lagos state government and police, it is of a great concern that we still have many bandits roaming the streets bent on causing harm to their fellow Nigerians. Whilst some are working and building, others are killing and destroying. it makes one wonder if there is a secret factory producing these elements.
Collectively, politicians and thieves have given Nigerians a raw deal. The former creating the problem, the latter exacerbating it. Sins of the past being visited on the present. The absence of vital amenities, like constant electricity, have aided and abetted the activities of the criminally minded. The whole of Nigeria ought to be well lit by now. It is almost like knowingly creating the perfect environment for robbers to flourish. Apparently the site of Tu Face's unfortunate incident, around Cele bus stop, was as dark as the devil's front room, providing just the right cover for dastardly acts of this nature. We need to light up our villages, towns and cities. We can make use of solar energy whilst awaiting more permanent solutions.
I have no doubt that Governor Babatunde Fashola, by his actions thus far, is determined to change the face of Lagos for the better. I also believe Mike Okiro is waging a stronger war on criminals, and things are slowly improving. Various other state police commands are doing an incredible job. They do have quite a task on their hands, as it is evident that some criminals are as determined not to give-up the unhealthy lifestyle they've become accustomed to. To counter this we need a new breed of politicians and police personnel, whose vision, action and commitment will bring about the desired positive change. In line with our quest for a high economic standing, it is imperative that we improve our forensic capabilities to the highest level of sophistication. We need more trained investigators, detectives and forensic experts, so that the days of unsolved crimes are put behind us.
In the meantime, a bunch of young men lay on hospital beds, totally saddened, bemused and angry at the shock welcome they have received after an enterprising sojourn abroad. One minute you are on stage receiving an outpouring of love and appreciation from a multitude of people, next minute you are being attacked by gun-wielding men. Tu Face must be wondering what more he needs to do to demonstrate his love for his country. He makes good music, flies the flag for his country all over the world, yet someone somewhere wants to harm him. Perhaps his winning a MOBO Award in London has further enraged some. Perhaps their artists will do better, sell more records, if Tu Face was out of the picture. What they fail to realize is that, an artist like Tu Face brings more international attention to other Nigerian artists, and is therefore a vital ingredient for the music scene. They must realize that the universe is big enough for all artists, business people or whatever profession.
Let me use this medium to convey a goodwill message of support to Tu Face and his colleagues. May God's guiding hand bring them to full and total recovery. Who God blesses, no man can curse.
Let me end by commending the efforts of various state governments and police for the efforts they are making to combat crime and ensure a more robust security apparatus. I also commend the gallant contributions of individuals and private organisations through their numerous monetary and physical donations. It will take the efforts of all well-meaning Nigerians to ensure a better and more secure environment for all.
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Posted by Robot| 06.10.2007 04:30