Nigeria’s savaged children

Nigeria’s savaged children

...Read the full article.

[draftman]

I concur with you my brother. I washed the clip, I could not view the rest for a while. This is a barbaric act in the name of their christ. The whole xtian communities should rise up and reject this murderous act. I almost cried when I say the young girl that was nailed on the head by the parent, now she is a mental case. Please anyone that can help to donate to the men that is trying to do something, starting with me. This put tears to my eyes, bcus these are innocent children. How can the authority allow this abuses to continue without puting a stop to it. All these in the name of christ and making $$$. You see fanatics comes in all religion, these are christian ppl. doing what they believe in the xtian way. What violent way to children.

[emj]

Thanks ON for the very Apt Title...thank you very much for not labelling them with the W word...thanks

[TEchi]

When I first started watching the Akwa Ibom horror video I was traumatized to see such unrelenting wicked deception in the face of poverty. I wondered how local functionaries could not have known all along what terrible horror has been used to decimate our innocent Nigerian children. I cried watching the horrible videos. Why would anyone want to get rich at the expense of the horror inflicted on the children? Is there no balm, no respite for our children even in the village? Is this generation’s hearts so full of wickedness that they lack even a little touch of benignity toward the innocent children?

What about the head of these Pentecostal churches who are getting richer at the expense of this horror being inflicted on the innocent children? I think they should all be accountable, they can not deny knowledge of what is going on. Rehabilitating the surviving children to adulthood will be herculean task given the entire trauma they have gone through.

Awka Ibom is an eye opener for all to watch out for false prophet proselytizing damnable, horrible gospel to imprison the uneducated and impoverished people. It’s an eye opener to disown self proclaimed deceptive bishop who comes in sheep’s clothing to devour and malign the innocent. It’s an eye opener for local functionaries to take stock of their activities because they have been weighed in the balances and are found wanting. It's an eye opener for all of us because we not all so innocent of these stark staring revving mad men and women who call themselves savior to this country called Nigeria.

[VOR]

ON

This article is so depressing, really it is. The issues you highlight here make me just TIRED. When will Nigeria rise? when will we be free of these political and religious charlatans? There is so much that needs to be done and so few able or willing to....My broda, de thing tire me jor!

Thanks for writing about the children, hopefully Nigerians will wake up to what is happening to our children, probably not only in Akwa Ibom.

The other day it was a child raped to death by a Pastor, another had annointing on poured into her private part, this abuse has to stop. We cannot say we are civilised people and watch these acts carry on. Enough is enough!

[akuluouno]

The whole saga for me is metaphorical of all that is wrong in Nigeria in the 21st century. Taking the Seven Point Agenda for instance, it represents a classic failure of intelligence and security like ON aptly pointed out, gross destruction of human capital at its formative and critical stage, wealth destruction, crass state of lawlessness.
Like other national odiums before it, this incident has in no small measure contributed to Nigeria's collective disgrace internationally. Added to the battering of Okere by military personnel, I think that government should adopt zero tolerance to these barbaric acts.
On the way forward, government should start to rapidly develop the country. Deploy security operatives to all religious assemblies and let them crack down on acts that seem to trample on the rights of the citizens. The Akwa Ibom saga is only a tip of the ice berg. Many monstrosities are being perpetrated in Nigeria in the name of God.

[Yankari]

Originally Posted by akuluouno

I think that government should adopt zero tolerance to these barbaric acts.
On the way forward, government should start to rapidly develop the country. Deploy security operatives to all religious assemblies and let them crack down on acts that seem to trample on the rights of the citizens. The Akwa Ibom saga is only a tip of the ice berg. Many monstrosities are being perpetrated in Nigeria in the name of God.

What government are we talking about? if we had one would these things happen in the first place, I fail to see how anyone can have any hope or expectations in the present government.
Look at Bankole who a few ill advised people were hopeful he would be different when he took over after the Ette issue, in less than a year he is embroiled in a larger one!

[Isho]

Thanks for highlighting this issue.....now we are all depressed and disgusted about the nauseate in Akwa Ibom State annoyingly this will only last for couple of weeks and we forget about the savaged children.

My concern at the moment is i can foresee a Guyana Tragedy in Nigeria pretty soon. Considering the population of Nigeria this would make it world biggest religious tragedy.The government should start arresting these false preachers.

Watching that programme closely, It is obvious that the Akwa Ibomites has been brainwashed i really felt sorry for them...infact they need help and education.

[mayitbedone]

I'm yet to watch the clips but from all I've heard and read about it, my heart bleeds even as I'm overwhelmed with shame...

It's sad that such backwardness pervades our land...
It's sad that our government continuously promotes our backwardness...
It's sad that kids have to be the one to suffer for the madness of our nation...
It's sad that the law enforcers, who without a doubt, are privy to this despicable act have failed to halt this...
It's even more sad that the supposed law enforcers probably believe in the lies of these "men/women of lucifer"...
It's also sad, that this so-called bishop will not face the consequences of his actions...
It's sad that some idiots who call themselves our leaders will come out mouthing rubbish about taking up the issue only to end up going to drink some champaigne and forget about the cries and sorrows of innocent children...

Which way Nigeria? I want to know...

Well...
The privileged ones among us should help educate the uneducated...
We should also strive to attain (and not shy away from) leadership positions where we can bring about the change this country badly needs........
And in all honesty, a radical revolution is needed if this country must be saved.

[omo olori oko]

I watched the clips "Horror in Akwa Ibom" it brought tears to my eyes,I wonder what those in authority in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom in particular are doing about this situation. I am a christian and this is certainly not what the Bible teaches.The basic teaching in christianity is unconditional love. The churches involved should be prosecuted particularly because this is a crime against vulnerable individuals.The clip showing the interview with Helen Ukpabio says alot, by their fruits you shall know them. I applaude the work done by the charity organisation CRARN and Gary.

[Kasabian]

I watched the documentary on Channel 4 with friends and family and we were all speechless. It had been advertised days before it was aired on TV and was on various newspapers. On Tuesday 11th of November 2008, at 9pm I finally sat down to watch the programme, I was horrified, devasted and trully sad and for the first time in my life, upon all the problems we have, I was ashamed to call myself a Nigerian. We brag and boast about how proud we are as Nigerians and to see this happening in our homeland is completely unaccepatable. I got to work the next day and was asked questions I did not have answers to.

When will Nigeria change? The question now is can Nigeria ever change? Nigeria as a nation can not be great until the common Nigerian man is great. It is sad to say that I may never see that day in my lifetime and I am still in my twenties.

Our government is run by thieves and criminals of all callibres. They do not know what it means to govern people. Illiteracy, Ignorance, Poverty, Selfishness, Greed, the list goes on will continue to destroy us everyday and we are all just watching.

Everyday it is getting worse, when will I be able to stand up and say and believe that it is getting better?

[NinjaT]

Nice article.

This is a high level of lawlessness that mustn't go unpunished. Even the Governor of the state (Akwa Ibom) that addressed the children (in his office) didn't know what to say to them. He has no comforting word and looks at the children sheepishly (like someone woken from his sleep).

How can the children get justice? Not from a governor that doesn't have a clue of what is happening in his backyard.

[Willy]

Beginning to look like whac-a-mole country, hit it here, it reappears there. yesterday was Ms. Okere's, next, policeman killed by two naval ratings, then savaged children, after which 19 killed in pipeline fire, read today's Guardian editorial below;

Adamawa College provost and fascist rule

IT is rather curious that the Adamawa State Government is still keeping Mallam Musa Yahaya Nuhu, Provost of the College of Legal Studies, Yola, in his position, more than two weeks after his ignoble suspension or expulsion of some students in the college recently on purely frivolous grounds. Mallam Nuhu's behaviour is typical of a religious fundamentalist or a zealot who is not deserving of such a respected position in a college of legal studies.

The Provost had suspended three students for one semester each for openly expressing their excitement by hugging one another as soon as they stepped out of the school examination hall. He also summarily expelled nine other Christian students who protested the suspension before the State House of Assembly.

Another lady was suspended for a semester on the grounds that she adored her neck with a cross pendant - a symbol of the Christian faith - while wearing a Fulani traditional dress.

According to the report, the suspended students - male and female - were excited about the outcome of a particular examination paper. The Provost who claimed to have spotted them from his office invited them and unilaterally slammed the punishment on them, without following due process, despite pleas by the students. The students' protest and petition to the state House of Assembly and various law enforcement agencies piqued Mallam Nuhu, but he was adamant.

Some key personalities in the state including the Speaker of the Assembly, James Barka, Deputy Governor James Bala Ngilari, the Chief of Staff to the governor and the Secretary to the State Government intervened in the matter, and advised the College Provost to reconsider his decision but that was the beginning of further trouble for the students: the Provost withheld their results.

The College of Legal Studies, Yola, as far as we know, is a public institution, owned by the Adamawa State government. The senior officials of the state who intervened based on the students' petition must have foreseen the great danger that Mallam Nuhu's zero tolerance for other faiths portends; his refusal to listen to the voice of reason is condemnable.

Ordinarily, the college is expected to have a disciplinary committee. It is therefore surprising that the Provost would constitute himself into the accuser, the judge and the jury against the 13 students. And how if we may ask, does the spectacle of a few students hugging each other pose a threat to an institution of learning? Mallam Nuhu as the head of a public institution should not be seen to be promoting religious bigotry. Definitely, hugging cannot be against the ethics of the institution.

On the suspension of a female student based on her use of a cross pendant, it will be logical to ask the provost if the school has any dress code known to the community, which can be violated by students who wear cross pendants. If not, then the suspended lady's action has not translated to and cannot amount to disrespect for college rules, neither has it offended any human sensibilities.

No doubt, Mallam Yahaya Nuhu has presented himself as an idle hand. A busier, more serious provost of a college would not have preoccupied himself with watching students who embrace each other in broad daylight, for a fleeting moment on campus, adults who were instinctively excited about their performance in an examination.

The nation has witnessed a lot of religious violence ignited for flimsy reasons and by the kind of intolerance demonstrated by Mallam Musa Yahaya Nuhu. The Provost himself cannot claim to be unaware of this and the attendant loss of innocent lives and property. The persecution of students on religious grounds is a potential catalyst for conflict and destruction. Heads of public institutions generally should learn to be cautious where religious matters are concerned and resist the temptation to violate the rights of persons of other faiths. The Constitution guarantees the freedoms of thought, conscience and religion, and association, and protects every citizen from discrimination. It is strange that the Provost of a College of Legal Studies would seem not to be aware of this.

This particular Provost has not shown either leadership or discretion in handling the case of the 13 students in question. His arrogance, in the face of wiser counsel is deplorable. The Adamawa State Government, his employers, should consider relieving him of his duties as Provost and probably re-deploy him to a less sensitive department in the state civil service. The expelled and suspended students should be recalled forthwith by the Governing Council of the College.

[otito]

Sounds familiar?

COFFIN FOR HEAD OF STATE

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Woh! Ahhhhh Ch! Ahhhh! Ch! Ch!

Through ***** ****** *** **** *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN - [AFTER EACH LINE]
By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Through ***** ****** *** **** By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Inspiritus Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus,
Alla-hu, Waku-baru, Salem Elekum, Alla-hu Through ***** ****** *** **** By the Grace of Allmighty Lord

So I waka waka waka** **(walk) *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA- [AFTER EACH LINE]

I go many places I see my people Dem dey cry, cry cry Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen

I say I waka waka waka I go many places I see my people Dem dey cry, cry, cry Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen


I say I waka-waka-waka-waka-waka-waka-waka (HORNS response)

I waka any village anywhere in Africa I waka any village anywhere in Africa

Pastor’s house na ‘im dey fine pass My people dem dey stay for poor surroundings
Pastor’s dress na ‘im dey clean pass Be it hard for my people for dem to buy soap
Pastor na ‘im dem give respect pass And dem dey do bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad things


Through ***** *****8 *** **** *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN - [AFTER EACH LINE]
By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Inspiritus Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Alla-hu, Waku-baru, Salem Elekum, Alla-hu


So I waka waka waka *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA- [AFTER EACH LINE]
I go many places I go business places And I see, see, see All the bad, bad, bad things Dem dey do, do, do Call corruption And dey call “nepotism” Inside promotions And inside all business I say I waka waka waka I see, see, see *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA

So I waka-waka-waka-waka-waka-waka-waka (HORNS Short response)

I waka any business anywhere in Africa I waka any business anywhere in Africa North and South dem get dem policies One Christian and the other one, Muslim Anywhere the Muslims dem dey reign Na senior Allaha-ji na ‘im be director Anywhere the Christians dem dey reign Na the best friend to Bishop na ‘im be director It is a known fact that for many thousand years We Africans, we had our own traditions These money making organizations Them come put we Africans in total confusion

Through ***** *****8 *** **** *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN- [AFTER EACH LINE]
By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Inspiritus Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Alla-hu, Waku-baru, Salem Elekum, Alla-hu


So I waka waka waka *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA - [AFTER EACH LINE]

I go many places I go government places I see, see, see All the bad, bad, bad things Dem dey do, do, do Look Obasanjo, Before anything you know at all, And for dey shout Oh Lord, Oh Lord, Oh Lord, Oh mighty Lord, Oh Lord, Oh God

And den dey do bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad things

Through ***** ****** *** **** *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN
By the Grace of Allmighty Lord *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN

I say look-a Y’aradua I say look-a Y’aradua Before anything you know at all It would dey shout Aba Allah- Aba Allah- Aba Allah- Aba Allah - Aba Allah And den dey do yes, yes And den dey do bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad-bad things


Through Mohhmmed our Lord *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN By the Grace of Allmighty Allah *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN

So I waka waka waka *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA- [AFTER EACH LINE]

I go many places I go government places I see, see, see All the bad, bad, bad things Den dey do, do, do Den steal all the money Dem kill many students Dem burn many houses Dem burn my house too And killed my mama So I carry the coffin I Waka waka waka Movement of the People Dey Waka waka waka Young African Pioneers Waka waka waka We go Obalende (Abuja), We go Dodan barracks (Aso) Reach dem gatee-o And put the coffin down Obasanjo dey there, With him big fat stomach Y'aradua dey there, With him neck like ostrich We put the coffin down.


Dem no wan take am *[CHORUS] BUT DEM TAKE AM - [AFTER EACH LINE] Dem no wan take am Who go wan take coffin? Dem must take am For the bad bad bad things Wey dem don do Dem no wan take am Obasanjo grab am Y'aradua carry am Yes, dem no wan take am Obasanjo carry am Y'aradua tow am Dem no wan take am
Dem no wan take am It der for dem office Dem no wan take am It der dey now now now now It der dey now, now, now, now It der dey now, now, now, now It der dey now, now, now, now It der dey now, now, now, now It der dey now, now, now, now

* Repeat as desired



Coffin for Head of State- Explanation

A criticism of arbitrary/artificial religious & ethnic boundaries, and of religious hypocrisy- people who invoke god, but then commit atrocities.

The poor live in squalour while the pastor lives in luxury. Fela walks (waka), & sees the unhappiness of his people,and the corruption & greed of the western, colonial-influenced Nigerian government then - now they themselves are so corrupt, that they are very well capable of negatively influencing western governments (student don sabi pas him master). .

But then;

oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!! oneday go be oneday! oneday go be oneday!!

OTITO

[i-go-better]

I am only surprised that you guys are surprised that such evil are rampant in Nigeria!

What do you expect from a country ruled by a gutter bred Obj who self-satisfactorily handed over to a sick recluse.

While reputable world Leaders all over the globe are having sleepless nights on how to help their citizens survive the current devastating economic crunch, Nigerian Leaders are more interested in raising BILLIONS TO BUILD A PARTY SECRETARIAT!

And who better to be the honourable chairman of this evil project than the best thing to come from Ijaw Nation, "Bad"luck Jonathan; a Nation that has lost numerous sons and daughters fighting for a tiny peice of the trillion spewing out of their God given mineral each day, their own son found it morally up-lifting to, not only being involved in this rancid jamboree, but be the CHAIRMAN!

Why would anyone be shocked/awed for any manner of negativity coming from a country led by leaders like these?

[Kelechi]

I came back from work that Thursday (I believe it was when the programme was being aired on Channel 4) and saw the last part of the documentary. A few days earlier, I had seen the advert about the programme but didn't make much of it. On Friday, at a training on Anti-Racism and Interculturalism, an Irish colleague asked if I saw the programme on Channel 4. Of course, I had only seen the last part and said so; and the conversation went no further. The look she gave me now makes sense! She must have wondered if that was all I could say to a programme that cast my country in such diabolical and despicable light. A programme that must in all rational estimation be a throw back to the dark ages.

No wonder Nigerians are the butt of everyone's jokes. We get riled for good reason but Nigeria is not in any hurry to change because we are still a nation in bondage.

Then I visited the NVS yesterday as I do to catch up with 'developments' in Nigeria and there was this youtube link and a strong and persuasive line to visit it. I did and the rest as they say is history. I was heart broken and very angry with myself and 'that' country called Nigeria. I know it could be worse, but sometimes I wonder how I got created in such a country. Why did I not choose to become a Ghanaian citizen by birth or Togolese by maternal affiliation? To make matters worse, I happen to be the type of Nigerian that attempts to argue the non existent positive points of that country. Not one! Not even one good point!!

Trying to justify things and divinely solve problems is certainly Nigerian. Rather than tackle issues we "leave it for God". God will build or repair our derelict infrastructures including; roads, hospitals and schools. He will change and punish bad governments and bring us to his paradise to enjoy the rewards of our perseverance and long suffering. This must be a national failing - same as the ostrich attitude that is prevalent in Nigeria. Some times we go to sleep believing that our troubles will go away; they never do. We only push them to the deep recesses of our uncritical minds where they cease to be a problem.

That I would watch such a shameful documentary about Nigeria in this late 21st century is indeed atrocious.

[abdulmumin]

Originally Posted by Willy

Beginning to look like whac-a-mole country, hit it here, it reappears there. yesterday was Ms. Okere's, next, policeman killed by two naval ratings, then savaged children, after which 19 killed in pipeline fire, read today's Guardian editorial below;

Adamawa College provost and fascist rule

IT is rather curious that the Adamawa State Government is still keeping Mallam Musa Yahaya Nuhu, Provost of the College of Legal Studies, Yola, in his position, more than two weeks after his ignoble suspension or expulsion of some students in the college recently on purely frivolous grounds. Mallam Nuhu's behaviour is typical of a religious fundamentalist or a zealot who is not deserving of such a respected position in a college of legal studies.

The Provost had suspended three students for one semester each for openly expressing their excitement by hugging one another as soon as they stepped out of the school examination hall. He also summarily expelled nine other Christian students who protested the suspension before the State House of Assembly.

Another lady was suspended for a semester on the grounds that she adored her neck with a cross pendant - a symbol of the Christian faith - while wearing a Fulani traditional dress.

According to the report, the suspended students - male and female - were excited about the outcome of a particular examination paper. The Provost who claimed to have spotted them from his office invited them and unilaterally slammed the punishment on them, without following due process, despite pleas by the students. The students' protest and petition to the state House of Assembly and various law enforcement agencies piqued Mallam Nuhu, but he was adamant.

Some key personalities in the state including the Speaker of the Assembly, James Barka, Deputy Governor James Bala Ngilari, the Chief of Staff to the governor and the Secretary to the State Government intervened in the matter, and advised the College Provost to reconsider his decision but that was the beginning of further trouble for the students: the Provost withheld their results.

The College of Legal Studies, Yola, as far as we know, is a public institution, owned by the Adamawa State government. The senior officials of the state who intervened based on the students' petition must have foreseen the great danger that Mallam Nuhu's zero tolerance for other faiths portends; his refusal to listen to the voice of reason is condemnable.

Ordinarily, the college is expected to have a disciplinary committee. It is therefore surprising that the Provost would constitute himself into the accuser, the judge and the jury against the 13 students. And how if we may ask, does the spectacle of a few students hugging each other pose a threat to an institution of learning? Mallam Nuhu as the head of a public institution should not be seen to be promoting religious bigotry. Definitely, hugging cannot be against the ethics of the institution.

On the suspension of a female student based on her use of a cross pendant, it will be logical to ask the provost if the school has any dress code known to the community, which can be violated by students who wear cross pendants. If not, then the suspended lady's action has not translated to and cannot amount to disrespect for college rules, neither has it offended any human sensibilities.

No doubt, Mallam Yahaya Nuhu has presented himself as an idle hand. A busier, more serious provost of a college would not have preoccupied himself with watching students who embrace each other in broad daylight, for a fleeting moment on campus, adults who were instinctively excited about their performance in an examination.

The nation has witnessed a lot of religious violence ignited for flimsy reasons and by the kind of intolerance demonstrated by Mallam Musa Yahaya Nuhu. The Provost himself cannot claim to be unaware of this and the attendant loss of innocent lives and property. The persecution of students on religious grounds is a potential catalyst for conflict and destruction. Heads of public institutions generally should learn to be cautious where religious matters are concerned and resist the temptation to violate the rights of persons of other faiths. The Constitution guarantees the freedoms of thought, conscience and religion, and association, and protects every citizen from discrimination. It is strange that the Provost of a College of Legal Studies would seem not to be aware of this.

This particular Provost has not shown either leadership or discretion in handling the case of the 13 students in question. His arrogance, in the face of wiser counsel is deplorable. The Adamawa State Government, his employers, should consider relieving him of his duties as Provost and probably re-deploy him to a less sensitive department in the state civil service. The expelled and suspended students should be recalled forthwith by the Governing Council of the College.

How does this address the issues raised by ON?

[abdulmumin]

Originally Posted by i-go-better

I am only surprised that you guys are surprised that such evil are rampant in Nigeria!

What do you expect from a country ruled by a gutter bred Obj who self-satisfactorily handed over to a sick recluse.

While reputable world Leaders all over the globe are having sleepless nights on how to help their citizens survive the current devastating economic crunch, Nigerian Leaders are more interested in raising BILLIONS TO BUILD A PARTY SECRETARIAT!

And who better to be the honourable chairman of this evil project than the best thing to come from Ijaw Nation, "Bad"luck Jonathan; a Nation that has lost numerous sons and daughters fighting for a tiny peice of the trillion spewing out of their God given mineral each day, their own son found it morally up-lifting to, not only being involved in this rancid jamboree, but be the CHAIRMAN!

Why would anyone be shocked/awed for any manner of negativity coming from a country led by leaders like these?

Can we really rest the blame on our leadership?

Me thinks the followership are at the minimum equally guilty of the decay in all aspects of our national life. I have lived practically all of my life so far in Nigeria and I can say that we have exactly the kind of leadership and by extension the country that we deserve!

[MrOneNaija]

REALITY CHECK: THE DOMESTICATION OF MALEVOLENT IMPULSES

As scandalous as the horror in Akwa Ibom is, it is unlikely that its international exposure by a foreign media outfit will any time soon lead to a fundamental change in the mentality of key segments of the Nigerian society regarding such depraved and irrational practices. One critical reason for that is the fact that supposedly powerful elements within the various communities across the nation do in fact indulge in or actually condone some of the primitive and superstitious mores and as such may not have the political cum moral will to work toward the eradication of such criminal activities masquarading as traditional or religious conduct.

Has anyone wondered why despite the serial atrocities associated with the so-called new religions and their pastors, the rich men and especially politicians continue to patronise them and are to a large extent their main financial backbone? In a depressed economy where religion in its varied manifestations has truly become the opium of the people, the false prophets - imams, priests, born-again pastors, juju men, soi-disant spiritual advisers or marabouts imported from neighbouring countries - act as status quo agents whose role as perpetrators of ignorance helps in the sustenance of the decadent system in place.

This reality check: Ask the average Nigerian man and woman laying claim to either Islam or Christianity and they will tell you that power belongs to God and that, for instance, the fact that Yar'Adua is at Aso Rock now is a clear indication that God ordained so! The criminal act consisting in the rigging into office by the ex-tyrant of the invalid from Katsina is thus equated with an act of Allah.

Other terrible instances of Nigerians' folly and inhumanity to man include the disturbing practice of wickedly ambitious men sleeping with their own daughters as a means of gaining material wealth, or simply being considered as having "arrived". Not long ago, Gbenga, one of the sons of the former dictator, did alert the nation when he cried out aloud that both his father-in-law and father, Olusegun Obasanjo, had had carnal knowledge of his wife. Gbenga specifically stated that the criminal and incestuous behavior of the father of his wife had to do with get-rich-quick rituals. It is noteworthy that instead of condemning the heinous acts attributed to the powerful individuals, some otherwise enlightened people from Obasanjo's part of the country in particular futilely tried to sweep it under the carpet. "Let us not wash our dirty linen in public" seemed to be the motto of the day with these hypocrites. How can one ever hope to conquer destructive expressions of atavism with this kind of mindset?

In Nigeria today, politicians seeking power, whether it is at the local government, state or national level, believe that the killing - they call it sacrifice - of a child or the sexual abuse of a mad woman or any other chilling and satanic outrage is a normal practice. In Lagos, the demise of the Oba is a time of apprehension for its inhabitants. Hunters of fresh human heads are reportedly sent out to provide befitting trophies that must be buried along with the dead Kabiyesi! I still cannot figure out why this practice still persists today in Lagos and elsewhere in the country without a concerted media campaign against it. Also, remember Okija shrine? Dead and buried (No pun intended)! Has anyone recently heard of the police report promised the nation?

It is a disheartening statement of our collective self-indictment that we live in a society whereby the domestication of irrational and malevolent impulses does actually involve (but is by no means limited to) elite segments of the nation. Where are the articulate voices against these serial national abominations than cannot be justified by a knee-jerk refrain of cultural relativism?

[uzosike]

i was informed about this man inhumanity to man by a white collugue who saw the programme.
It's not surprising that such barbaric and ungodly act are committed in Akwa Ibom as was shown on the Channel 4 documentary. Many more souls are killed on daily basis in Nigeria than are born in Western Europe. This was just a tip of an iceberge. Many Children are killed for sacrifice, others die due to mal-nutrition. many of our Hospitals are just a bunch of mogue.
Where are our Police, SSS, EFCC etc in all of this.
What a shame