Wednesday, 21 October 2015

Ihiagwa three. Would you watch or act?

I remember vividly in October 2012 the dusts, petitions and cries raised by the Aluu 4 crisis.
Four innocent boys killed by an angry mob just because of mere speculations. That, was unanimously described  by all as an inhumane act, but when something similar is done to guilty persons we say its karma.
In the saloon yesterday, i happened to stumble upon a certain gist about Ihiagwa vigilante (you can google Ihiagwa up) and their hunt for the men who threaten the still of the night and instill fear into  students and residents of the community.
It so happened that a particular gang of three were unfortunate to be apprehended  and one ended up being BURNT ALIVE while the other two where given the beating of their lives before the police intervened.
I immediately felt
sad for the poor fellow who met his untimely death in the hands of cruel and thoughtless men. I do not support the act of thiefry neither do i advocate that culprits be left to go free but we as humans do not have the right to take anothers life no matter the gravity of crime committed.

In deep thought i tried to visualize his skin melting and the agony in his eyes as he shouted in pain, i began to ponder and wonder about the mindset of the spectators of this gory show.

Did anyone try to help?
Where they cheering the vigilante up?
Whose tire and fuel was used to commit this act?
Was anyone beaten because they tried to speak against this act?
Who got the police involved?
I asked the stylist and others in the saloon but all they were interested in was the fact that the thieves got what they deserved. I expressed my dissapointment even though i tried to understand the traumatic pain we go through in the hands of robbers- armed or not. A friend of mine recently had her laptop stolen alongside with her complete project work, leaving her to start all over again from the very first word.
Before i left the saloon i was able to bring to consciousness the real question bugging me.
If i was in such a scenario would i raise a voice against the act? Would i rather watch from the sidelines shaking my head?
Or would i simply walk pass and discuss about it later with my friends?

I believe its not enough to burn or melt corporal punishment on humans- innocent or guilty. Its not enough to grumble on the sidelines watching as body mass disintegrates or waiting for the last breadth.
We should be proactive against such voilence rather than watching from the sidelines.
Human life is sacred and should be left so.
I do pray you find forgiveness and God's mercy. RIP Mr Thief.

I must warn that the image below may be shocking.


10 comments:

  1. Ever since the Aluu incident, such stories about vigilante justice have begun to make me even more uneasy than it used to.
    And really, I had no idea these practices were now being propagated in FUTO. Hmm..

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  2. ihiagwa please not FUTO. FUTO Students are not that barbaric. we are law abiding even when provoked

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  4. Thank you @McFabian. yes Ihiagwa not FUTO as in Yaba not Unilag.

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  5. As much as speaking up is the right thing, one must be careful. As a young man, speaking up for such a person in the midst of that irate crowd might lead to my being lumped together with the thief and then I might find a tire around my neck, a mob doesn't think cerebrally, they are primeval in thought and action, so it is better to assess the situation before speaking.
    May his soul rest in peace, and may God forgive us all, for our active and passive participation

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