The Killing of 3 “Innocent Youths”: My Innocent Observations

Written by Frank-Collins Okafor, a political scientist and Dean , Faculty of Social Sciences, Unizik

I have just observed something here on the A.A WhatsApp platform. A few number of us here have shown how difficult it is to satisfy our people. They usually visit the high heavens in condemnation of all condemnables but find it difficult to applaud any good effort. They would frown at ugly situations quite well but must find every way to identify faults in every good work. Haba! This reminds me of the Ozu nwonyeocha tales. Raise it up, mba! Bring it down, no way!

I could remember when almost everyone was lamenting the ugly condition of our roads in the state. It was a condemnation in unison, but when the governor declared emergency on our roads with commensurate actions, some started questioning the rationale behind it arguing at the top of their argumentative prowess that Anambraians could not “eat good roads”.

Then came the tragedy of insecurity in the state in which almost everyone lost a loved one. The situation was worse than war because wars were directional, but ours was a “war” against everyone. It was a harvest of condemnations against the person and office of the governor. Unsavoury words, statements, and insults were released, all urging the governor to do “everything possible” to save the state. It was a mandate; it was a democratic directive to the numero uno of the state.

Now, the jungle has matured, and the lion has awoken to the challenges of his territory and the expectations of his people. The camps and forests are currently invaded with outstanding succesful outcomes, the compromised buildings are pulled down, the criminal perpetrators are gunned down in their numbers, the bushes are cleared, arrests are made, some were neutralised while many other chicken-hearted criminals have left the State in droves instead of confronting the dare-devil and no nonsense state agents and their collaborators. Sanity is returning to the joy of all of us and glory of God. For the first time in a few years, I could drive through the new beautiful road from Amansea to Ufuma through to Umunze without weeing in my trousers or running high BP. I felt good that at least someone watched my back.

And suddenly, just suddenly, a few of us realised we are in a democracy where criminals have rights to be heard; where criminals must be first arrested alive and tried in the law courts before execution forgetting that the criminals didn’t give us any chance as citizens of a democracy nor given us the chance knowing we were in a democracy where jungle justice was not allowed. They slaughtered us like Christmas fowls without qualms and celebrated our neutralisation before us.

It is a pity that instead of hailing the heroic onslaught by the governor, some people are attributing the feat to Asari boys claiming that they heard their dialect during the operations. Is this really necessary? What is naturally supposed to be of glorious celebration is now trivialised and ethnicised, forgetting that the membership of the security forces involved in Agunechemba and Udogachi cut across all tribes and languages. Anyways, I do not care where they cane from. What matters is the outcome. Some are equally calling for a press release, disbandment of Agunechemba, and the head of Gov. Soludo because, according to them, three innocent young men were killed in one of the operations in Owerre Ezukala. Their unrelenting persistence in having Soludo’s head truly suggest that Soludo intentionally went out to kill innocent youths: “innocent souls were murdered,” they shouted on top of their voice and even demanded “a press release” by fire by force from Gov. Soludo. I heard one described the squads that took the government months to assemble as “untrained.” Untrained? Haba! Those were too judgemental against one who had good intention for the good of his people because of just one mistake ( a costly one though if found to be true).

One is not trying to justify the killing of the said “innocent boys” nor rationalising any act that culminated in the said 3 deaths in the hands of the state ( may their souls rest in peace and condolencesto their families). However, innocent mistakes at a time one was required to take decisions in a twinkle of an eye is possible and regrettable but not in its entirety, enough to condemn in all its ramifications, the good intentions, and bearing in mind we were even the ones that mandated the governor to do everything humanly possible to flush out the criminals from the state. Turning around to blame and totally condemn the governor may not be the best way to encourage someone. The release of some of the arrested suspects a few days ago confirms the existence of professional ethics among the squads. This is commendable. However, the government should apologise if the investigations found a lacuna in its part.

For those of us around who feel the sound and the heat of the miasma, it has been a wonderful experience with the latest onslaught against the criminals while we regret the killing of the “innocent youths” if proved to be correct. The lessons from the entire brouhaha must have taught both the governor, the Agunechemba squad, and all Anambraians in general a very good lesson. We are all learning. Jisinu ike. Victory of good over evil is assured.

@Frank-Collins