Editors' note: In this timely piece, the writer, Buchi Obichie, laments over the seeming misplaced priorities of the security agencies. She points out that while men are dying on the battle front against insurgents in the north-east, the Police Force is more concerned with going after individuals like Dino Melaye! She, however, ends with a crucial advise to the senator.
I originally had a different post in mind for today. I had written a political satire; something to make people laugh as the year 2019 opened up. I wanted to keep things light and breezy...nothing too deep. However, an online post made me change my plans.
It wasn't anything I hadn't seen before...or written about before, for that matter; yet it stirred me deeply. It made me mad in my spirit, angry and deeply sad at the same time...sad enough to shed a few quiet tears.
It was a post about another young soldier who had fallen to his death at the hands of Boko Haram terrorists.
READ ALSO: 2019: The 'cabal' must go! by Buchi Obichie (Opinion)
On the 1st of January, while the rest of us celebrated with our friends and families, a family somewhere was mourning the death of their son who had been killed a few days earlier.
Ifeanyi Oseh had a promising future ahead of him, dreams of a better tomorrow, hopes and aspirations begging to come to life; but in a twinkle of an eye, all that was gone. Alas, he fell to the might of the terrorists, and his place is now numbered among the dead.
But his case is not unique. From Baga to Metele, the battle fields are flowing with blood...the blood of gallant soldiers whose only crime in life was choosing to defend their country...a country which - in my opinion - eventually failed them.
Why are we a nation that does not value its people? Why do we give attention to frivolity and turn a blind eye to the things that should matter the most?
At the same time soldiers like Ifeanyi were falling to their death, the police was engrossed with laying siege to the home of Senator Dino Melaye. They have allegedly cut his electricity and water supply and vowed to not leave until he surrenders.
Now, I am not saying that they shouldn't give attention to that matter. It's part of their responsibilities, isn't it? However, aren't there more pressing matters to prioritize? How about the 190 policemen who allegedly absconded after being posted to the north-east to battle the Boko Haram insurgency?
Those fleeing policemen decided that their lives were more important than the call of duty; and in all likelihood, they took the decision after witnessing their colleagues falling to their deaths as a result of allegedly not being given adequate weaponry to fight a superiorly-armed insurgent group. Is it not a death sentence to be given AK-47's to fight terrorists who have RPG's, armoured trucks and move about openly without fear? So they chose life!
What about the recent report that no word has been heard yet from about 40 mobile policemen posted to Baga town when the town was recaptured months back before the recent ransack by the Albarnawi faction of the Boko Haram sect?
Yet, amidst these serious issues, the police concerns itself with chasing Melaye over a case that supposedly happened in July! As at Thursday, January 3, over 50 policemen had allegedly been posted to the senator's house. However, if the matter was that serious to them, why wasn't it handled in July 2018 when it happened?
We have got to stop this madness! It's high time that we start devoting time, energy and resources to the most important things.
Now, please, understand me properly - I can't say this enough - I am in no way implying that the alleged attack on an officer by Melaye is not something important...it is. However, what about the men who are dying on the battlefields and the others who are running away so they don't meet a similar fate? How about those who are allegedly still missing? Aren't they just as important? Why aren't we giving similar (even greater) attention to them?
Nigeria is a country that never ceases to amaze me. I know that we are all screaming in the online space at the moment; however, what will it take to achieve real change? I bet you, all it takes is a matter of time, and this uproar will subside. Why are we like this?
I weep for these young men. They are people's sons, brothers, uncles, nephews, friends, colleagues, etc. Ifeanyi Oseh could have been my brother. However, even if he is not related to me by blood, are we not all connected by virtue of being humans? Are we not all connected by virtue of being citizens of the same country?
*Sigh*
Someone hit the nail on the head when he said the Boko Haram insurgency would have been ended if the children of the high and mighty in society were the ones in the battle front. If that was the case, there certainly won't be an alleged issue of inadequate weaponry facing our men in uniform.
But how did we become so heartless? Since when has it become okay for the blood of another to be spilled as far as he does not bear our own family's mark?
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So while men like ifeanyi Oseh fall in battle, our police force is lying in wait for Dino Melaye, while the Army seems to be waging a PR war to ensure that the 'Boko Haram narrative' is controlled! This is what we have come to!
In any case, I would advise Senator Dino Melaye to do us all a favour and surrender to the police, so that they can (hopefully) turn their attention to more important matters!
May the souls of all those who have fallen in the line of duty to protect us from terrorists, rest in peace. May their sacrifices not be in vain and may they get justice for their stolen lives!
This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.
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