DEATH OF OSISIKANKWU

Notoriety has its place as the death of Obioma Nwankwo, also known as Osisikankwu, shows. Why the jubilations? Why the expectation that the death of this individual will mark the end of kidnapping and criminality in Abia State ?
Expectations like these minimise the depth of challenges from the social complications of a problem that was left for too long.

What makes anyone think the death of Osisikankwu will be the end of the social descent Nigeria has begun? How will the death get other kidnappers off the trade? Will the death create new jobs?

Will governments act more responsibly? Will the security agencies be up to their roles because Osisikankwu was killed?
There is cause for alarm in many ways. What does Osisikankwu represent? Who were his supporters?  Who were his godfathers? How was he released in the instances he was arrested? Could he have survived for this long without collaborators in government, the security agencies or both?

Are we celebrating the fact that we may never know how Abia State and environs got into this mess? Was Osisikankwu killed to silence him? Who was interested in his death instead of his arrest?

Should he not have been arrested, tried, so that he could provide information on the operations of his gang? Was someone afraid that if he was arrested he could reveal his godfathers? How was he killed? Why was he killed?

The jubilations cannot cover the fact that our security agencies act with undue force. If it was true they had enough intelligence on Osisikankwu, why did they not arrest him?

It would have been important to put Osisikankwu on trial. Kidnapping is big business for criminals, governments and security agencies. Nigerians are told of billions of Naira spent on security equipment. Why is criminality not abating?

What did invitation of Interpol and Israeli security agents achieve? Has the training of our policemen in anti-terrorism operations made impact? People benefit from these budgets. Without kidnapping, the flow ceases.

Had Osisikankwu been captured he could have revealed his informants in the security agencies. Did someone know he would talk? Who was afraid of Osisikankwu beyond the spates of criminality he spread in the South East?

In addition to taking 15 school kids last September, Osisikankwu was credited with the kidnapping, last July 11 of four journalists and their driver, on their way from Uyo.

Senate President David Mark had advocated application of ‘jungle solution’ to the rising level of kidnapping and armed robbery. He said the rule of law could not be applied in a jungle situation. Are security agencies adopting the Mark prescription?

Our security agencies are involved in too many extra-judicial killings. Abuses are possible. Exterminating criminals will not deter others as has been proven times over. They become more vicious.

Nigeria must re-order the society in a way to reduce the proclivity to crime. The death of Osisikankwu will not achieve a new order.