Over the past few days, the peace in Oyo State and indeed, Nigeria has been greatly threatened by the crisis which erupted in the Shasha market. My findings indicated that, it all started after a brawl between two artisans led to the death of a cobbler, who was of the Yoruba extraction. Your guess about who drew the knife is as good as mine.
Before the Shasha incidence, the nation was faced with the eviction notice issued by an acclaimed war lord on the need for killer herdsmen to vacate Yoruba forests. This ‘Igboholistic’ eviction notice drew national attention as banters were being thrown left, right and centre by politicians, traditional and opinion leaders across the country. Such notices are not allien to Nigerians anymore, as some groups in the northern part of the country had issued same to southerners, prior to the 2019 general elections. Ironically, the warlord would end up having his house burnt either by a reprisal or a coordinated act to further stir emotions and attract sympathy of his followers.
Bandits and kidnappers are feeding fat in a country where crime seems to be the only outlet to quick wealth. One could actually argue if these acts crimes are physical, moral or a combination of both. This is because some other persons only need to create an account for crowdfunding, to amass millions of naira, for logistics support, for their course, which most times, are detrimental to our collective aspirations as a country, without pointing a gun at anyone.
Across the North and Southern parts of the country, young men and women are being recruited on daily basis either as terrorists or freedom fighters, into organizations which have been birthed to advance our national disintegration. Like never before, our country is plagued with the malady of religious and ethnic intolerance. Gradually, we are teetering towards the cliff and if frantic efforts are not been made and sustained by policy makers and stakeholders, pundits who had predicted our disintegration ahead of the 2015 general elections, would have their instincts, proven right sooner than expected.
On the media, the case is becoming more worrisome as embers of hate and crises are been fanned on daily basis by several disturbing comments, videos and hashtags. Ofcourse, I have seen clips showing the quantity and quality of ammunition at the disposal of these ethnic chauvinists and merchants of death. Across the regions, groups are being fortified, with the calls for war, resonating louder than ever and I am beginning to wonder, if the nation is gearing towards a free-for-all showdown of human massacre.
In their droves, northerners are leaving Oyo State despite the efforts being made by the Federal and State Government, to restore normalcy to the affected community. We have had enough of blood shed as a nation and the issue of Shasha must be handled with utmost care, else, it will degenerate to a more devastating crisis across the nation. A stitch in time they say, saves nine.
Comrade Omaga Elachi Daniel writes from Nasarawa State.