Our beloved and great country is becoming a no safe place to dwell in. Of recent, the Boko Haram menace has created a lot of fear in the hearts of many Nigerians as no one knows where their next suicide bombing could be launched. They were even bold enough to claim responsibility for the bombing of the United Nations building at Abuja among so many others.It is also heart-rending to watch the new development in the wave of armed robbery in our country. In the past, armed robbers in Nigeria were known to carry out their acts by shooting or threatening to shoot their victims in order to take their money or other possessions from them; but these days, armed robbers openly bring out machetes against their victims dealing out severe cuts strong enough to break the victims bones, cut off their limbs completely or take their lives as they go ahead to take their money and other belongings.The most sorrowful part of this is not that there are hoodlums in the society but that the security agents appear overwhelmed and non-challant, looking unconcerned and helpless.These new era hoodlums take advantage of our terrible unmaintained Federal Highways which have become death traps, or even burial grounds. These ones do not even need darkness as cover neither do they wear any mask. Their physique and grammar make one suspect them to be foreigners who came in through our porous Northern borders with neighbouring countries.Of recent, the Chairman of Oyo State Code of Conduct Bureau was attacked between Osogbo and Iwo Road at broad daylight and all his pleas and his wifes with the readiness to surrender all in their possession could not stop these murderers from inflicting severe matchete cuts that left him with a compound fracture. He has been in hospital bed for about three months now gradually recovering.The alarming rate at which innocent blood is being shed presumably for ritual purposes is becoming a major concern to well-meaning citizens as it poses a great security threat to the lives of the young as well as the old, for men and women alike.This wicked and murderous practice is now becoming an annual event in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State since the month of June 2008.The unsuspecting victims are suddenly attacked by some unknown persons who lurk around in the dark in the early hours of the morning or late hours of the night awaiting their unfortunate victims upon whom they inflict matchete cuts. These enemies of the community and peace quickly mop up the blood flowing from the victim as he/she (the victim) falls to the ground and take to their heels.The Kwara State Government has continued to deny this horrendous act which started again in October 2010 and the casualties this time so far, according to media reports, include two youth corps members, the C.E.O of a laundry services firm opposite Foods and Nuts along Upper Taiwo in Ilorin metropolis and a street cleaner among others.At the moment of writing this report, corpses of some of the victims lie at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital mortuary while nine other victims are being treated and on admission. Other hospitals in Ilorin such as Ola Olu and Olalomi are also taking their turns.Thankfully, the wife of the Kwara State Governor paid a prompt visit to one of the victims whose child is a friend to one of the Governors children before he finally gave up the ghost. The Health Officers didnt hesitate to let her know there were others lying down in the same hospital who had suffered from similar attacks. We do believe that this time, this murderous act will not be denied any longer but steps would be taken to curb these evil trends in Ilorin.A case was also reported of a journalist working with the state owned newspaper,Herald Newspapers, who was arrested, molested, and had his camera confiscated and destroyed and himself detained by the Police for attempting to take shots of one of the ritualists victims around the Central Bank of Nigeria office in Ilorin during the early hours recently. All these happened after he had identified himself properly.Can our communities not rise up to these challenges if security agents who are paid to protect the lives and property of Nigerian citizens appear to be helpless in the face of these vices'It is sad that even when people hear the cry of help from a victim, they run away instead of rushing over to save them. Some people must be bold enough to confront these wicked ones and deliver our country from the hands of those who have taken us to ransom. How can a country with all these uncurbed wicked and greedy atrocities develop and provide a good future for her offspring'- Orelope wrote in from Ajanaku Street, Ilorin, Kwara State.
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