The General's Ransom: A Nation Held Hostage
~~ Ahman Makams
The news barely registered. A retired Major General of the Nigerian Army, a man who had dedicated his life to the defense of this nation, was abducted. Taken from his home by armed men, treated not as a dignitary, but as a common criminal. The nation, it seemed, barely blinked.
₦180 million. That's the price tag for his freedom. A king's ransom extorted from his family, a staggering sum that now fuels the very violence that plagues the nation. While the General finally regained his liberty, the kidnappers emerged from this ordeal far wealthier, and far more emboldened. The money, enough to equip a small militia, now fuels more guns, more terror, more tears. They caught a big fish this time—and their appetites are insatiable.
This wasn't a random act of violence; it was a calculated assault on the foundations of Nigerian security. If a retired general, a symbol of authority and military might, isn't safe, who truly is? The silence that followed this horrific crime is deafening.
The starkest contrast lies in the contrasting fates of two victims of abduction. An Israeli national, a foreigner, was kidnapped by bandits and recovered within 24 hours by our military, thanks to "credible intelligence" from local sources. No ransom was paid. Contrast this with the agonizing ordeal faced by the Nigerian general. He was held hostage for weeks, while his family was forced to endure the torment of uncertainty, stripped bare of any sense of security. The difference screams of a system riddled with inequalities, where the fate of a citizen depends on their nationality, not their worth.
But the tragedy extends beyond the financial losses. This incident is a stark reflection of a system teetering on the brink of collapse. It’s a brutal indictment of our leaders' failures, their prioritization of personal gain over national security. It casts a long shadow on the integrity of our security forces, prompting us to question their effectiveness and commitment to protecting the very people they are sworn to serve. Years of neglect, corruption, and a shocking disregard for the safety of its citizens have culminated in this grim reality.
Who did this to us? When even those who pledged their lives to the nation's defense are not safe, who can truly feel secure? This isn't merely a crime against one man; it's a national tragedy, a profound betrayal of the trust we place in our institutions and those in power.
This isn't just about a kidnapped General; it's a stark warning sign. It's a cry for help, a desperate plea for a nation to confront its deep-seated problems and demand accountability from those who have allowed this festering wound of insecurity to fester. The ₦180 million ransom isn't just a financial loss; it’s a symbolic sacrifice, a testament to our collective failure. This is not normal. This is a ticking time bomb. Wake up, Nigeria.
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