July 06, (THEWILL) — The lesson learned from the release of 16 abducted residents of Eda Oniyo-Ekiti community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Saturday, after spending 67 days in captivity, is sobering.
Some leaders of the community reportedly said they paid a total of 25 Million in batches of N10 million and N15 million after negotiations that lasted many weeks, during which citizens exhausted all available means to raise the money, with contributions coming from both the people at home and in the diaspora.
Amazingly, the community also contributed five bags of rice, five 30-litre kegs of petrol, loaves of bread, cartons of noodles, soft drinks and other foodstuffs demanded by the kidnappers during the period of negotiation. Almost all households in the community paid something from N1,000 to hundreds of Naira to secure the release of their compatriots. The supplies were conveyed on motorcycles due to serious logistical difficulties and at times with vehicles that were directed where to make the delivery.
On the face of it, this community support is commendable, worthy of emulation and emotionally refreshing for the victims who would be somehow stabilised by their remembrance of the support offered by their kith and kin in their hours of need.
Still, there are unavoidable questions that make this case worrisome. Where was the government when rescue efforts were going on? How was it possible for the kidnappers to hold on for all that while, during which an octogenarian among the victims, children, women and the elderly, died in captivity. What happened to the kidnappers after the ransom had been paid and the victims’ release secured? Isn’t this matter a clear evidence that governments in Nigeria are everywhere and nowhere? For how long can citizens continue to bear responsibility for their safety in the face of the worsening insecurity in the country?
Annoyingly, the police issued a statement afterwards to say the security agencies, including Amotekun, with support from Governor Biodun Oyebanji, “played a critical role in securing the release of the victims.”
Yet, Mr Rufus Ajayi, President of the Eda Progressive Union, who told journalists about the ordeal of the victims and the rescue efforts of the traumatised community, said the state government failed to respond to their call for assistance.
He said, “Three members of the negotiation team left the community three days earlier and travelled deep into remote areas to complete the handover process. The abductors, he added, “initially directed the team to proceed towards Eruku in Kwara State before later moving them to another location in Kogi State where the victims were eventually handed over.
The point in this painful experience for members of the community is that all levels of government were virtually absent in their moments of danger. What happened to the community is also happening in many other communities in Nigeria: They are collectively playing a major role in tackling this seemingly endless insecurity. Sooner than later, the legitimacy and authority of the government will fade away and the people will have a genuine case to seek for better ways to govern themselves.
