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We live in a country where law and order are like missing documents from official files. Though we know the provisions of the law but because they have grown wings and flown without traces from our statute, everyone abuses the law. Senator Ike Ekweremadu was not that lucky. As a major partner in the Nigerian political elite project who make our hospitals unvisitable even to their dogs, the only option left for them is to fly abroad for the most elementary ailments. This prompted Ekweremadu to initiate the crime of organ harvesting in Nigeria but only to be perfected in a country where rules of law are well entrenched and could not grow wings.
If Nigerian hospitals are functioning, the crime would have been perfected within and, of course, it wouldn’t have been a crime because of the person with two heads involved. Political elites have two heads in Nigeria; that makes them special species. They make the law, trample upon the law, and crucify the law. Ekweremadu is not just a law maker, he is a law expert. He has PhD in law and was recently appointed in May, 2022 to teach law as a Visiting Professor Corporate Governance and International Linkages in his alma mater, the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom. But because UK is a country where laws are implementable and implemented, Ekweremadu was immediately suspended the following month (June) when the news of organ-harvesting broke out.
For years, Ekweremadu had learnt how to make law. What he has not learnt—which the United Kingdom deems necessary to teach him—is how laws are implemented. Now he is learning. I hope he graduates in good health with flying grades. While many politicians in Nigeria, including ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, pleaded on Ekweremadu’s behalf in a fashion many considered to be a show of solidarity for a colleague in crime, our political elites seem not to pay attention to the young lad whose kidney would have been harvested. What is even more ridiculous is the money promised to be given to this lad for his kidney. A miserable N3.7m.
One will expect a fall of torrential downpour of money on this lad for the salvation mission—considering the personality involved (Sen. Ekweremadu). But selfishness compounded by wickedness has stifled generosity in the heart of some of these politicians. What if this donor faces some complications after donating his kidney? Would the said N3.7m be considered money for his treatment? It is not Ekweremadu’s fault alone, it is the fault of the political class who makes lives of Nigerians worthless. Some will even say Ekweremadu tried for offering N3.7m for a kidney. What is the worth of Nigerians’ organs? Human parts in Nigeria cost as low as N20, 000. I alluded to this in my previous article.
In Nigeria, as I write, a complete cow can go for N700, 000 and even more. But a complete Nigerian can be bought or sold at the cost of 100 or 200 thousands naira—it depends on circumstance. Who did this to us? Organ harvesting is not new in Nigeria. I read, some years ago, a report about syndicate who specializes in organ harvesting in Nigeria using trick—like in the case of Ekweremadu’s victim—to lure their prey. In fact, there are reported cases where some helpless and impoverished Nigerians willingly sold some of their vital organs for money. They argued, “that is the only way they can source money for businesses”. Ordinarily, one will think these are multi-million businesses. Unfortunately, organs are sold to fund petty businesses in Nigeria.
I have personally reached a conclusion that poverty in Nigeria is deadlier than ignorace. Plus, multi-dimensional poverty is the deadliest. This is the affliction that Nigerians are presently afflicted with. Self-organs sellers are not ignorant. They are not ignorant of the repercussions. But poverty is an existential threat to both life and dignity. Aside those who sell their organs to fund their petty businesses, we can summarily say organ harvesting in Nigeria is used for two major purposes: medical and ritual. That of Ekweremadu’s is medical, let’s turn to ritual.
In Ogun State again!? ” Why is Ogun State notorious for ritual killing?” I was asked this question in reaction to my article titled “A Pair of Fresh Woman’s Legs for Sale”. To avoid unnecessary conjecture, my simple answer to the above question is: “I don’t know”.
However, whether we like it or not, Ogun State is indeed notorious for ritual killings. A herdsman was reportedly killed. it should be noted that the killing has nothing to do with the ethnicity of the killers and the victim. It is purely a criminal act by some diehard Satanic fundamentalists who can do anything to please Satan. This is how it happened as reported: A herdsman was murdered at Ijagure village along Sagada, the Imeko-Afon Local Government of Ogun State around 6pm.The deceased and one other herdsman were grazing their cattle in the bush near the aforementioned village when a trigger-happy killer, armed with a locally made gun and assisted by four other killers, attacked them.
One of the two herdsmen escaped. The other one was killed. Then, they (the killers) contacted a friend of theirs who is, perhaps, more notorious and hardhearted to assist in dismembering the corpse at the scene of the crime on the same day around 7pm. He obliged and after dismembering the deceased, one of them took away the head of the deceased. What happened to the remaining parts? They were packed in a sack and buried in a pit near a river.
Unfortunately, these killers killed the wrong person. The herdsman’s blood was too thick and too bitter. Though he fell prey to these vulturous Satanic henchmen, they couldn’t fulfil their Satanic mission before they were caught. The suspects took the operatives to the crime scene after admitting their roles in the killing. When the suspects led the operatives to the gory scene of the atrocious dismemberment where the dismembered body was dumped, several parts of the deceased could not be found—they were missing.
Cases of ritual killings are just too ubiquitous to chronicle. They occur on daily basis. People are desperate to escape poverty which is now dangerous than ignorace in Nigeria. Different means are resorted to. While many are Japa’ing’, some are Yahoo’ing’. To perfect the Yahoo enterprise which is now considered the quickest way to riches, Nigerians, not just humans, must be sacrificed. It is therefore disdainful to the core that those who mismanage our affairs to make crime the only trajectory to riches (success) are now seeking our forgiveness.
However, ignorance of consequences or the horror of continuous wallowing in multi-dimensional poverty is not a justification for ritual killing, self-organs selling and related crimes. We must have human feelings and develop cringe for crimes. Nigerians, rather than resort to these Satanic acts, can Japa. Japa’ing’, though an ugly reality, is not a crime. It is a justifiable means of escape from the artificially created and government imposed poverty in Nigeria.
I wish Ekweremadu’s daughter quick recovery from what afflicts her. May we not be afflicted. Health is wealth. I pray to live to see a functional heath system in Nigeria. Until we have elected leaders who will proudly and patriotically treat their ailments in Nigerian hospitals because necessary things are put in place by them, I will continue to see our leaders (Christian or Muslim) as selfish, wicked, irresponsible, irreligious, and ungodly. Thus, I define irresponsible leaders as those who seek medical treatments abroad while their country’s hospitals remain graveyards with over worked and grossly underpaid health workers. I pray we get it right.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
