The crowd went silent, stares pierced through the tensed air amidst great uncertainty and a lingering sense of despair, while many muttered in disappointment at how badly things had gotten in the country, for a young and promising teenager from the town of Yawota in Oyo state, who was always at the top of her class and very active in church activities.
Her story was a unique one, although a story of that nature had recently been told before. She was a victim of abduction by the Fulani heardsmen and bandits, a devastating new trend that seems to be the order of the day in many parts of Nigeria, as these overzealous religious sect have become increasingly accustomed to abducting young students and holding them hostage while demanding outrageous amounts.
The crowd went from tense to a deep sigh of relief, as 16 year old Tolani, along with two of her classmates, emerged from the police van, exactly two weeks after she and her schoolmates were highjacked in their school bus on their way back from school. Many others have unfortunately not been as lucky as Tolani, because they are either still yet to be released or have been married off to one of their captors. While some even lost their lives to the ordeal. This is a very bothersome trend that needs to be nipped in the bud, because in a society, nothing matters more than lives and safety of the citizens.
What do you think of the current insecurity situation in Nigeria and what solutions can you proffer?