Recent events prove that African always seek to absolve ourselves of responsibility, everyone thinks every other person is at fault. Meanwhile “we created this Monster”, the monster of jungle justice and uncontrolled temper.

Immediately the images and videos broke the internet, do you know what my people did? They turned on each other and engaged slingshot of blame and counter-blame. It is the “religious”, yes those people who believe in God and eternal damnation, they are the mob that killed the boy.

I apologise, I have not told you what happened. There was an incidence where a young boy was lynched somewhere in Lagos, the story had it that he was ” 7 year old who stole Garri”.

Whether the claims of the story are true or not, Nigerians don’t care.

Whether the culprits have been apprehended or not, Nigerians are unperturbed.

What the 21st Century Nigerian cares about is the religions lines, the demarcations, the borders, the segregation yet they claim to be Anti-Trump. We are the reason for our broken system, we are the reason for the inequality and injustice, we created this monster called society.

In situations like this, what should be our concern?

a. Executioners: We should be worried about the executioners, they are criminals protected by a mob.

b. Mobs: We should be worried about the mob, they are passive executioners and should be held for aiding and abetting a crime.

c. Social Media: We should be worried about those who stood and took pictures or made video recordings. I do not blame them, I believe they did something good, without their videos or pictures, we have no hope of identifying the mob or executioners.

d. Law Enforcement: We should be worried about the Police, the reasons they could not be in the area within the space of time it took to rally up a mob and kill another human.

We should be worried about ourselves and our priorities, how we twist and turn stories to suit whatever selfish ideology we need to push. A number of responses on the internet were full of religious colouration for an incident that had nothing to do with religion. It was no longer clear if Nigerians were more concerned about the life lost or about shifting blame to the religious groups.

As much as religion needs consistent critic and debate to ensure healthy practice, it is also very unhealthy for our growth if the only way we react to circumstances is shifting blames and pointing fingers. Most importantly we must understand that the vehement hatred we portray towards people of differing opinion is evidence of the negative contribution we continue to make to society.

How does a person who has no regard for other Nigerians, think they would not end up being a part of the next mob so long as it is a mob that satisfies their hatred and temper. We cannot win evil by being hateful, we cannot create a better society by being vengeful and altogether unreasonable. It is our Love for our own selves alone, that pushes us to kill.

Have a great day.