While We Clap and Cheer

The newspapers' headlines this morning screamed of the bloodbath that took place yesterday in a Catholic church in Ozubulu, Anambra State in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, where gunmen drove into the church, opened fire on the 6 a.m Mass worshippers, killing about 11 and wounding about 18 (the numbers vary, depending on the source). The whole community and entire state was left in shock, and the ensuing panic and propaganda could be imagined.

In a country where such shootings usually happened in the Northern part; where Muslim extremists would enter a Church or Mosque and either blow up worshippers, or shoot them to death; a lot of people could not fathom or believe that such could happen in Igbo land and that the perpetrators (or at least those that hired the assassins) could be fellow Igbo people. 

Personally, when I heard the news, my mind went to the infamous boko haram and Fulani herdsmen, then I paused and wondered why Ozubulu of all towns in the South-East? I thought of the planning, the escape route they would have mapped out, and the logistics I believe goes into planning such a hit and I went scouting for more information. 

The news that it was a drug-related hit did not come as a complete shock to me, unlike a lot of people who are hell-bent on pinning the crime to the Fulanis or Muslims. We have heard of such hits in South Africa and Malaysia, but I guess we thought it wouldn't be brought home. I remember a suitor I had years ago who lived in South Africa was burnt alive over there in one of those drug-deals-gone-wrong. Well, unfortunately, the chicken has come home to roost, and I believe this is just the first of many of such attacks, unless we do something drastic. 

We see such drug dealers and we know who they are. I have seen videos of the said 'Bishop' spraying money at events as if money grew on trees behind his house. We cheer, we idolise them, give them chieftaincy titles, even the church gives them awards. He supposedly built the church in his village and I bet they were glad and proud, prayed for him even, that his 'business' would flourish so he'd bring home more money. Now his 'business' has caused serious bloodbath in his community.

Young boys leave home, move to Asia and South Africa, in a short while they come home with bags of money, showing off and causing havoc on the streets and events, and we clap and cheer them on. I tell you, politicians have nothing on these guys when it comes to showing off! Last Christmas, it was 'ndi Malay', as we called them, who were showing off, spraying money at events and driving with the biggest security, causing traffic on the roads. We know who they are, and we think it will not come to haunt us? 

The chicken must come home to roost.

These young men have menaced the Asian countries and South-Africa, brought drugs and blood money home to us, given to us and we have eaten. Now is the time to pay. While we cheer and clap for them, they keep infesting our land with blood money, and when shit hits the fan we all suffer. As long as we keep idolising such criminals, more young people will want to join them and become big boys and big girls. Politicians even go to them for sponsorship, and they end up becoming political godfathers courtesy of the money they invest in politics.

This might be the first of more to come, as I believe there will be another hit in retaliation to this, and the cycle continues. This came from South Africa, 'ndi Malay' will send theirs soon. It might just become a competition about which hit will be the most bloody.

I won't even call on God to save us, or ask why He did not do anything while worshippers were being slaughtered in a church. We have sold our souls to money and we will pay for it. As Jesus said, we have turned the house of God into a business arena, and anything goes as long as you bring money. That a building is called a church does not mean that God dwells in it, take note.