By Stephen Obajaja

I got home to the warm embrace of my wife and children this evening from a campaign event of the NBA and whilst at it my phone rang. I answered immediately as it is my Partner Adebola Lema calling. What l heard next and the pictures he later sent to me were for want of better words gruesome and incomprehensible.

In a short narrative, banks in Igarra had been attacked and many killed in cold blood. Why this now happens in Igarra on a fairly regular basis beats some of us silly. We grew up in this very town where these things were unheard of until very recently.

We were a very happy and united people whilst we were closely related by blood and marriage and every one knew and was related to everyone in Igarra. We understand that the world has changed profoundly and whatever we once were, we are no longer just a close nit community.

We have thereby opened ourselves to the world. Igarra is one of the few places in this country where everyone is welcome to fulfill his God given destiny without any form of hindrance. If we have now opened ourselves to the world and what we get in return is open carnage and despoilation who will blame us if we return to old clannish ways?

I am in tears now because my daughter just asked me ”Daddy when did they start killing people in Igarra”? I did not give her an answer. But what l know is that no one killed Igarra people inside Igarra until recently and not one Igarra person has been fingered in these killings.

Nigeria has never really had much to recommend it as a safe haven but the level of insecurity now boggles the mind and it grieves the soul.

May l humbly call on the Federal Government and the Government of Edo State to do what is right and stop this carnage in Igarra and indeed everywhere in Nigeria. If our local communities are no longer safe then we are all not safe as we are all from local communities.

May the Lord have mercy on all those who die in these dire and gruesome circumstances.

Requiscat in Pace in God.

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