A holy land inhabited by evil spirits

By Lillian Okenwa

“For a number of Nigerians”, David Hundeyin wrote in BusinessDay of 31 January 2022: “[The] Christian faith is little more than skin deep, no matter what he might tell you…”

Hundeyin in his article Religious syncretism and Nigeria’s “money ritual” problem said: “…Take the trans-Atlantic slave trade for example- a 300-year economic decimation event that took about 12 million of the continent’s brightest and best and used them to build the economies of the New World. Why did this monstrous phenomenon last so long? Because wealthy Africans and African leaders expressly wanted it that way, so as to maintain an inflow of consumables like umbrellas, gin, cloth, corrugated roofing sheets, and cannons. It never at any point occurred to any of them that they could obtain the technology behind these items and make them for themselves…

“It is still in evidence today, as millions of Africans continue to believe that either by singing and dancing furiously in a modern African Traditional Religion temple euphemistically known as a church or by offering a blood sacrifice to a native shrine, it is possible to magic financial value out of nowhere… This is why in 2022, Nigeria finds itself confronting headlines about 17-year-old boys murdering their girlfriends in macabre ritual human sacrifices. The problem is not that the people in question are greedy and prepared to do almost anything for money. Given the right mix of desperation and societal breakdown which Nigeria offers in generous quantities, most humans can unravel to any depth of gutter behaviour…”

Today multiple churches and mosques compete for space on nearly every street yet morality, justice, and basic decency are on the decline. Developed countries in Europe, others like the United States, Japan, South Korea, China, the United Arab Emirates, and many more trace their successes to discipline, hard work, integrity, and a commitment to keep making their society better for citizens, settlers and visitors. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Despite having some of the world’s largest religious congregations, fantastic preachers as well as citizens who pray at the beginning and closing of every function they’re often scant in doing right.

Many Nigerian states are grossly underdeveloped. The story of Nigeria’s power and oil sector remains an intractable puzzle; so chances of setting up industries or maintaining the handful of existing ones continue to dim. Meanwhile, unscrupulous leaders brazenly pilfer the national coffers, live lavishly, stash away billions of dollars in foreign bank accounts; send their kids to the best schools abroad while the Nigerian public schools have collapsed from underfunding and poor management. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for over two months following the government’s refusal to follow through on its promises. “A country that fails in the education sector has woefully failed in everything,” said Rev. Oladimeji Michael Olalekan. Public officials including President Muhammadu Buhari barefacedly travel abroad for medical treatment when hospitals in Nigeria are decaying. Nigerian leaders enjoy the use of excellent infrastructure put in place by leaders like themselves in faraway countries but elect not to replicate the same at home where both the rich and poor could have access.

In August 2021 when President Buhari returned to the country after two weeks of attending an ‘education summit’ and tending to his medical needs in the United Kingdom, literary critic, and columnist, Obi Nwakanma expressed reservations noting that “before he became President, in the heat of the campaigns in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari, then APC presidential candidate, was taken on a round-robin tour of the UK, ostensibly to kiss the rings of the British political establishment who apparently had grown weary of Goodluck Jonathan, and apparently wary of the independent path he was slowly, but increasingly toeing…”

Nwakanma added that: “At the core of Nigeria’s underdevelopment is this ‘capture’ of Nigeria’s political leadership by foreign powers to whom they seem to genuflect, and to whom they pledge fealty before they seek to govern a sovereign nation like Nigeria. In its own rights, and by its self-definition Nigeria claimed absolute freedom from all these since the Act of the republic in 1963.” 

But ex-Chairman, National Human Rights Commission Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, puts it this way: “The easiest thing to do is to externalise responsibility. I worked in Sierra Leone and Liberia in the heart of the wars in both countries. I met several times with Foday Sankoy and Hinga Norman in Freetown. Both of them were in Pandemba prison, held for crimes in the war committed by different sides. Chief Norman held Sankoh responsible. Sankoh held Norman responsible. Sierra Leoneans never believed they did anything against themselves. They held Charles Taylor responsible… No one had a capacity for self-reflection. In Nigeria, it is the same thing: ‘They’ are afraid of a big, black, successful Nigeria. But who are ‘they’ is up in the sky. They are white people. Orji Kalu is a white man when he steals Abia dry. Rochas is a white man when he destroys Imo. Maurice Iwu is a white man when he rigs elections. Abba Kyari is a white man when he topples the Chief Justice and then creates a court that can make 4th 1st. Let’s continue deceiving ourselves. Truth is hard to handle usually.”

The trouble is— in Nigeria, we blame the devil, the white men, the military, the government, and everything but ourselves for our errors rather than deal with the matters squarely. Our problems are multifaceted but we claim to be prayer warriors who would rather pray than act. God, however, is a God of justice.

The sudden death of gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu is still sending shock waves. She was killed by her husband who is a Deacon in a Church. Apparently, she had been covering up life-consuming domestic violence meted out on her by her husband. There are still many Osinachis masking up battery with prayers and smiles in the public instead of fleeing. Don’t forget that, that husband to people who do not know their story is a ‘godly’ man; even holy, maybe. Not long ago 43 years old Abdulsalam Salaudeen, an Islamic Cleric was remanded by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl inside a mosque. She was meant to be under his tutelage. If he had not been caught he’d still be leading prayers and wearing all the appearances of a pious man. Sadly, Nigeria is big on religiosity. Perhaps it’s an African thing but it’s time we stop looking elsewhere for the cause of our troubles and resolve them by ourselves.

A claim once shared on social media purports that an adult content website Pornhub named Nigeria as one of the topmost consumers of pornographic content in the world. Though the claim is under contention, the vast access people have to pornographic materials today is mindboggling. Aside from those who might intentionally seek them out, they pop up when you’re on regular websites, and show up as ads on news blogs. It’s everywhere. One has to make a conscious effort to remove them. Little wonder why underage students of Chrisland School filmed themselves having sex. While the act is condemnable and chilling, deeper questions on how these minors became adepts in adult matters should be asked. Days ago, a teacher and business coach, Mahmud Isma’il made a statement on his Twitter handle: “A society that celebrates programs like Big Brother Naija is suddenly surprised about Chrisland School Video. You can’t sow orange and reap pineapple…” Is he right? Is he wrong? You decide. And while we all have different opinions on the issue my question is, who did this great evil to the Chrisland girl?

How long has she been involved in sexual activity? Who introduced her to it? A huge gender-based violence (GBV) was meted out on that girl at the age only the abuser and the ‘god’ he or she calls upon know. What is now evident is the aftermath of an abused mind and body at work and someone is responsible. Beyond being exposed to pornographic sites on social media and posting over 500 videos, there was a beginning to all these and that is what needs to be found out. Something violent happened to that girl at a very delicate age and someone close to her is responsible. Who is that person? How many other kids have fallen prey to this predator?

Again, how was this child able to post over 500 erotic videos online and even maintain her own site yet her parents never knew? This ten-year-old had access to a smartphone and so much data and her parents never looked into her phone? What time does she have for school work since she has such a busy schedule making and posting videos? If she posted once a day for one year, that’ll be 365 or 366 videos if it’s a leap year. With over 500 videos online, one can only imagine how long she has been at it. Please what is her academic work like? If she’s doing well at school then she must be a genius. Otherwise, I wonder if there were no tell-tale signs. All said, beyond looking at the symptoms which everyone is outraged about, it’s important to find out what really happened to that girl and who did it. A predator might be on the loose and we’re busy tearing down his or her creation. That girl needs deep and urgent help but the person who introduced and did this to her must be brought to book.

Ultimately, the evil spirits causing problems in Nigeria must be captured and exorcised since we’re not culpable.