Based on the Global Terrorism Index, Nigeria is number three on the list of Countries most affected by terrorism, and number six on the list of countries with the highest risk of genocide in the world. However, the most numerous types of crimes reported to the police are crimes against property and persons including; cheating and Fraud, theft, assaults and grievous harm injuries.

It is also relevant to note that in 2018, Nigeria surpassed India as the world’s poverty capital, with around 87 million people living in extreme poverty, compared with India’s 73 million. Our people were thrown into inflation, unemployment, poor standards of living, and uncertainties. So it is no surprise that more crimes are being reported daily in Nigeria during this time. Over the past few years, news of brutal ritual killings, mass kidnappings, and internet frauds have continued to dominate our radio airwaves, TV stations, and blogs.

As average citizens of this country, it appears as though dealing with inflation, fuel scarcity, hunger, police brutality, terrorism, and banditry isn’t tragic enough, we have now turned the gun onto our own selves.

Young boys have turned to internet frauds and ritual killings as a way to escape poverty and become big boys. We have teenagers and young men masterminding the most brutal and gory killings of their friends, family members, and total strangers all for money and they have been tagged as yahoo boys, Yahoo plus, benefit boys, etc.

We have heard it all. From the story of Iniubong Umore who was allegedly murdered in the search for a job, to the story of Sofiat Kehinde allegedly lured and murdered by her boyfriends and his friends, to Ayanwole Oluwabamise also allegedly murdered by a BRT driver on her way to visit her brother. And these are just a few of them that really shook the nation due to social media outcry.

There has been several conversations and debates about the causes of this rise in internet frauds and ritual killings and why it seems to be gaining momentum at this age and time of information, technology and innovation.

While some section of our people have attributed it to popular Nollywood movies where these activities are showcased and glorified, others have attributed it to the vainglory of luxurious lifestyle put on display on social media by the likes of the now defamed Hushpuppi and other socialites and celebrities. You would always find young men and women in the comment sections praising these individuals and soliciting handouts without a care in the world as to the sources of this eye-popping wealth. Some people even go as far as cursing out other people who dare to ask.

There is also the inability of the Police to crack crimes and the inadequacies of the judiciary to prosecute the perpetrators of crime. Every day, hundreds of people go missing in Nigeria and most of them are never found and many crimes go unpunished.

There has been huge controversy around the potency or not of ritual killings; and while we may never agree on whether blood money is effective or not, the fact is, for it to keep being the reason for so many deaths and missing persons, then too many people believe in its potency irrespective of how delusional it sounds.

This is why many are living in fear as nobody is safe and nowhere is safe. The questions therefore arise…Can we no longer visit our lovers? Can we no longer board public transportation to visit our families? Can we no longer go for job interviews?

In all of these, the most damming is reading in the news that some members of our security institutions are complicit in cahoots with obnoxious characters who undermine our security and constitute an existential threat to us.

We cannot live like this.

Which begs the question, what can we do?

How can we as a society address this deeply troubling trend among our youths? What do we as a people do to combat this? How do we identify the causes of this menace and what must we do about it?

It is not enough to win land dispute cases against neighbouring communities, what structures are you putting in place in your community to keep young people positively engaged and sustained? To provide employment and stimulate the local economy.

It is not enough to showcase and flaunt affluence on social media or throw elaborate celebrations. How do we put resources together to build infrastructure and pave the way for others?

It is not enough to sing praises and dedicate your songs and music videos to the wealthy and affluent, how do we challenge them to impact society positively?

It is not enough to accept the thanksgiving donations and seeds of rich people in our places of worship, how do we verify sources of wealth and how do we encourage them to remain honest in their legal businesses?

The United Nations has released a report putting Nigeria’s population at 214 million people with 42% of that population falling within the ages of 0 – 14.

How do we demonstrate to our young people that the measure of a man is not in how much money he sprays at a party? That it is not in designer clothes or private jets and it is not in elaborate parties and fast cars?

How do we educate, train and empower the Nigeria Police force in order to restore law and order to our land?

How do we engage the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to initiate a campaign toward changing the attitude of our people toward fast wealth and affluence?

These are questions that we as private citizens must ask and answer ourselves. We must remember that the war is against poverty, and not against one another. Every single one of us is a stakeholder and we must hold ourselves accountable because the child we let starve today will terrorize us tomorrow. This nation is bleeding and the earlier we take urgent steps to rein in the monsters amongst us, the better before we all get consumed. To save ourselves, we need to save our sons!

•Chisom Omeokachie is a writer and brand strategist in Anambra, Nigeria.

Chisomomeokachie@gmail.com

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