When the sad news of the abduction of a gentle, soft-spoken brother, bosom friend and school mate filtered into the air on August 8, 2017, it was another rude shock to all concerned Nigerians in the diaspora. There’s a general social disorderliness in Nigeria.
Nigeria, a simple and complex society, is at war with itself. Can you blame Abiodun’s abductors? Your answers are as good as mine! The entire Nigerians (including this writer, Shamsideen Abiodun Omotayo, his kidnappers and others) are firmly under the net, tutelage and shackles of the Nigerian elite and the ghoulish politicians. It is a state of anomie in Nigeria. Nigeria is a dysfunctional society, a nation in a dystopian state; where life is short, brutish and nasty. A society that celebrates ignorance and hate, void and vanity, mediocrity and social vices is far from the immunity of societal vices, social anomie and disorder.
We are strongly using this medium to passionately appeal to these part of the disgruntled and unfortunate Nigerians, (Abiodun’s Abductors) to reason with us, the family, the hapless and helpless members of the Nigerian society to release Abiodun unharmed. Please do not hurt our innocent brother Abiodun. Please release him back to us and his innocent family. Abiodun is a very simple, hardworking, dedicated worker. A great asset to a wasted and resourceful land. Abiodun is a good guy who will always want the best for everyone. Sometimes, life is an answer to some questions, and another time, life is also a question to some answers. But life is what we all make of it.
I crave everyone’s indulgence to share this urgent message until it reaches Abiodun’s abductors. “All things truly wicked start from innocence.” – Ernest Hemingway. Just like all of us, his abductors are human beings. They have modicum of rational minds. They evolved from innocence before the Nigerian state wrought them into societal catacombs.
Existentially, the kidnappers should be made to understand that they’re human beings too. Let’s help his abductors to discover themselves, because the day a man discovers himself is the day his is liberated for life from the burdens of conscience and consciousness;
from societal vices and social idiosyncrasies. We are not born with innate crimes, crimes are learned through nurture and nature. The nature (entity) of Nigeria is grossly nurtured with vices and abnormalities. Unlike Abiodun’s kidnappers, the grace of God in us always prevent many of us from falling victims of ourselves and our nauseating society. Let’s empathize with the state of mind of his abductors and give them the divine leverage to change their minds and release Abiodun back to us unhurt.
May Almighty God have mercy on all of us including his kidnappers; and have mercy on a beleaguered nation struggling within its self-inflicted wounds and contradictions.
As we anticipate prayerfully and with trepidation, O Lord of creation, return Shamusideen Abiodun Omotayo safely to us and his family. Amen!
