Dirty News Always Making Headlines. The Witches are Here! — by Tobenna Obiano.

I learnt that a certain old woman was brutally molested, abused and beaten to pump, on the suspicion that she is a witch. This nonsense I learnt happened somewhere in PortHarcourt.

I wonder, why would PortHarcourt continually be noted for molestation and unnecessary abuse of others' human rights. This is where the violent and gruesome murder of the ALUU-3 took place or have we forgotten the UNIPORT students accused to be cultists and thieves that were beaten to pump, poured petrol and ignited to burn to ashes. One can only imagine the monstrous and excruciating pain. It was later found that they were not guilty as accused. It was said to be a set up.

Last week, another dirty news erupted from PortHarcourt, a delivery boy from Jumia was gruesomely murdered by a girl and her boyfriends, just in order for them to steal an iPhone 7 from him. After killing him, they dumped his lifeless body under a pit to rot. This is the height of man inhumanity to man.

This happens all over Nigeria on virtually a daily basis, if not in Aba, it happens at Onitsha, if not in Lagos, it is happening somewhere in Kano, if not in Yola, it happens in Benue. How long would we continue with these choice of wicked, unrepentant and dirty choice of injustice?

Today, still in thesame PH, someone's sister, aunt, mother and most likely, grandmother was beaten, shamed and almost murdered. It is even more saddening that some fellows with keen interest delighted to watch and maybe video-tape, while this wicked and inhuman acts are carried out. I am left in shock for what we have since tuned into and to the level we fail to hold sacred human life. I thank God for the police that arrived and rescued the situation. I learnt from a divide that she was saved and from another, that she was killed.

This is exactly thesame nonsensical news that we hear majorly all over Southwest Nigerian. People would just wake up and get to one conman that claims to be seeing vision and having a regular personal interaction with God, they would deceive their desperate and unsuspecting victims how their parents or mother-in-law or Uncles in the village are the causes of their setbacks or pitfalls. These helpless yet innocent relatives in the village are declared either "witches or wizards or medicine men". Hate creeps in.

I have no problems with Pastors, but the day I would slap one to his or her face would be the day they would dare mention rubbish to my face. I would slap the whosoever with all my energy and wait to respond to whatsoever nonsense he or she brings forth. If God can speak or reveal anything directly to them, He too can reveal and should reveal same to me. I don't necessarily need a third party or mediator.

Today, thesame disgruntled Nigerians who would be quick to believe wholly without clarifications that a bird can turn to an aging grandmother, yet disagree with the possibility that a Pastor can sleep with a party rider or beauty Queen of slay babe. Talk about double sided ideology and misinformed standards, it happens in our society.

I served in the ancient city of Benin, this is the rubbish everyone says about Benin people. A problem of a single story. Benin is evil, Benin people are witches, they are heartless. All those nonsense are mere hear-says and comes from the mouth of those who haven't even ever visited Benin Kingdom. I served there for a year and I wonder why I never, for once personally bore witness to those rubbish. Or are the so-called witches and wizards definite with their choices or were they afraid of yours faithfully?

This is the problem with the global community, the Western world always believes Africa is one dead end and dark continent. I have had a few foreign Nationals visit Nigeria and they were "wowed" by what they saw, where they went and the people they met. I have also asked Westerners to Google either Lagos or Abuja Nigeria and view the images, they are usually alarmed by what they see.

So, if you are amongst the "Oh yes members" who already agreed that the story of the woman accused of witchcraft in PortHarcourt to be true, then you must have been amongst those who believe the story of the toddler accused by even his own people to be a child-wizard yet was rescued by a Portuguese is true. See the boys picture before and now.

You know, I am not doubting the possibility of the existence of evil or as in the case under discuss, witches, but somehow, I have never seen one or experienced any dealing with those. So, I am justified and very right to disagree that they are in-existential.

Or tell me, have you ever seen or heard someone confirm that he has seen a dragon? An animal that emits burning fire from its mouth, yet has blood flowing in its vein and obviously drinks water and has flesh; that's purely another fallacious and fictitious making of the West, obviously for the movies on our TV screens, which many may take in as true.

As the saying goes: the evil that men do lives with them and even after them. We should always have human compassion, conscience and genuine love. This is the right way to go, especially during this moment of Lenten season preceding Easter. It could have been the mother, grandmother, sister or aunt of any of us. We could have been victims.

The problem of a single story is very pervasive and I must add, it is evil and extremely misleading.

Tobenna Obiano.

Author:
A Writer, Influencer and Entrepreneur.