The
memory of a widely transmitted gory video of a gang of iniquitous cadets of the
Kaduna-based Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) literally tearing a young man apart
will not fade away as long as Nigeria exists. Indeed, in the narrative of
recurrent, systematic brutalization of Nigerians by men and women who wear the
varying assorted uniforms and emblems of state coercion, the assault on
25-year-old citizen Sunday Amari at Jabi Lake Park in Abuja on December 31,
2014 will rank as one of the most despicable in its scale of barbarity. Even
for the unemotional, this is a classic horror scene bound to induce goose
pimples.
Yet,
it is not hard to explain why this level of descent to bestial maltreatment of
our fellow citizens by these uniformed felons would continue to offend our
sensibilities week in week out, without as much as a whimper from those who lay
claim to being the custodians of the security and welfare of the people, the
ruling party that is waving the banner of change, the civil society, and worse,
from bodies like the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC) which ought to be on the front line of outrage as a
result of such persistent physical and psychological torture of the people.
It
is simply because Nigeria – in spite of loud sentiments to the contrary – remains
an unformed entity, a stone-age jungle of perversity with very weak antennae of
sympathetic response, and where rules of behaviour are defined only by the
crude philosophy of might is right. Anyone with connections to the misruling
elite will commit any crime and get away with it.
It
is this indulgent culture of arbitrariness that gave birth to the tyranny of
the military and other similarly kitted personnel, so much so that anyone
wrapped under these uniforms sees himself/herself as superior to others who are
engaged in civilian jobs. And that is the biggest problem with these uniformed
persons, especially the Armed Forces, and particularly the Army. They believe
that apart from them, Nigeria has nothing else. Or, something like without
them, there can never be a Nigeria.
Clearly,
this type of silly arrogance is what motivated nine NDA cadets (seven males and
two females) to pounce on an innocent citizen, a parks and recreation officer
going about his legitimate duties at the Park. The encounter was like one of
those scenes from the NatGeo channels where a pride of lions suddenly cornered
a zebra and began tearing it left, right and centre. Sunday was mercilessly
beaten only for the reason of being an onlooker in an earlier assault which the
cadets had perpetrated on another citizen.
A
female cadet, convinced that Sunday would walk from the scene only to tell
people what he had witnessed, beckoned him and demobilized him instantly with a
staccato of slaps. As Sunday reeled on the ground clutching his head
protectively, other cadets joined in the shameless frenzy of savagery,
repeatedly kicking and slapping and horsewhipping.
By the time they were done,
the poor fellow was already soaked in his own blood. Nothing advertises man’s
inhumanity to a fellow citizen other than this nauseating picture of cruelty.
To
further rub salt on Sunday’s wound and the society’s injury, the NDA reacted by
telling a most unconscionable lie. It said the incident happened at some
location in Lagos when the cadets were on break, and that it was investigating.
Meanwhile, truth is that NDA is investigating nada. NDA knows that the Nigerian public is a docile, mumu public. It knows that nothing will
happen even if it decided not to cough out a word. Surely, it only decided to
put out a response as way of, as they say, fulfilling all righteousness.
Indication
that the institution is not remorseful in any sense, and therefore not
investigating anything concerning the incident is its failure to respond to an
email from Saharareporters requesting identities of these twisted cadets, as
well as come on Channels TV following Sunday’s appearance, not just to
empathise with the victim but also to apologise to him and the nation while
promising that such ugly misconduct from its cadets would be met with stiff
punishment now and in the future.
Elsewhere,
even in less endowed countries, what happened to Sunday would have ignited protests
across state capitals and spurred a serious review of the role of the
civil-military relations directorate of the entire Armed Forces. But it’s not
happening here – an emphatic sign that our society is terribly sick. In any
case, what is the job of the civil-military relations department of the Army?
How does it respond in the face unwarranted, frequent brutal assaults of
innocent citizens by its soldiers and officers? Does it ever teach its officers
and men the meaning of citizenship?
I
think the answer is No. My take is that the department is a cosmetic office set
up to give the impression that the military is working hard to ensure a smooth
relationship between it and non-combatant citizens. And if it’s truly working,
why does its impact on the society tend to be more negative than positive?
It
is obvious that these brazen brutalities continue to happen because, clearly,
there are no sanctions. Officers and men of the military sustained by the tax
paid by the toiling masses will practically murder harmless citizens every so
often, and then nothing happens. At a social gathering a couple of days ago,
some army officers were overheard telling a group of listeners that nothing
would ever happen to the cadets who tortured Sunday. They are very right. After
all, there are many Sundays that have suffered all kinds of unimaginable abuse
under the jackboots of the military without getting the benefit of a mention in
the media.
So,
no one should be deceived. All that talk about our military being a disciplined
institution is balderdash because from all indication discipline is not
demonstrated in their everyday conduct. What you get, in the end, is a military
bursting at the seams with impunity and heavily laden at the top with corruption.
This unwholesome, putrid mix is the definite make-up of Nigeria’s military.
However,
the NDA will do well to heed this advice: the cadets who pummeled Sunday that
fateful evening should be fished out and sent packing. It is in the best
interest of this country that those twisted souls are not allowed to pursue a
career in the military.
*Contributed by Godwin Onyeacholem, a journalist and could be reached on gonyeacholem@gmail.com
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