Everyday, there are reports of crimes committed especially by youths in the ‘get-rich-quick’ syndrome. BARNABAS OLABISI reports on how Amotekun was able to disband a group in Ondo recently.
In the recent past, unbridled craze and urge for money, power and acquisition of material wealths have been on the increase all over the country as youths are now all out to get what they describe as their target by all means.
Many instances and scenario have continued to play out in this regard ranging from using underwears (pants and bracier) of ladies, eating of faeces, soap cutting amongst other dubious and naughty activities such that the youths are now branded with the tag of ‘Yahoo Plus’.
However, majority of them were caught in the web without any meaningful breakthrough or impact to show for the naughty, ungodly and nasty instances they have subjected themselves to.
But the questions on the lips of many people about this present situation or dimension at the youth’s craze for wealth and materialistic things is why they cannot engage their time and energy in a more dignified and legal venture towards acquiring their desired means rather than taking to crimes for survival.
A scapegoat
Recently, luck ran against one 30-year-old man, Timothy Odeniyi as Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, nabbed him with fresh human parts for ritual and monetary purposes.
Odeniyi, who was arrested in Ondo City, the headquarters of Ondo West local government area of the state, was paraded alongside other 31 suspects, whose ages range from 10 to 30 years at the Amotekun Office, Akure, Ondo state capital.
While addressing journalists, the state Commander of the Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that 150 suspects were arrested in the month of January, 2022, for various crimes.
Adeleye noted that the suspects were nabbed at different locations for kidnapping, armed robbery, vandalism, underage grazing, possession of fire arms, human rituals and some who jumped bail.
According to him, “Lately, the trend is shifting from daily kidnaping to ritual killings. He (Timothy Odeniyi) was caught and arrested with parts of a human being wrapped in a bag and upon interrogation, he took us to where he got the person killed, matcheted and buried in a shallow grave.
“We want the public to be careful of whom they go out with. Other suspects in our custody were arrested for kidnapping, armed robbery, vandalisation of power lines under construction as well as underage grazing,” he said.
The Amotekun boss assured that the suspects would be charged to court after preliminary investigation had been concluded by the intelligence department of the corps.
Odeniyi, who claimed to be a trailer driver with a popular brewery but resigned in 2021, confirmed that he was caught with a bag containing two severed human hands and two human legs at Sabo area of Ondo City.
He, however, affirmed that he didn’t kill anybody, explaining that he exhumed the body from a graveyard at Sabo area in Ondo City.
He said that, “I was a truck driver but left in 2021. I was promised the sum of N30 million by one Dara Niyikaye in the breweries to deliver the fresh human parts of which I did not know what he wanted to use the parts for,” Odeniyi claimed.
Other crimes
It will also be recalled that no fewer than three persons were reportedly shot dead by suspected herdsmen who invaded Molege village in Ose Council Area of the state early this year thereby throwing the entire community into a mourning mood.
Several houses were reportedly razed overnight along Elerinla near Arimogija by the rampaging herders who were irked that the villagers who prevented their cows from feeding on their farmlands.
They reportedly mobilised and set the villages and the farms on fire at midnight.
While cases of banditry and armed robbery continue to be on the increase and persist, a lot of many people have lost their dear lives, valuables. To many others, the scar and scary scenes from such incidents had remained an unforgettable experience in their memory.
It could be recalled that it was between the cases of banditry and herdsmen that a first class traditional monarch in the state, late Oba Israel Adeusi, the Olufon of Ifon in Ose local government area of the state lost his life on the way back from Akure, the state capital sometimes on November 26, 2020.
Also, the daughter of Afenifere leader, late Mrs Olufunke Olakunri lost her life in a similar experience. The monarch was said to have been waylaid by bandits/herdsmen along the Benin/Ore highway.
Commenting on the whole development, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Funmilayo Odunlami noted that the police command in the state is working tirelessly towards making sure that the state is crime free of all vices.
However, she called on the general public to always give useful information at appropriate time in order to help security agencies nip at bud any criminal minded people.
Clerics caution Alhaji Quazim Ahmed, a Muslim cleric was of the opinion that all parents and guardians should ensure that they give their children and wards proper upbringing that would make them have fears of God so that they can distance themselves from crimes and social vices.
She added that a lot of parents and guardians have shrank their responsibilities at giving their children that required virtues, the reason for the many lapses and challenges facing the society.
On his part, Reverend Victor Olamigoke posited that Nigerian society has been greatly polluted and infected with a negative virus that has eaten deep into the minds of the youth thereby making it difficult to have a good and descent environment for all.
He informed that majority of homes are already broken and in shambles, hence hardly can there be good products to be produced Rev Olamigoke noted that there is great task on the homes and government to stamp out the various crisis and challenges of crimes and vices that portend danger to the nation’s security.
He added that Nigeria can still be a better place for all to live, if all stakeholders are sincerely and deeply concerned about the welfare of all, sincere in action and have the fear of God above all.