Lessons From Olu Falae's Abduction

The apprehension that gripped the Nigerian nation as Chief Olu Falae was kidnapped sometime ago was no less collective than the sigh of relief at his release by his abductors.

The elderly man was whisked away from his farm after an altercation with some cattle breeders who has earlier been ordered by a court to pay monetary compensation to him for pulverizing his crops.

It is heartbreaking that cattle rearers especially of the Fulani stock seem to place higher premiums on the lives of cattle than human lives. News of herdsmen going on rampage are too regular to ignore....as they pillage communities...razing down houses and slitting human throats!

It is equally disheartening that it required a direct order from Mr President to the Inspector-General of Police to secure Falae's release. That such concerted efforts are mustered only when influential persons are victims of crime leaves much to be desired. Our police department is credited with so many unsolved cases that an attempt at chronicling them would be an exercise in futility.

It is no less motivating than instructive that prior to his release, Chief Olu Falae's family was able to gather only N2 Million out of the N100 Million... later reduced to N90 Million....ransom levied him by this band of kidnappers. This is in spite of his being a former Permanent Secretary in a federal ministry, a former presidential candidate and a former Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Obviously, he is very unlikely to be bogged down by such financial quagmire had be thrust his hands deep into our treasury like many of his colleagues in government. And The Chief must be among the very few persons who are noble enough to leave public office without stealing public money...a feat no less rare than "weird"...judging from the Nigerian way of doing things....our bizzaire norm!

So many lessons to be leant from this episode of kidnap.

Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.