[b]The Murder of Obinna Okpokiri
[/b]Patrick Okene

I did not know Obinna directly but we had mutual friends here in London. Until recently Obinna was here in the UK, at his family expense, to pick up a post graduate qualification. Obi, as I will call him for the rest of this write up, like every young man had dreams and hopes and one of such was to go back and complete the mandatory NYSC. As a result he packed his bags, paid his way back to Nigeria to serve his fatherland in Bauchi where he was posted to do his National Youth Service.

As you might have guessed by now Obi is one of the Youth Corpers, reported glibly by the media, killed in Bauchi in the last few days. I don’t know if it is because it has happened so many times or what, but the media in Nigeria have become very blasé about such killings and no longer view such as worthy of further coverage. Obi was a person, he had a life, he had a family that loved and sacrificed for him. Obi as you can see from his picture was a good looking young man full of life. According to friends, Obi had run to the corpers lodge to seek refuge and was worried enough to contemplate running to the barracks. But before he or any of the other corpers in the lodge could actualize this; death arrived in the form of a CPC murder squad.

The terror Obi and the rest must have felt can only be best imagined. They were forced out and beaten up and not quite done, the baying crowd of CPC fanatics slaughtered them and set their bodies alight. It is not the kind of death you will wish on your enemy. Let no one try and palm this off on the usual suspects; the Almajiris. Yes there must have been street urchins amongst the killer squad but these were CPC and Buhari loyalists who were out to sort out “the opponents” of their leader. It did not matter to them that these young people were on a National service, as far as they were concerned, if they were not one of them, then they must be the enemy.

There are parallels between the killing of Obi et al and what happened in Kenya at the tail end of 2007 when Kenyans went to the polls in a bitterly fought election. The incumbent Mwai Kibaki’s reelection was disputed by the main opposition leader Raila Odinga. In no time Kalenjin militias in the Rift Valley fanned out in a murderous search of Kibaki’s supporters and kinsmen. They burnt down their houses, looted and killed Kikuyus who were seen as Kibaki’s supporters. Kibaki’s Kikuyus soon retaliated and at the end of the orgy of violence, over 1,100 Kenyans had been killed.

Just like we have seen in Nigeria before, the Kenyan government sacrificed justice at the altar of political expediency. The Kenyan Government made feeble attempts bring to trail the perpetuators without much success and the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague was forced to step in. Charges have now been filed against 6 politicians, ex head of Police, a radio DJ and Government ministers for inciting the violence

The killing of Obi in Bauchi won’t be the first time people have run amok in the North. Far more people have been killed in Plateau state alone than in Kenya. People are killed at the drop of a hat in the North and Middle Belt and the Government appears helpless. We must now call on the ICC to intervene and try and break this cycle of the mindless slaughter of the innocent people in the North. The facts are all there, just as in Kenya; people were incited and primed to wreak maximum havoc in the event of results not favoring them. Even after the elections we had the likes of Alhaji Buba Galadima of the CPC still going on BBC Hausa service to spew hate. I have previously written about the climate of hate that surrounded CPC rallies prior to the elections and frankly it is no surprise that violence broke out. What is surprising is that yet again, the security forces were caught flat footed. How could they not have known that CPC supporters were going to embark on an orgy of violence?

It is doubtful if President Jonathan has the political spine to bring the murders to book. I suspect the killing of Obi and that of many others in this latest orgy of violence will be swept under the carpet by the Government for the sake of political expediency or “national unity”. We need to tell the government that there is no more room under the carpet. The blood of Obi (and others) is calling for justice. It would be most disappointing if appeasement rather that justice is pursued by the government, killers must be brought to book and not rewarded. If the Government feels this is beyond them, they should then allow for the ICC to step in.

ppokene@gmail.com


[img]http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/images/stories/obi.jpg
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rip obi and others!!!

rip

Condolence to the family of this youg man. It's unfortunate.

Hope the leaders in the North will control their people, because today is Friday and there should not be problems after prayer.

Truely sad, i pray God gives his family n loved ones the fortitude to bear this loss

hmmmm

I am still 100% buried in the sober reflection mood of the murder of Ukeoma Aikfavour, I never knew another goodlooking promising youngman was also murdered in the most brutal way one can think of. This northerners are animals, for God's sake ignorance and illiteracy is no defense. Even if their religion is teaching them something different WHERE IS THERE CONSCIENCE. May the soul of OBI and others rest in peace.

Now this is very sad! Haba what kind of rubbish is this? Is this the how we will continue killing innocent souls??
yet another promising life cut short by the blood sucking goons. pathetic.

I feel for your family. Dude was fresh and handsome.

SO sorry about this shocking news, oh God help the northerners to realize, wat a tragedy to behold such a handsome young man leaving this earth unprepared. May his gentle soul rest in the bosom of our lord Jesus Christ, until we meet on the judgment day of our Great Lord.

. . . .such a cool dude . . .can't imagine the sadness the family will be going through now

again someone is killed senselessly and condolences to the family, but why should the whole north carry the burden?

RIP Obinna. May God never let those who killed you go unpunished.

So sad

namfav:

again someone is killed senselessly and condolences to the family, but why should the whole north carry the burden?

Do you really ask this question? Even before Nigeria gained its independence, your people have shown nothing but ill will against the Ndigbo. You continue kill our brightest in the prime of their lives, with no concern of their families back home who would miss them!

EzeUche__:

Do you really ask this question? Even before Nigeria gained its independence, your people have shown nothing but ill will against the Ndigbo. You continue kill our brightest in the prime of their lives, with no concern of their families back home who would miss them!

that is rich coming from someone who's culture consists of head hunting amongst other things , blaming every northerner for murder such as this is not helpful, what do you do apart from polarizing? you are a coward, and i think more than anything you enjoy things like this happening because you can spread your anti-northern sentiment by getting the emotions high of your compatriots

namfav:

you can spread your anti-northern sentiment by getting the emotions high of your compatriots

thank you namfav

namfav:

that is rich coming from someone who's culture consists of head hunting amongst other things , blaming every northerner for murder such as this is not helpful, what do you do apart from polarizing? you are a coward, and i think more than anything you enjoy things like this happening because you can spread your anti-northern sentiment by getting the emotions high of your compatriots

Many people on Nairaland would tell you, that I used to be very lenient when discussing the North in the past. I have even been insulted by my own Igbo brothers for defending you all in the past. However, those days are over. You all have shown that you are not worth defending. Killing innocent Igbos and other Southerners are unforgivable. I tried to forgive you all for all the riots that have occurred in the North, in which my people were the targets. But ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

every northerner is a murder? we are not celebrating anyone being killed here ok

my brothers , let peace reign.

chai, c fine boi

namfav:

every northerner is a murder? we are not celebrating anyone being killed here ok

To answer you quickly every northern muslim is a murderer full stop. If we continue to get this news of our young promising men and women killed you can guess what will happen next.
My gateman is a muslim from Bauchi, I may just start from there but my worry is how many abokis are equivalent to a southern corper?

In concert with the Nigeriavillagesquare, ContraCultureMag is proud to support this petition to withdraw youth corpers from states where they are being murdered in Nigeria.

Here is what we are demanding:

In the short term, we ask that:

a) All youth corpers serving in these volatile states be withdrawn immediately.

b) All youth corpers serving in these volatile states be redeployed to other states of their choosing, or be excused for the rest of the service year.

c) All youth corpers be excused from serving as electoral officers in the upcoming governorship elections as we are not convinced that adequate and confirmed security can be provided for them.

d) The identities of all youth corpers who lost their lives in this violence be made public.

In the longer term, we ask that:

a) Youth corpers be given the choice of the regions in which they should serve. Nobody should be mandated to serve in an area where security of lives and property is not guaranteed.

b) Any community where a corper is posted and harmed in any mob action – specific already pre-identified individuals, groups and/ or institutions be held liable and culpable (for example the local religious and community leaders) for any harm that befalls them both in terms of jail time and financial recompense.

c) In Line with the above, the National Youth Corps system should be revamped to also include a situation where corpers reporting for duty in their various locations are received by law, into their host communities by not only the state governments, but also by traditional and religious leaders who understand and recognize their value to the development of their host communities and hence sign on to ensure that the wellbeing of the corper is guaranteed. This action will go a long way to preempt the possibilities of random and senseless violence during the service year.

d) We also ask that all National Youth Corps Members who have died in this violence and in the future killed in the line of duty should be immortalized in a national memorial in Abuja. The memorial should have a provision to add new victims in the future.

If you support this call, please head over here to sign the petition.

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/guest-articles/petition-for-the-withdrawal-of-youth-corps-members-from-trouble-prone-northern-states.html

Igbo people don suffer for this country.

I feel d pain and I also exhibit fear for corpers still serving in and those (like me) that might be posted to the crisis prone region. May God console their families.
@Poster. The ICC as seen on their website is aware of and is looking into d incidence. Will anytin come out of it? www.icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/FFAB57D5-3986-4208-8BC3-CEF1971629E7.htm

namfav:

again someone is killed senselessly and condolences to the family, but why should the whole north carry the burden?

because the population of the  north is 90% animal and 10%  human.  the humans being the southern settlers. and you fall within the 90%. oloshi

this is terrible mehn. with all that is happening, i don't get how any southern corper can venture into the north without a handgun. i'm definitely not going anywhere in the north without packing heat, not even Niger state. death by cutlass is a brutal end.

It's so easy to discuss the murder of individuals noncommitally like it doesn't concern us, but I think it would do us good if we paused to imagine if the victims of these senseless riots are our brothers,sisters,mothers,fathers. Really,must we continue to allow blood to spill because we want one Nigeria? I believe Nigeria is not worth spilling our blood for,Jesus paid the supreme price on the cross and that's enough as far as I'm concerned. Let the corpers come home,as well as the non-indigenes. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

chai!  

Killed and burned? How can a man born of a woman do this?
may GOD in his infinite mercy console the family.

In these trying times, everybody needs to be careful to guard against inciteful words that might stimulate hate. Nigeria is on the brink.

i hope those useless nut heads who killed him have kids with no future

NYSC should be scrapped.

^^^^^^ No just let southerners serve in suthern states

while northerners can murder their own corpers