The stories are chilling: A man waylaid on the road and ordered: your hands up, get the hell out of the car. Then, shots ring out: he’s maimed, injured or dead, murdered in cold blood. A family, sleeping quietly and peacefully at home, forcefully roused from bed. Less than five minutes later, cash and other valuables are gone.

In some unlucky instances, a member of the family is blown to death in the deadly dawn visit of the sons of dog.

A middle-aged man needs fast cash. He hits on an idea. He goes to a zone notorious for harbouring scarlet sisters. He picks up one, after haggling. Barely 30 minutes later, the hapless call girl is found dead, her breast, vagina and other vital parts excised from her body. One more number to the bloody statistics of ritual killings.

This is Nigeria of today.

By Eric Osagie

That’s Nigeria today my brother.

The commissioner of police for Lagos state along with the acting inspector general of police Mike Okioro promise a not hideout for robbers in the country when they assumed office. Now we don’t need a prophet or a fortune tell to tell us that the level of insecurity in Nigeria is so embarrassing.