Title: The Boy Samuel.
He is an eleven year old.Forced into this profession
just
because he has no other means of survival.His spot
for
begging today,october 17, 2005, as always is under
the
bridge in front of the national stadium in Surulere,
Lagos.
fortune smiles on him qutie early today as a good
samaritan
gives him 50 Naira.He gleefully abandons his
dutypost to
get
a satchet of cold water to quench his thirst before
thinking
of food for the day. The satchet water available at
the
make-shift under the bridge being not cold to his
satisfaction, he proceeds to a nearby bus stop to
buy
some.
He does get some and after quenching his thirst
decides
to
join a group of
children who were about his age-
mates at
football. A woman nearby notices an unfamiliar face
amidst
the children, raises an alarm and in no timme he is
branded
a kidnapper.
Soon enough, a group of people gather and charge at
himm after listening to the womans story. Samuel is
punched,
kicked, stoned and mercilessly beaten. He is dragged
naked
to e spot under the bridge where he claims his
mother also
bbegs for alms. The woman he points out as his
mother
promptly denies him after being dealt several blows
by
some
of the social miscreants who had already joined the
crowd.
The
mob returned to beating him and not even his
cries
of
'mummy,
mummy ,please save me and God please save
me,I
am
innocent' touchedthe heart of the crowd. They are
not
even
thrugh with him yet as he is doused with gasoline
and
set
alight. His small frame quickly burns beyond
recognition.
Samuel's early morning fortune had led himm to
misfortune.
The mob feels satisfied. They had just done justice
to a
kidnapper and prevented another child from being
kidnapped
for ritual purposes.
Lynching of suspected and/or confirmed kidnappers
has
become
a common occurrence over the last three months and
children
have been involved, not only as the possible victims
but
as
decoys for their mates. Thy are given tokens to lure
other
unsuspecting kids into the hands of kidnappers.
Controls need to be put in place to check people
from
taking
the law into their own hands.Though some cases of
confirmed
kidnapper-ritualists within the last few years that
were
handed over to the appropriate authorities were
swept
under
the carpet. The culprits were never brought to book.
Despite
these, We need not allow innocent lives,
to be lost to blind mob-justice which is as a
result of
our
the people's loss of confidence in societal laws and
their
enforcers.
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