Nigeria’s Killer Touts -By Kene Obiezu

For many people, it takes tragedy and the profound sense of pain and regret it brings to make lifelong changes. Given that in the immediate aftermath of tragedy, people may be too numb to react. But usually, once they can gather themselves together, they go ahead to make the changes they must, often to prevent a reoccurrence. Not so in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, tragedy often hits people square in the jaw and packs an overwhelming measure of pain, which quickly spreads. However, experience has shown that many Nigerians process tragedy poorly and quickly move on without bothering about the changes that can prevent a recurrence.

A couple of days ago, touts within the Federal Capital Territory chased a man and his wife to their death as they went about their business in the heart of Nigeria’s capital. The touts, operating on their usual lawless and rudderless frequency, which unfortunately has some imprimatur of authority, fought for the control of the couple’s vehicle. The struggle that ensued led to an accident that instantly killed the couple. An irate mob promptly burnt two of the touts to death.

The Incident confirmed conclusively that Nigeria remains a vast field of needless, preventable deaths. Every other day, Nigerians die carelessly in circumstances that lend credence to the fragility of life in the country. The fact that many of these deaths are preventable but are never really prevented speaks volumes.
It explains Nigeria’s ever plummeting life expectancy. It explains the fact that insecurity ravages the land, destroying the confidence of investors and sentencing locals to a life of constant fear and uncertainty.

Nigeria has always had a problem with touts and thugs. The Nigerian landscape is indeed littered with touts and thugs. Empowered by the powerful to tighten their grip on power, these touts are used to rig elections, intimidate opponents, or serve as informal state actors. The fact that they blur the lines between state actors and criminals shows the multifaceted threats they pose.

Many times, they behave like criminals. At other times they are actual criminals who do what they want to while acutely aware that there are too many cracks in the Nigerian system that they can escape through.
Alarmingly, these touts and thugs, who sometimes operate in the full view of Nigeria’s security personnel, consider themselves part of the security structure. But rather than secure Nigerians and make Nigerians feel more secure, they terrorize Nigerians.

As a country, Nigeria remains a society where civility, dignity, and decorum, especially in public, remain in scandalously short supply. Many Nigerians have a problem with doing the right thing, and as a result of this, anything goes, many times with deadly consequences for all involved.

The presence and proliferation of thugs and touts, especially in Lagos and Abuja, is a tear in the image of a country that has the kind of grand aspirations Nigeria has. It is a shame that such criminals are allowed to rule the roost in many parts of the country.

While Nigerians generally need reorientation in how to be better citizens of their country, the authorities must do something about thugs and touts all over the country. Many of them are no different from criminals and do all the things that criminals do. They kill, rape, disrupt, and threaten innocent citizens and inflict grievous bodily harm.

But it is doubtful that the authorities here can really do anything about them. After all, they are helpful and are useful tools in the hands of many of those in power, especially during elections.

Kene Obiezu,
keneobiezu@gmail.com