A Nigerian Woman Executed in Saudi Arabia for Drug Trafficking, but What or Who is the Real Demon?

A Nigerian woman was reportedly executed yesterday at Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking. According to circulating news reports, her execution was carried out alongside three other traffickers from Pakistan and Yemen.

I’m sure  you are not  asking ‘why a woman’ and/or ‘why a Nigerian’. The question popping up is why Saudi Arabia. While it might take a few minutes for non-Nigerians to decipher why the Nigerian woman chose Saudi to traffic her drugs, many from Nigerian community who are greeted by this news already know. Read on if you don’t.  I’m sure you’ll know at some point while reading this post.

Nigerians are known to be highly educated, versatile, shrewd in every sense, and fierce in pursuing better livelihood for their own individual self. What they are not known for, is teaming up all of these attributes together to secure survival and success for their community as a whole. The very effort that is certain in guaranteeing the betterment of a people and a society, by every historical account, is an organized effort, and Nigerians aren’t wired for that.

The first and only time we saw this type of organized effort in the modern history of Nigeria is the Biafra War led by “President” Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. It was a civil war; strong enough to create a real change. It was a necessary circumcision needed to establish a  national identity, and to birth the history that would have created a sense of brotherhood-sisterhood regionally and a perpetual bond among the people. The Biafra War was for the Igbo tribe; an attempt to pull out of the amalgamation of 1914 by the colonialists.  Sadly, however, looking back, it’s either the ancestors didn’t pass on the baton or the posterity dropped it. The Biafra War would have constantly reminded the youths these days  the need to protect, honor and cherish what their ancestors struggled and died for.

And so since 1967 Nigerians dodged the common war that all should be fighting; they swerved off the path that would have, to a greater extent, undo the lasting damages of colonialism, and resulted into daily individual battles. Sense of community and duty to others quickly evaporates. Distrust, competition, and apathy now rules. Even the expected bond that ought to exist along tribal lines is now gone. A Yoruba man trusts less his next door Yoruba neighbors. No one owes any duty to anybody anymore, but to their families.

These days, Nigerians will go to any length to seek material success for themselves such as getting a Rolls Royce car, for example, but must drive it on roads with bumps and potholes, hoodlums and carjackers, smudge dust, traffic jams and congestion, and accidents. Nigerians don’t seek happiness at large, they seek success for their individual selves, but then, they seek justice from the state. They disregard the fact that to find justice in the city, it must first be found in individuals.

Interestingly, you’d only need to plus or minus some of the above points to explain what’s going on in most of other African nations.

To the glory of their next up and coming conqueror,  and to the spell against Africa, their youths are quickly losing the one very edge that got them freedom of self-rule in the 1960s. Young Africans hardly read these days. They’d rather watch. Some would listen to audio, but…. watching is mostly preferred. And what is showing better be well “lit”, funny and animated, or they are gone. Do they know that they are at war? Do they read to find that the African freedom fighters that secured independence for their lands were well read and studious?

There is a common demon at pursuit, but Nigerians and many African people  fight it in silos. This demon has since grown in size, strength, and in numbers. It has permeated their  societies and has punctured into an average person’s thinking.  Of course this demon is invisible to eyes, but make no mistake; it’s breathing, and it’s scary. Read and THINK about the following, and see if you could recognize it:

Africans–

• Blame their leaders, but can’t self-organize and come together behind a real change.
• Pursue higher education achievement with no purpose to use the knowledge gained to advance real socio-economic change.
• Aggressively seek to travel abroad to live and make a living.
• Engage in ritual killings of other human beings for wealth.
• Engage in swindling (419) acts both within and outside the border.
• Engage in brainwashed shameless terrorist acts that serves no end
• Blame colonialists, the West, and the ……everything else.
• Manufacture illicit drugs/engage in its trafficking.
• Seek political office without one single clue of what public service deeply entails
• Run political office without a relationship with constituents.
• Become puppets and muppets for foreign corporations and influence who are exploiting their nations’ vulnerability.
• Become  priests/spiritual leaders/“God’s messenger” as a channel to control, hurt, and swindle others.
• Become scoundrels of ‘king-makers’ and ‘land-owners’ without regards for moral, ethics and integrity.
• Youths are far removed from wanting to read, considering careers in traditional herbal medicines, and/or exploring the jungle with innovative minds.
• Abuse women and children justifying the act as “tradition” while disregarding plain logics and moral principles.

Though the Nigerian drug trafficker had been executed, that penalty served no purpose. It doesn’t deter a tiny bit from similar crimes on Saudi’s soil or anywhere else. The woman was only guilty of the lack of consciousness and of fighting solo.  And with that, millions more are equally guilty.

As you’d conclude, opinion drives this topic. What’s yours on the matter? What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with any of the points raised or views shared? How would you advance this discourse? Let’s keep talking. Visit often to access  other thoughts and analyses here. USAIG invites you to feature your thoughts and opinions on its platform and channels. To do so, simply reach out to: immigrantsgist@gmail.com  . Send an email also to appear on The Gist show as a guest/contributor.  Follow USAIG on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Wanelo, Etsy, Fancy, Oufy, and We Heart It.

This video shows that some African ancestors passed on the batons, and these youths, in their time, didn’t drop it.
(Video clip obtained from UKTV-History @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKizTrKx8mA)