Haneefa’s Death: A True Reflection of our Society Today -By Usama Abdullahi

The media is filled with the tragic story of the deceased Haneefa who was abducted a couple of months ago in Kano State, and later killed in a gruesome manner by her teacher—the abducter. When I came across the story, I couldn’t help it but weep for the little pretty, innocent child. Actually, the shock in me is unbelievable. But did this happen for the first time? That was the question that popped up in my mind when I first read the news of her demise.

That wasn’t the first occurence and I guess wouldn’t be the last. A lot of babies have been killed for the past years. Still, more are being killed on daily basis too. Sometimes we don’t hear about it because the abominable act is being done in private, hence beyond the reach of media. Unfortunately, newsborns are being discarded off like gabbages by irresponsible parents, some get abducted while others are buried alive. Moreover, others are being sold as though they were goods meant to be exchanged.

What is this telling you? Simple; it tells you more about our society and how unsparing we are today. This is a true reflection and clear proof of our today’s society. Indeed, we are a money-driven society. We crave for excessive wealth badly. And we seek to get that in such a venturesome and unacceptable ways. Some of us have turned beasts and cannibals in the process thereby assassinating and eating the flesh of the unfortunate victims.

This society stoops so low beyond imagination. Disturbingly, no possible help in sight to redeem such despicable acts and to tame or neutralise the evil-minded monsters doing these. Don’t we have leaders? You may perhaps ask. Yes, we do but they are not helpful at all. Most of our leaders don’t deserve to live with us, let alone rule us. They are mostly the ones sponsoring these evils.

Imagine a so-called leader hires hoodlums, feed them, rent a five-star hotels for them so that he could assign them to abduct or take away the lives of those he wishes dead. When I was growing up as a kid, I used to deny the existence of “ritualism”. I thought that exists in fairy tales which we were taught at schools or used to watch on TVs. Contrary to my kiddish thoughts, “ritualism” truly exists. In fact, it’s become the norm.

As kids, our parents used to caution us against strangers, that we shouldn’t even exchange words with them. Because most of them are bad. That they can wile us by giving us gifts, and when we take those gifts from them we would be unconscious shortly after, and they would disappear with us to another world where they would waist us for their devilry reasons.

Our parents are damn right. But what our beloved parents need to know today is, it’s no longer strangers but our own relatives; it’s now those we trusted and confided our care to. We might even feel more secure in a stranger’s abode than in some of our relatives’. Disgustingly, an uncle rapes his niece, a father kills his daughter, a mother copulates with her own biological son, all these for wordly gains.

This is what we are now. One who’s supposed to protect and cater for you now turns to be your enemy. Our society is no longer safe. There are lot of wolves in sheep’s clothing amongst us. Thus, we need to be extra careful because human lives aren’t sacred anymore. Sadly, humans are often hunted like wild animals in the jungle. Worst still, there’s a market for human organs; where every organs of the human body are available for sale.

Usama Abdullahi wrote from Abuja, Nigeria. Can be reached at usamagayyi@gmail.com