In a democracy, the death of any citizen due to state failure is a dark blot. But when a card-carrying member of the ruling party is kidnapped, ransomed, and slaughtered like a goat at the altar of anarchy, the tragedy demands more than mourning – it demands national outrage. The murder of Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward 5 Chairman in Ose Local Government of Ondo State, is not only a tragedy; it is a metaphor for the crumbling edifice of security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led government.
How bitterly ironic it is that under the very watch of the ruling party, an official of the same party is abducted and murdered – not despite the system, but because of it. This is no longer about opposition figures crying wolf; this is about the wolf entering the house, devouring the shepherd while the rest of the flock bleats in confusion. The Tinubu administration must now look in the mirror and ask: what exactly are we governing?
Let us be clear – this is not just another crime statistic. Mr. Adepoyigi was taken at his own home, in his own town, in a state governed by a party that boasts of renewed hope. Yet all that hope has turned into renewed horror. If a ward chairman of the ruling party, supposedly protected by the patronage and structure of power, can be kidnapped and executed after N5 million and food items were paid, what hope remains for the ordinary Nigerian, who has neither political title nor platform?
Security, they say, is the first duty of any government. But Nigeria’s current government has turned that sacred duty into a political slogan without soul. From Abuja to Zamfara, Kaduna to Bayelsa, the nation groans under the weight of unchecked violence. The forest of Nigeria is no longer home to wildlife alone – it is now the hideout of gunmen, a lawless jungle where kidnappers dictate ransom in millions, and the state looks on with folded arms.
The people of Ose Local Government have declared three days of mourning. But will Abuja mourn with them? Will Aso Rock fly its flags at half-mast, or are these deaths simply footnotes in a daily ledger of failure? Nigeria bleeds, and the presidency keeps issuing generic statements. The time for mourning has passed; it is time for action – bold, sweeping, and unrelenting.
What is perhaps most terrifying is the evolution of kidnapping into a refined enterprise. The ransom for Mr. Adepoyigi was reduced from N100 million to N5 million, and food supplies, as if it were a supermarket negotiation. Then, the bearers of that ransom were themselves taken hostage and used as bargaining chips for an additional N30 million. This is not a crime – this is organized terrorism under the guise of criminality. And yet, where is the resolve of the government to crush this menace?
The Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo State, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said he could not confirm the killing, which is itself an indictment. A prominent citizen is butchered, and the state police feign ignorance. If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch – and Nigeria has fallen deep. The ditches are now graves for the innocent.
The Ondo State Government, though visibly shaken, cannot escape its share of blame. What intelligence network exists in a state where abductors can operate so confidently? Where are the state’s surveillance systems? What happened to community policing, neighborhood watch, and security architecture we were told had been put in place? If the Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, does not act decisively, then he will become an unwilling enabler of impunity.
But the bigger shame lies in the centre. President Tinubu’s administration came to power riding on the promise of security, prosperity, and reform. Two years into office, what we have instead is a government that governs by press statements and ceremonial visits. The question on every lip is: is this the renewed hope we were promised, or is this just a recycled nightmare dressed in agbada?
We cannot continue to be a nation where ransom negotiation becomes more efficient than budget allocation. The criminals are more organized than our government agencies. The kidnappers are better coordinated than our security operatives. It is not just a failure; it is a betrayal of the people’s trust, of the constitution, and of human dignity.
One wonders what else must happen before this government awakens from its slumber. Do we wait until a sitting governor is kidnapped? Or until an entire local government is overtaken by bandits? The handwriting is already on the wall, written in blood and inked by negligence.
Let the death of Mr. Adepoyigi not be swept under the political carpet. Let his blood be a clarion call that rattles the conscience of every APC stalwart in the corridors of power. If your own members are no longer safe under your rule, then what moral authority do you have to campaign for votes in 2027?
The President must lead from the front, not from behind podiums. He must declare a state of emergency on security, revamp the entire intelligence and policing system, and prosecute rogue officers who collude with criminals. He must show, through actions and not words, that every Nigerian life matters – regardless of status or political leaning.
Until then, we remain a nation where party membership is no protection from pain, and where the only certainty is uncertainty. And in that chaos, not just the APC, but Nigeria itself, stands on the edge of a cliff. May we not tip over.
Let justice be done for Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi. And let this government, for once, stop sweeping the ashes while the house continues to burn.
Stanley Ugagbe is a Social Commentator. He can be reached via stanleyakomeno@gmail.com
