Universally, security should be the top priority of any existing government. It’s not only to safeguard properties and infrastructures to boost economic development of a given society, but life as well. One of the core mandates of the existence of security is to protect the sacredness of life, hence it should be dignified.
This is why the United Nations, in its foundational documents, supports the basic principle of “right to life”. In Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN stated clearly that, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”. Consequently, life is a “universal and inalienable entitlement for all human beings”.
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right upholds the right to life as fundamentally inviolable. In its Article 4, the Charter forbids deprivation of life arbitrarily. It unambiguously states that, “Human beings are inviolable, and therefore, “every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person”.
The aforementioned values placed on life by International Communities are a credence to the fact that, life is divine, godly, hallowed, inviolable and sacrosanct.
All facts indicate that, protection of human life is an entitlement of every citizen and a duty of every legitimate government. But for Emmanuel Omaji, the opposite is the case; right to life and protection is only in theory and allusion.
In his own land, the only alternative and crafted means of protecting his life is to survive fugitively. For more than four years, the young man is surviving by perpetually fleeing from gang members who want his membership, or bear the consequences of refusal by loosing his life.
It all began in 2021 when some gang members of the Red Brotherhood Fraternity Group, led by one Musa conceived the cruel and vicious idea of initiating Omaji into their Brotherhood in Jalingo.
Membership of any unlawful organization is a long-standing violation of the personal principles of Emmanuel Omaji, because it negates his core values of life.
He’s not just a Christian but a thorough bred African child, whose upbringing frowns at crime and everything associated to lawlessness. Initially, he was lured and lobbied to join the Fraternity but the attempt failed because of his resistance. After exhausting all “friendly” avenues without result, the gang resorted to intimidation, coercion and forceful conscription.
At Jalingo, life became unbearable for Emmanuel Omaji. He lost his right of free movement and had his life at stake. The situation confronted him with two options; to protect his life or his job. He went for the former (protect his life) by fleeing from Jalingo to Onyagede Unmonomi- his home town, in Benue State, tgen to lagos in the latter part of year 2021.
Desperate beyond measure, the miscreants traced their designated prospect to his hideout. Only the gang stars know the prestige that Emmanuel’s membership will bring to their organization to warrant this level of description.
He was lucky to have been away from home at that material time but his uncle, Elder Oche Ogblechi Omaji fell victim in the hands of the assailants.
Elder Oche was brutally murdered on the 21st of January, 2022 in the presence of his son and cousin to Emmanuel, Oche Paul Omaji, who narrowly escaped the brutality of the murderers. Following the ugly incident, Emmanuel’s life style of fugitive to avoid the heartless and lawless audacity of his trailers continues till date.
There’s no end to sight on when Emmanuel Omaji will return home to enjoy the warm embrace of his people. The recent murder of Oche Paul Omaji by unknown gunmen on the 7th of May, 2025, sends stronger warnings to Emmanuel to run farther as he can.
Although, no one knows the killers of Oche Paul Omaji and his friend, but locals who spoke on condition of anonymity linked his death to attempt to erase all evidence of Elder Oche Omaji’s murder as he was the only one who witnessed the murder of his Dad.
Speaking on the matter, the younger brother of Emmanuel, Mr. Amedu Innocent Omaji said, the entire family is devastated, but their only consolation was that their brother is safe in an undisclosed location.
He added that, despite being heart broken as a result of the uncertainties surrounding their brother, they still prefer him staying alive away from home. Efforts to get feelers of traditional rulers and local security were futile as they were either unwilling to speak on the issue or not reachable.
The protracted incident, without solution, is a sad reminder that, for Emmanuel Omaji, life is not “inviolable” as made to be believed by the African Charter, and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.