Crime rate in Nigeria has heightened with the clustering of several offshoots of wings of ills graduating into broad social turbulence. The rate of such crime as armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, homicide and rape, among others, are expanding to take broader spread of disturbing tentacles. The dimensions of crimes which are more or less perpetrated through or on the platform of domestic channels are becoming much more complex. The unsuspecting manner through which victims of these forms of crimes become casualties owes largely to the relaxed mood of trust with loved ones, close relatives, neighbours, and more intimating, family members, who inflict such damages.
The phenomenon of casualties of domestic violence can be rounded up in this category of thought. Under this scale of misfortune, victims have had to suffer attacks at varying degrees not from strangers but from those they are readily acquainted with – be it from loved ones, close relatives, neighbours, and more intimating, family members. As the society gets more complex, more complicated cases of domestic crises appear to be assuming more dimensions.
The profile of diverse spate of domestic crises ranging from minor assaults to more life threatening attacks is becoming more mind-boggling. The infliction of injuries and at critical points, unrecoverable ones leading to death have been a rife phenomenon recently. While some of these incidents may not be intended by the offender to inflict a damage of such magnitude, it is however inconstestible that there have been cases which, prima facie, are much intended. In instances of such cases of the latter, a close perusal of the surrounding narratives would reveal the culprits have nurtured such attempt over time before actually perpetrating the damage(s).
The phenomenon of casualties of love relationship is one subject of discourse among the variant wings of domestic misfortunes in recent time. There have been records of many who have suffered light and gruesome offences from a supposed partner. While the record of various accounts have established that both male and female gender had suffered from such malady, it is however apparent that the female counterparts have been much more affected. Although, there appears to be love relationships which started on good note but unfortunately became sour, leading to such unwholesome note of harm casualties, there are others whose foundation alone were based on falsehood.
The case of the latter would reveal more of a relationship which from onset was informed by mischief by one of a pretending party whose mindset was governed by a mischievous escapade as against a show of love. Under such circumstances, any apparent show of love by such advancing dispositions were mere deceptions — a means to an end — to lure the supposed partner to become victim of the real intention. Such subterfuge have cost many unsuspecting lovers injuries and losses – both redeemable and irredeemable. At critical points, victims have suffered losses of lives and/or properties. The emergence and expansive growth of the internet and social media use, appears to have further aided these escapades in recent times. However, this is not to say that these are only the channels informing the background of such misfortunes.
The account of one Josephine Cynthia, who was murdered by a suspect posing as a husband-to-be lover, is mind-boggling. Among suspects paraded by the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday, was 54-year-old Christopher Akpan, the alleged killer of a 45-year-old National Security and Civil Defence Corps officer — Josephine Cynthia. According to report, Akpan who feigned as a lover to Josephine had after obtaining money running into millions from her, arranged for her death with a native doctor.
The Force Public Relation Officer, Frank Mba, had narrated the incident thus: “Akpan had promised to marry Josephine. In the course of the relationship, a lot of financial dealings took place and it is believed Josephine handed a large chunk of money to Akpan. Between December 19 and 20, 2019, she visited her lover who lured her to the house of a native doctor, Rafiu Afolabi, 67, in Benue, where she was murdered and her body buried in a shallow grave in the forest. Akpan promised to pay Afolabi N5million out of the N14million he had collected from Josephine. It took intense effort and massive follow-up by the Intelligence Response Squad before the crime was uncovered.”
While Akpan denied the allegations, it is pertinent for Nigerians at this time to be more sensitive in their dealings with people. It is so much the fact now that many who cannot think of better ways to make ends meet from the prevailing conditions, are turning and resorting to doing anything possible to survive. Some who are driven by overzealous and covetous thirst for luxury are known to be turning to exploiting mischievous ills to make money from diabolic escapades. In these hard times, such category of folks would not look back at considering harmful escapades against close ones just to satisfy their ill-bred passion.
It is therefore, essential for Nigerians to all begin to take extra caution in their dealings within and beyond their homes and immediate neighbourhood. In this light, beyond the far reaches of communal cohabitation, it is pertinent for Nigerians to, among other social engagements, become ultra-sensitive to the kind of relationships they keep. While it is evident that no age group or gender — young, old, male or female — is immune to the increasing threats, it is more instructive for the young folks to become more skeptical and sensitive to the kinds of relationship they keep. In this light, being wary of any sudden advance may be one guarding parameter against becoming victims of unfortunate mischief. Since such cases are not likely not to leave some footings of threats before deep cuts are unleashed, ultra-sensitivity to dimensions of behavioural patterns is pertinent to steer clear from such dangers.