THE increasing fatality rate of socially related crimes in Nigeria is assuming a monstrous and awesome dimension to the extent that innocent people no longer feel safe at the hands of cheap opportunists and miscreants.

A 36-year old widow and mother of three, Mrs. Patience Iyoha recently passed through the harrowing ordeal of being set ablaze by her elder brother for refusing to go into prostitution. Her looks were a gory sight following the burns she sustained from the fire attack on her. Last month she narrated her ordeal to the Special Assistant to the Edo State Governor on Human Trafficking, Mrs. Henrietta Agun.

MRS. Iyoha who is an indigene of Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State said she attended a burial ceremony where her elder brother surprisingly met her and poured petrol on her and thereafter set her on fire.

ON what led to the attack, she alleged that her brother had arranged that she should travel abroad and that she had consistently turned down the proposal. Since, then, she said she had never been the same again, as she received burns on her face, hands, shoulders and chest upto her legs.

THE impression of the Special Assistant was one of positive sympathy over her unfortunate condition which she described as man’s inhumanity to man. She was however assured of the support of Edo State government who has taken up the responsibility to care for her and place her at the Central Hospital, Benin City for prompt medical attention.

BE that as it may, some Nigerians who have been similarly so attacked have never been so lucky, either because there were no listening ears from any quarters, lack of finance for adequate and proper treatment or they lost their lives immediately after such attacks.

THE Nigerian Observer condemns such attacks on innocent people as not only morally reprehensible but also criminally prohibited by laws put in place for society’s good conduct.

IT has become a trend for people to take the laws into their hands when they cannot get what they want by fair means. However, we also assert that there is a downward negative trend in our value system which throws all ethics of a good moral code over board because of the gains and benefits of materialism.

THE role of the police in bringing Mrs. Iyoha’s attacker under the chains of the law is pertinent in the police duty to protect lives and property of law abiding citizens.

WHERE the police have not commenced investigation into the matter, due diligence should follow to track the suspect to bring him to book. Criminals are always encouraged to continue in their wanton act of mayhem, where those who perpetrate cruel acts against their victims are released no sooner they were arrested, or sometimes not arrested at all because no report of the crime was made to the police.

MRS. Iyoha’s attacker may be on the run but not forever, as such the police should spread their dragnet to fish him out, as a crime once committed is not affected by lapse of time and a criminal perpetrator who commits an offence remains a wanted person to stand trial once arrested.

THE Nigerian Observer urges the police in Edo State not to rest on their oars in stemming the rising tide of criminality even in the face of severe shortage of manpower and adequate logistics. As society becomes more complex, perpetrators of crimes become more sophisticated and hence the rate of criminality shows a steady progress.

WHILE greed and insatiable appetite which drive materialism, are among causes of finance induced crimes, those set in fabric of social and communal relations including prostitution and human trafficking and that of sheer hate, particularly murder, acid or fuel attacks will require reevaluation of our moral value system to cause positive re-orientation to bring about the essence of contentment, satisfaction and tolerance of one another in order to live in a safer community and environment.

WE therefore enjoin religious clerics as true teachers in the observance of those moral precepts to carry the message of tolerance and self contentment further to touch the psyche of the average Nigerian, as it is also a tool of advancing development in the society.

GOVERNMENT responsibility is also crucial in sanitising the society as it would help to bring about a response mechanism as demonstrated by the Government Oserheimen Osunbor’s Administration in the case of Mrs. Iyoha and also to bring perpetrators of crimes to book so as to preserve law and order.

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