To most Nigerians looking at the shocking video and reading the stories, this is a situation contributing to a rising panic among most Nigerians that political competition is becoming more and more dangerous as it is bleeding into the daily life of most people.
Above the issue of party lines, individuals are disturbed by the fact that mob justice can be justified, excused, or even politicized in a very swift way. Ordinary people are not so preoccupied with the party of which one member or another is a part but are more concerned with the fact that anyone who is an academic, a professional, or an ordinary passerby can be publicly humiliated without being immediately punished. It makes the impression that the rule of law is weak and biased.
There is also a reflection in the situation of a greater national unease as to the misuse of culture, tradition, and identity as a defense of violence. Nigerians know the significance of traditional institutions and respect sacred symbols; however, most of them believe that the reverence must not interfere with basic human rights or due process. Violence committed in the name of defense of honor or political loyalty destroys both institutions simultaneously: politics turns into lawlessness, and tradition becomes involved in scandals, which it was never intended to justify.
What is becoming desired by Nigerians is transparency and accountability. Security agencies have to move with speed and be open to reassure the victim but also instill the confidence that the people have in the agency and that the action of the mobsters is not condoned at all costs. Political leaders, irrespective of affiliation, are expected to denounce such acts without calculations and hesitations. After all, this is a recommendation that is easy, yet pressing: justice should be seen, unbiased, and decisive. Devoid of this, the chances of such an incident becoming precedent are too high, and that is a route that Nigerians are very familiar with and are not willing to retread.
