By Cosmas Omegoh
These are unusual times for most Nigerians. A large number of people are passing through real hard times. Their inability to deal with some pressing issues is seemingly getting them frustrated. Every now and then, tempers flare up. Observers keep asking: where are all of these coming from?
Lagos and the bizarre
Some days ago, for example, a few bizarre incidents in Lagos almost broke the social media space. In one instance, a woman was seen charging forward as nude as Eve in the Garden of Eden.
She was captured running amok at a filling station in Ikoyi area of the city. She had seized a fuel dispensing pump and started spraying the highly inflammable product everywhere in the station, sending the attendants and customers of the facility running for safety.
It took sheer grit and rare display of courage by those present at the scene to stop her.
Just as many who saw the video clip of that incident were trying to digest what happened, another bizarre stuff was playing out somewhere in another part of the city.
This time, a commercial bus driver – the one Lagos residents call danfo – was captured doing the unthinkable. In a fit of anger and frustration, he pulled off his trousers and boxers – apparently propelled by an attempt by operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management (LASTMA) to arrest him.
Then, he defecated, and proceeded to splash the waste on the face of one of the officials already seated on his vehicle’s wheels, waiting to drive the arrested bus away.
Also, everyone would recall the gory incident barely three months ago in which a commercial motorcyclist a.k.a Okada rider conspired with his colleagues, killed and set a sound engineer ablaze in the Lekki area of the city following an argument after a ride.
About that time too, a man who was said to have accidentally knocked down a commercial cyclist on Ago Place Way in Isolo was allegedly stabbed and left half dead. He went into coma and later died weeks ago.
Truly bizarre things happening
While admitting that a lot more things are happening in the society at the moment, a Lagos resident, Eniola Martins, disclosed that “this is Lagos,” lingo is not for nothing pointing out that it signifies that Lagos is a city of enormous possibilities.
He noted that “out of the few developments we are aware of, a lot more had gone unreported.”
He said that much of what people get to know in Lagos are courtesy of the social media. “Now,” he said, “a lot of people have smart phones with which they capture the sight and sounds of the city which they easily share on the social media. That is the reason many people follow the developments in the city.”
Police admit incidents
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Lagos State Command, Benjamin Hundeyin admitted that the incidents were isolated cases of hoodlums trying to disrupt the peace of the city.
While commenting on the Ikoyi incident he said: “That was a mental case. The woman was mentally imbalanced. The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Onikan gave a report on that.”
On the alleged assault by the danfo, he said: “We don’t need to dignify such a deviant. People like the character in question are spoilt fellows. Sometimes, they needed to be taught vital lessons so that others like them will not venture to act that way.
“Once such fellows are charged to court for such conduct, and given the appropriate punishment, others like them will think twice before acting in similar manner.”
He expressed disappointment that the case was not reported to the police for appropriate action.
“All over the world,” he recalled, “the basis for investigation is for a statement to be written by the complainant. It is on the basis of that that every other thing is built. Until the affected person walks up to the police and says so, so and so person assaulted me, the police are not going to do anything.
“In the USA, for instance, during a recent live award ceremony being anchored by Chris Rock, Lee Smith approached him and landed a serious slap on him, sending everyone screaming. Later everyone kept wondering why the police did not arrest Smith. But the police issued a statement saying unless Chris Rock filed a charge, the police would not arrest Smith. And till today the police in the USA have not done that. That is how the police work.”
What to do when assaulted
Hundeyin said even when there is frustration in the land, the moment one is assaulted by a deviant, “all you need to do is to walk up to a police station and make a report. If after that nothing happens, you can then shout to the whole world. Let the police spokesman hear; let the commissioner of police hear. We are a responsible organisation and want to be seen as so always.
“When the citizens make reports, they put us on the spot.”
He expressed sadness that people don’t exactly know what to do when things happen to them, especially when deviants place them on an awkward spot.
He said that there had become a greater need now than before for more enlightenment, more sensitisation and more orientation of the citizenry.
“In Lagos, we have jingles running on the various radio stations asking people to say no to jungle justice. This idea of lynching or burning people alive is barbaric and must stop. Enough of it! We want people to know that there are consequences for taking the laws into their hands.
“When one takes the laws into their hands, that might also make them culpable. When an individual assaults you, they might be guilty. But you too might as well be guilty of doing something else if in the course of trying to retaliate you release a blow and the individual slumps and dies. That becomes a different matter all together.”
Why society sees bizarre things
Meanwhile a sociologist and resident of Lagos, Mr Goddy Udenka, has said that what Nigerians are witnessing at the moment is a by-product of societal pressures. He warned that many people are currently on edge, adding that everyone needs to be cautious while dealing with their neigbours.
“What we are witnessing is a tendency towards societal degeneration.
“They are indications that so many things that are getting into people’s psyche, forcing them to behave irrationally.
“The truth is that the extent the danfo driver went was an extreme behaviour. It signals that the difficulty people are facing now is getting right into them. That is getting out of hand. It is creating the kind of scenario that sends people screaming and cringing.
“To tell you the truth, what we are seeing now are societal and financial pressures on people. They are clear indications of structural dysfunction. Take for instance, people’s frustration at having power supply, buying fuel or diesel to power their cars and generators. What about the nerve-wrecking traffic gridlocks we experience everyday? The rains are here. You recall that Lagos is not a place to be when the rains begin to pour. All these and more are directly and indirectly causing people a lot of pressures,” he said.
He noted that once people are seen behaving irrationally, it is a clear indication that they are no longer able to cope with the challenges they face.
“The moment people are unable to cope with such challenges, they tend to let out steam through any and every means – because their heads are full, so to speak. Any spark will compel them to act inhumanly. Usually, such behaviours are at variance with acceptable societal norms.
“What that tells us is that there are a lot of structural defects in our society at the moment. They are a lot of inconsistencies people are getting increasingly unable to deal with,” he said.
How to navigate frustration
While asking the citizens to avoid obvious pitfalls already spread out everywhere, Udenka said: “What we now see every day should compel us to be more careful. When you see anyone charging at you, you might not know the kind of pressures they are facing. Those pressures could be enormous.
“Therefore, if you are relating with them you need to do that with lots of caution, especially in a place like Lagos where many are currently on edge. Every little thing provides the spark they are waiting for to explode.
“So, we have to be cautious in relating with one another. We need to take certain things into consideration while acting in a particular manner. The truth is that the times are tough. Therefore, the way we relate, the way we communicate with people need to change.
“When we are dealing with an Okada man or a bus conductor for instance, we should be cautious because they too might be passing through pressures.
“Going forward, we need to begin to learn to deal with people with more caution and respect if possible.”
However, Hundeyin believes that faceoff is a part of the human society.
“In every human society,” he maintains, “problems will always arise. Tempers will always flare. People will always quarrel; people will always argue.
“But the bottom line is: don’t take the laws into your hands. When those things try to pop up, always be calm.”