Akpabio-Akpoti: Insurgence of Mob Arousal
By Elempe Dele
The title of this article is deliberate; it is meant to trigger off contemplations.
My main area of concern is the cynical manipulation of the Nigerian mob into deeds capable of conflagaration.
My mind turns back to Wole Soyinka’s book: Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth. The book, a satire of sort, mirrored the insanities of the nation’s ruling class. But not on the contrary, this article explores the simple minds of all the classes, especially the mob class, when it comes to social issues.
First, four thematic issues came to my mind in the recess of discussing with members of Market Place of Ideas, a significant WhatsApp group peopled by all shades of humanities…from the mundane, the parochial to the sinfully dishonest and honest.
The elastic sector of the public consciousness was aroused after the 2023 presidential election where one of the candidate that won the election was not majorly the prefered candidate. Yes, the public was disenchanted with the ruling class so they wanted a new lease. Peter Obi represented that ideology under the covering umbrella of ‘a New Nigeria is Possible’ mantra. The Obidient Movement sold like wildfire within urban areas but could not penetrate the rural areas and the populated northern Nigeria, as a matter of fact. He eventually lost the election.
Anyone who felt contrary to the widely held notion he won the election was seen as the lackey of the ruling class. Members of the group felt deep hatred against others and their opinions even when the election petition went as for as the Supreme Court. This sad mob event passed.
Came the death of MohBad (Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba) a Nigerian music artiste. The mob took his death personal after some social media illiterates peddled the news that it was his former record label owner, Naira Marley( Azeez Adeshina Fashola) that was directly responsible for his death. The mob took to the street calling for the head of Naira Marley without finding about the his whereabouts at the time of MohBad’s death. There were protests in Benin City, Warri, Lagos and other major cities around the country with weed-smoking youths having carnival-like vigils.
The event wrought several articles from my mind. I questioned the logic the mob used in coming to the conclusion that it was Naira Marley, who was then in far away Holland, that was directly responsible for MohBad’s death. Should that single alibi of beiing in Holland not have been enough to remove him from people of interest if the mob was really thinking? No, they don’t want to listen to reason, they were satisfied with their fixed idea. Naira Marley was defamed, was insulted, accused, his name was dragged through the mud, television and radio stations stopped playing his music, he was cancelled…he had to submit himself to the security agents after flying all the way from Europe to exonerate himself. After all these, it was recently MohBad’s wife recounted how her husband got injured in a fracas, was injected for infection by an unlicensed nurse, and later passed out. I can recall the emotional open note Naira Marley sent to MohBad’s wife, Omowumi, recently who was silent while the Nigerian Mob was killing him. I could not contain my intense emotions.
After that event, last year, we were greeted by another event that took the nation by surprise, and of course the mob was equally aroused. The reasonable sector of the population was overwhelmed.
Dele Farotimi, a Nigerian lawyer, who was also a member of the Labour Party, LP, and one of the spokespersons of the party during the 2023 presidential campaigns, was arrested in lagos state on December 3, 2024, and extradited to Ekiti State by the Nigerian Police Force in connection with a book he authored: Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. The arrest followed allegations of defamation brought against him by Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, a 90 year old first generation lawyers after the Nigerian independent. His detention sparked widespread outrage, with activists, legal practitioners, and civil society organizations condemning the action as an attempt to stifle free speech and dissent. In response, his supporters organized protests, launched social media campaigns, and initiated legal actions demanding his immediate release and urging the Nigerian Government to uphold democratic principles.
There were the usual arguments from the same unremitting mob who was aroused to defend Farotimi concerning the alleged criminal defamation. They witnessed his ‘truth’ and made him a god who could not have been lying. There was no request for his ‘truth’ to be evidenced, which was not contained anywhere, and has never been relayed up till this day. He was released about 18 days after his arrest. Some Yoruba first class Obas came to his rescue by going all the way to Ekiti to beg Babalola to withdraw the case from court, and to forgive his erring son.
Farotimi did not refuse the intervention as one would have expected so that the world could know his truth. His reaction to reporters who requested interview after the intervention was ‘no comment.’ So many, including me, were disappointed.
Today, the mob is assailed with the imbroglio between Senators Akpabio, the Senate President, and Senator Natasha, representing the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District. The mob is out destroying all sense of decorum, rigour, context, logic…they are not listening to any form of reason, they have taken side. Akpabio is a predator, has sexually harassed Akpoti, she is the victim, it is gender inequality, the Senate must burnt, there are planned protest in over ten states…no one is pursing to digest the issues that fanned the altercation there on the floor of the house.
The mob is usually aroused in Nigeria and the new fabric of fear is cornered from the inability for the mob to purse to process issues. Are their limits of understanding simple issues restrained and recognized? Can we associate this new mentality with the mob that burnt down the Mosque in Utter Pradesh because they were told the very spot where the Mosque was represented where Lord Rama, the Hindu deity, first landed in earth? Should the mob not have asked Natasha for proof of her sexual allegations before they will agree to turn the country into a lake of fire? No! He is guilty as accused…nothing more should be investigated.
The Nigerian mob is an ideological rival to reason, and its dimension is taking a dangerous turn. There are awareness of incinerators, arsonists, anarchists and other known elements in the belly of the mob. I am afraid we are in a precipice, and I hope we don’t tumble over.
Elempe is a journalist, he wrote from Warri, Delta State.
