The death of Mr Toyin Obadina, Deputy Editor, Saturday Newswatch from the guns of suspected armed robbers, is not only agonizing and horrendous, it is quite sickening.
All men of the fraternity of the pen, to which Obadina belonged, are revolted that a man returning home from his legitimate duty is waylaid, robbed, and then shot twice in the stomach, leading to his death later in the hospital.
This once again underscores the abyss into which we have descended in Nigeria. Here, life is truly in that Hobbesian state of nature: nasty, brutish and short.
Our constitution makes it crystal clear that it is the duty of government to guarantee protection of lives and property. We recognize the yeoman’s efforts being made by the Lagos State government, but then, we are appalled at the unbridled proliferation of small arms almost throughout the length and breadth of the country. It is most probable that our colleague, Obadina, met his end through one of such illicit weapons. The onus is on government at all levels to curb criminality. Anything less would not do.
We urge the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Umar Manko, to ensure that killers of Obadina are brought to book in the shortest possible time.
We also sympathize with the family of the deceased, Newswatch Communications, and Nigerian journalists in general. May God grant us all the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
Femi Adesina
President, Nigerian Guild of Editors
