The Oba of Benin has fixed a date for traditionalists to place curses on kidnappers as part of efforts to address rising insecurity. The initiative is intended to complement conventional security efforts, not replace them.
But here's what I don't understand. If criminals believed curses would stop them, wouldn't kidnapping have disappeared long ago? Nigeria doesn't have a shortage of spiritual interventions. It has a shortage of certainty that criminals will be caught, prosecuted, and punished. Whether you're religious, traditional, or neither, shouldn't the bigger conversation be about making crime a bad business instead of hoping fear does the job?
What do you think?
Emilokan
1 Comments
If kidnappers ignored the law, why would they suddenly respect a public announcement? The bigger deterrent is increasing the chances of getting caught. The fooling in this country is at an all time high.
Traditional leaders have always played a role in community justice. This could be symbolic as well as spiritual.
I'd rather see better intelligence gathering, faster trials, and stronger convictions than more ceremonies.