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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Crime / The Igbo Crime Culture - By Fredrick Nwabufo (257 Views)
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The Igbo Crime Culture - By Fredrick Nwabufo by Fate111: 7:21pm On Aug 26, 2019 |
In the heat of the lynching of Igbo citizens
in Asia in 2013 over alleged criminality, I
wrote an essay entitled, ‘The Igbo fallacy’. In
it, I appealed to the Igbo to de-emphasise
the culture of profligacy, decadent opulence
and vanity, which fuels the pursuit of crime
by their own. I also suggested the need for
value re-orientation – a task that must be
actuated by all groups – the age grades,
unions and traditional institutions.
Really, it is enervating for me that my
kinsmen are taking the inglorious front row
in ‘’money crimes’’ – drug peddling and
internet fraud – abroad.
In August 2016, an Igbo drug dealer was
guillotined in Indonesia. But his funeral in
Anambra was a rambunctious shin-dig. He
was even described as a “hero” by his
people.
I have skimmed through the list of alleged
online fraudsters indicted by the FBI, in
what is regarded as the biggest scam bust
in history, and I could see familiar names. It
is heart-breaking for me. The refrain that
criticising your own people for
shortcomings is an act of sanctimony is
obtuse. Crime has no ethnic face, but does
that imply condoning or rationalising a
persistent ill?
I have said it before, we have a problem.
The Igbo have a problem. Out of the 21
Nigerians on death-row for drug peddling
in Indonesia, 20 are Igbo – from my state –
Anambra. Personally, I feel violated by this.
A few months ago, some armed robbers of
Igbo origin launched an attack on a bureau
de change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
but they were arrested. It is painful, instead
of exporting the durable products of Aba,
we are exporting crime and violence. That
Nigerians are a pariah in South Africa is
partly due to the activities of some Igbo
drug cartel.
But what happens when these drug gangs
return to the South-East? A bazaar of
bloodshed. A few years ago, there was a
massacre at a church in Ozubulu, Anambra.
The killings were linked to a drug war
between rival gangs in South Africa. The
gangs took their battle out of the turf to
native soil. Really, we are baiting the
hurricane.
And now, out of the 77 names listed for
online fraud in the United States, 74 are
Igbo. We have a problem. We cannot solve
this problem by living in denial.
I agree, there are millions of us doing great
things in our fields but we must condemn
the activities of these criminals among us.
They do not represent us but their actions
are capable of making an execrable
impression of all us.
One drop of dirt is enough to make a basin
of water impure. We must have serious
conversations on this atypical criminality.
The argument that the Igbo are
marginalised and that they are deprived
because of the civil war, so very few among
them are forced into crime is puerile. This is
a terrible way to rationalise a problem that
dents the entire group. There is no excuse
for crime.
We have a culture that glorifies “money”
crime – “ego mbute” – the culture of money
grubbing and worship, as the-be-all and
end-all of everything. It is a pervasive
culture, not limited to the Igbo though.
We need value re-orientation, and this
should be actuated by all groups – age
grades and traditional institutions. We must
stop celebrating people of unknown
fortune. We must name and shame those
with illicit wealth in our communities. We
should upbraid them instead of giving them
chieftaincy titles and front-row seats in
church.
What exactly do we discuss at annual
August meetings and town-union
meetings? Enough should be enough. We
cannot keep ignoring this filth.
We have a problem. A crime culture.
@FredrickNwabufo 2 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: The Igbo Crime Culture - By Fredrick Nwabufo by DSENATAR: 7:27pm On Aug 26, 2019 |
Lalastical, this is front page material 1 Like |
Re: The Igbo Crime Culture - By Fredrick Nwabufo by hisgrace090: 7:37pm On Aug 26, 2019 |
The writer will be attacked because we have so many of this criminals everywhere and are ever ready to attack any who condemn crime. |
Re: The Igbo Crime Culture - By Fredrick Nwabufo by abdulazeez1002(m): 7:58pm On Aug 26, 2019 |
Re: The Igbo Crime Culture - By Fredrick Nwabufo by meezynetwork(m): 8:24pm On Aug 26, 2019 |
Igbos and money worshipping. It's a shame cos am igbo too. Though Yorubas and the entire South South are among too but that of igbos is worst. |
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