By Sunday Efosa
The rate of moral decadence in Nigeria has indeed reached its zenith as the social malady is now at an alarming rate. It is so bad that some young and secondary school girls now leave school/home for their boyfriends’ houses to spend months without the consent of their parents, but only to be engaging in an activity that often serves as a prelude to a life of criminality.
To imagine what these young girls are doing probably pales into insignificance when compared to what their male counterparts are doing which is really sickening.
And it exemplifies how degenerate the society has become and the bleak future that looms. Truth be told, it would have been surprising and patently illogical to expect these young girls and men to put up their best behaviour in a society that is sliding precipitously into the abyss as a result of the ignoble activities of some irresponsible adults.
There is so much criminality and widespread aberrant actions in the land that children and the youth tend to view oddities as the norm. And the situation is hardly helped by the fact that the public space is daily suffused with worrying and distressing news of grave criminal actions in different parts of the country, which are fast becoming the rule rather than the exception. The prevailing condition of delinquency amongst young girls and men in the country smacks of multiple jeopardy.
Some parents are delinquents themselves and so incapable of giving their children and wards the proper upbringing required of them to become responsible adults. And sadly too, some parents who seem to be morally upright are finding it difficult to create time for proper parenting out of their busy schedules in pursuit of material wealth.
And unfortunately, these things are happening at a time when discipline has virtually collapsed in our society. Worse still, critical societal institutions, including governmental, religious, traditional and family formations that had customarily helped in instilling moral values and shaping the character and behaviour of citizens have drifted from that path of honour, having apparently prioritized self-interest over humanity.
The consequences of those acts of critical omissions and negligence have crystallised and are obvious for all to see.
Little wonder that in recent time the Edo State Police Command relaunched a manhunt for one Mr. Stanley Aigbedion following his alleged adoption/ kidnapping of Miss Edith Osaro, who was reported to be in her late twenties.
Investigation revealed that trouble started sometime in 2009, when the father of Esther, Mr. Osaro decided to incident a case of forceful adoption/kidnapping of his daughter, Edith against Stanley at the police station.
It was scooped that though, Edith who left home for Mr. Stanley Aigbedion’s house without her father’s consent has been in a romantic relationship with Stanley over the years.
Edith was gathered to have been looked for by her father all over there place but unknown to the man that his daughter was living with her lover (Stanley Aigbedion) until he traced the daughter to the resident of Stanley, hence, the police was alerted. Following several failed attempts to arrest the suspect failed, the police was said to have declared him wanted
As the matter was believed to have died down, the suspect, Stanley Aigbedion resurfaced again in 2014 after going into hiding for over four years.
“Surprisingly, Stanley Aigbedion was in 2014 sighted in Benin City, Edo State by an informant who later informed Edith’s father. The police was again alerted of the development as they later swooped into action in company of Mr. Osaro. But unfortunately, the suspect on sighting Mr. Osaro in company of some policemen escaped through the window”, a family source told this writer.
However, there was a twist of event the following day as the wife of Stanley Aigbedion went to the Police to alleged amongst others that the said Edith was not with her husband.
It was also learnt that Mrs. Stanley told the police that the the missing Edith Osaro was seen somewhere in Europe.
However, the errant behaviour of Stanley Aigbedion and his lover Edith Osaro in question is just a snippet of the decadence that has crept into the society and it, in a sense, mirrors what is happening in the official circles, and in the private lives of many Nigerians.
