Was this not the way we felt when Bosnia boiled? Are we feeling better than those who experienced torture under Idin Amin, Mobu Sese Seko and South Africa's apartheid? What has happened to our humanity that we have become so inhumane? Kidnapping, beating, maiming, and dumping a citizen in his own blood cannot be the right way to channel our tax payers' monies.
Keeping silence in the face of injustice is not cleverness but cowardice. It matters to me, it matters to you; it matters to us all that a citizen was kidnapped by men allegedly with government nomenclature, and was allegedly taken to government Cabinet Office, was maimed and dumped at a police station.
It matters that the perpetrators are men with flesh and blood whose descents are known, whose siblings and parents are not hidden. It matters that such act was perpetrated with highest manifestation of impunity under a democracy.
The act may be a handiwork of overzealous youths who want to impress a government but silence on the part of the government after heavy indictment of her apparatchiks is an endorsement of the act. If it matters to government, they must issue official statement as well as submit to law agents the hoodlums using her name to commit crimes. This is democracy and freedom is the right if every citizen.
For whatever reason, Charles Otu is a citizen. Law does not permit that citizens being treated intimidated, beaten and maimed. The treatment meted to Charles Otu if not condemned will have a domino effect. We do not need to widen our imagination to know that Charles was used as a sample and a warning to others.
It should matter to all civil right bodies, Nigeria Union of Journalists, human right groups that a citizen was humiliated and decimated. It should matter to us that the victim is alive to tell his stories.
It should matter to us all to demand account of what happened and ensure that those behind the incident are exposed and forced to walk through the tight rope of law. Keeping silent is not an option.
Injustice to one is injustice to all. Silence can only keep you in government good list. But in face of injustice, money and position are meaningless. Our money may buy us bed but never dream and rest. It may buy us clock but never time. It may buy us schools and books but never intelligence. It may buy us position but never respect.
Our life is longer than any regime. What happens to our neighbour matters to us too. Yes, it matters. We are no longer safe.