Naija: The Jericho-Shekel nation

The author paints a stark contrast between Nigeria's past and present, recalling personal anecdotes that illustrate a bygone era of trust and kindness. In one instance, as an undergraduate during a fuel scarcity, he was uniquely chosen from a crowd by a driver based on his appearance, a gesture of consideration that seems absent in today's Nigeria.

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That was the Nigeria we inherited from our fathers.

Another memory recounts the high anxiety of his mother when he was unreachable for hours while passing through a notorious expressway, a route where an army general had been killed years prior. These recollections serve to underscore a perceived shift from a Nigeria where fear, exploitation, and lust for power were less pervasive, to one where they now dominate public life.

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Her apprehension was pitched high, as she felt something bad must have happened to me, bearing in mind the gory stories about the expressway.

The narrative then pivots to the escalating insecurity, citing the emergence and evolution of groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP. These organizations, initially small, have scaled and diversified their operations, leading to a "kidnapping economy." The author notes that Nigeria now leads West Africa in conflict-related abductions, drawing a chilling parallel to the ancient biblical route between Jerusalem and Jericho, historically known as the "Pass of Blood" due to its extreme danger.

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The story here depicts the Nigeria of old, where there was kindness, a modicum of trust, and truthfulness, and today, where fear, exploitation, and lust for power and money pervade our thinking.