When a confused crowd is led by a wrong leader,
catastrophe becomes a must. It is a confirmed
fact that a crowd does not react automatically except it heeds the voice of a
leader. The human race like all other animals needs a leader to enable it carry
out its natural functions, otherwise its activities will be very chaotic and
uncontrollable. But even at that, it will depend on a good leadership for a
society or community of humans not to plunge into chaos and catastrophes.
Have you noticed that in a normal gathering of
persons it is usually one person that sparks off the issue that leads to confusion
and sometimes a calamity? Their fatal intervention normally starts like a
whisper or a suggestion thrown into the air that soon turns into a bomb if an
irate crowd, a bunch of weak minded or impetuous persons picks it up. I was
about 10 years when I witnessed the burning to death of a young, handsome,
talented, promising…. and as it later appeared innocent Nigerian by an irate
crowd.
The handsome young man as was subsequently
revealed after his death had gone from the mainland to visit his girl friend that
lives in the Island, those of us who are very conversant with Lagos, Nigeria,
would know what I am talking about. After seeing the Girlfriend, this young man
set out to return to his house in the mainland, but unknown to him, a boy who
was also interested in the girl along with two of his friends had laid siege
for him on the way.
So as he appeared, they tried to attack him and
he fought back viciously until they started overpowering him and he realized it
was the best time to take to his heels, and as he did, the three boys ran after
him, yelling out that he was a thief and that he had stolen something from them,
almost immediately people in the neighborhood came out and joined in the chase
and in a short while they trapped the young man and without asking any
question, they began to lynch him.
It was then that a voice came from the crowd
suggesting that they got a fuel and a tyre to burn down our young man, who has
been badly wounded and was mumbling out what appeared to be his last defense. In
the twinkle of an eye a tyre and a bottle of fuel appeared on the scene; they
put the tyre round his neck and poured the fuel all over him, then someone
struck a match and that was all. A young man in his early 20s with a promising
future has been killed by a mob lacking the capacity to think individually and
act positively.
It would take the courage of the girl friend
and the confession under duress of the three boys months later to really
understand what actually happened between the three boys and this innocent
young man, but then it was too late.
Since then I have come to understand the
meaning of that epigram that says that those who follow the crowd will never go
beyond the crowd. And I have come to realize that the crowd is not always right,
and also that one good decision can save all of us from committing an
incorrigible error. So, when next you find yourself in the midst of a crowd,
planning to burn or kill a human being like you for whatever reason, learn to say
no. Accused persons should be handed over to the pertinent authorities (The
Police) for their presentation before the law court for appropriate
prosecution.
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