The Lens Magazine Aug. 2017 | Page 71

The Soft Issue
August 2017
Story from Within
they dealt him. The self-acclaimed spokesperson of the mob warned other
thieves in the vicinity against stealing. The sight was murderous and then I
checked the time on my phone. It was past 4 in the morning. If not for the
timely intervention of the school security the boy would have been murdered
in hot blood right there at the school’s walk way.
This act is that of cold-bloodedness and lack of civility. We students are
supposed to be learned. We should know better that jungle justice is a no-
go area for the educated. We should not engage ourselves in petty violence
and even violence in general. Our civility is what differentiates us from
illiterates and common street urchins. If you give it a close look, you will
realise it is an act of a kangaroo kangarooing another kangaroo.
It is uncalled for. Half of the time, victims of mob actions often turn out not-
guilty. I am not saying what the alleged thief did was right. But he is human
©Al-Faruq Akinwumi
Let us all be an ambassador of moral acts. We should
not let our emotions becloud our judgments. We
also should learn to adopt the principle of do unto
others what you want to be done to you i.e. People
should try as much as possibly not to steal. Because
stealing hurts and no one likes to be hurt.
like us and should be treated as such. Our institution
and the nation in general have organised bodies
that considers issues like this. The thief should have
been handed over to the right authorities to take
disciplinary measures on the case.
Now, I see some of you snarling have you ever
been stolen from? Yes, I have been stolen from
times without number and I know how much it
hurts. First, my purse was taken out of my bag at
the Agricultural Lecture Theater when I left it to use
the rest room. Another time, a gang of robbers came
to my boyfriend’s hostel and stole his laptop, phone
and my phone from me. I was shaken that day.
The University authorities have since passed a memo
condemning the rise in mob actions on campus. This
is a very important move on the part of the school as
it would go a long way to put a leash on this act.
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