As a born-and-bred Nigerian, this question weighs heavily on me:
Why do we jump on every trend, whether good or devastating , often without thinking of the ripple effects?
It’s almost as if tragedy has become a content format.
Same patterns. Same type of stories. And somehow, they go viral in waves , as if scheduled.
Just days ago, we were talking about the flight hostess incident , a young woman publicly shamed, her privacy shattered, and her dignity questioned to the point of whether they were suggesting she “just join the nude industry” as a way forward.
That alone left a scar, not just on her, but on our collective conscience.
And now, here we are again.
A female corps member, Jennifer Edema Elohor, dragged, stripped naked, and beaten by men , not even fellow women under the watch of a so-called vigilante group in Anambra.
The violence. The humiliation.
The same trend of stripping women of their safety, literally and figuratively.
And the same reckless online circulation of trauma for “content.”
It’s heartbreaking to even think this is becoming predictable.
What are we doing to ourselves?
Can we just atleast be human again?
Some people don’t recover from these things.
Not everyone has the mental strength to process public shame or trauma.
Not everyone makes it back from depression. Some never return.
This isn’t just “gist” or “trend” this is someone’s life.
Someone’s daughter. Sister. Friend.
I honestly ask:
Where did our empathy go?
Who raised these men?
When did public disgrace become entertainment?
I completely condemn this violent, dehumanising behaviour and the culture that feeds it.
We owe it to ourselves and each other to do better. Let’s not wait for the next viral tragedy. Let’s speak up now.
Let’s be better humans.
