Beyond the Oyo School Kidnapping: The Mindset Crisis Fueling Nigeria’s Insecurity

Introduction 
If God solves problems the way Africans pray, then God should not have given us brains, of what use is a brain if all solutions are divine? Most of the developed nations in the world are Godless in the Hebrew context yet they are solving their problems and that of the world, only in Africa do we turn to God for what we should turn to our brains and resources for, we aren't ready yet. It's only in Africa you'd see a group of people hate or dismiss your skillsets or carefully developed ability and say you are using black magic, or someone gave you the skill after you prayed, hence they feel skills are divine gifts, so instead of working to get better they pray to get better, I wonder why we don't think of things from the first principles, even Jesus was a ferocious reader, but you his followers are praying for things he had to learn during his mortal existence. Remember Magic, witchcraft, miracles are all sciences yet to be understood by the populous...

Our MIndset
That mindset is why we have leaders like ourselves, why we blame leaders instead of ourselves. For we treat leaders like they aren't a result of our mindsets and society. We act like we are better than them, I still trust the so called bad leaders than a typical African, that mindset is why children will be kidnapped from schools in Nigeria, and the campaign online is about bad governance and prayers for the children is way more important than the reality of insecurity and how to tackle it. People are even saying all schools should be shut down, how? Don't you sound like the extremists you are claiming to hate? Why didn't you get off the internet when the bandits started live streaming on social media, why didn't you boycott eating beef when Fulanis were killing farmers? You see how your solution to this one sounds? The reason is rather than use brains to solve your problems you think to God or the closest in his ranks Government, why because being the weak is more powerful in the African context than being a thinker and the solution provider, so we claim victim, and focus on symptoms of the problem rather than truly understanding the problem, if Jesus starts leading us all today in this Africa he will still fail, this is not to justify the incompetence of some of the
leaders leading us, but unny thing is they are even a net result of who we are. Leaders are mostly better than their people. So before we point a finger at our leaders, who are we as a Nation or continent.

Back to the idea of why we are in this mess and understanding the problem, the same mindset that made you want to stop schools nationwide, the same mindset that makes you feel entitled to a better life without the work, is the same mindset that bandit carries, the same mindset that makes you feel hookup and yahoo is a easier route to wealth, is the same mindset that bandit you are mad at carries. We are all enablers of the society we find ourselves in. Instead of us trying to understand the problem and see things differently and emancipate our minds from this folly we double down and talk more sh*t. Do you know this kidnappers you are seeing are not necessarily kidnappers, and it's not just a Fulani thing! Most of them are guns for Hire that use kidnapping as a way to augment their cash flow, when they aren't really in business, bet you did not know! There are also the opportunists who are cult members, vigilante groups, armed criminals that also use kidnapping as a source of funding, because they all saw how lucrative it was after the whole Chibok girls incident. So primarily these are mercenaries, jobless youths turn mercenaries, angry youths turned mercenaries, hopeless youths turned mercenaries, you are already angrier at the government, sebi if government created employment they will be working, as usual, but calm down. Let's dissect this with brains and not that mindset, I talked about earlier.

Let's think like humans with brains without the sentiments and religious bias, most of these youths are not employable (government didn't build enough schools, as usual, but that's half the truth), some of them used to rear cattles, then one thing led to another they got weapons and cattle rearing was not as profitable as their new options, but this is not just a Fulani problem, because there are these mercenaries even in the South South, South East and now they are now in the South West with attempt to either escape or setup a base, so things will only get worse if we don't change some things. Now, the same mindset that won't make you hold that your yahoo friend accountable or your Politician friend accountable or even your Pastor, or your Imam, your Parents, siblings or relatives accountable is the reason why the military and others that know where these gun for hires were did nothing about it, or even profited from it or even hired them to serve their interest, in the long run you think you are different from these bandit but aren't we all the same on the spectrum, as long as the consequences of our evil is far from us it's excuse-able isn't that the mindset?

Now the evil is upon us, then we start praying as usual! That yahoo boy defrauded someone or ruined someone's life for you to enjoy that thing you are enjoying, you spend the money with him and even pray he doesn't get caught, same way the bandits family a living better now because of the crime of their children, and they can't allow you take their own, are you getting the implication of that mindset across board, same reason why as Nigerians these writing might be too boring to read as long as it highlights your flaws and it's lengthy and doesn't swear for Pres.Tinubu and Gov. Seyi makinde, it means I am in support of them and I am earning from them, lol you see your mind? That's the consequences of the shortcut syndrome. Since they have been kidnapping people in the North did Southerners move? Ehn ehn yall didn't right? good, now our children are in the bush, we are now saying all sorts, shut down schools, let's protest, why didn't they cancel ojude oba, blah blah blah, like the reactive people we are. Why am I hammering on the mindset? Because that's the real problem, so much that even if Jesus comes to rule us except he creates a system that kills you immediately when you exhibit the mindset he will fail terribly out here.

The Way Forward

Now what's the way forward, firstly let's allow the military in the west do their work, they aren't as sentimental as the Northerners whom some of their brothers are caught up in this mercenary business, also pressure on government won't work if what the Bandits want are human shields to negotiate for things beyond money, they are fighting for their lives, and it’s convenient for them
to use their fellow Nigerians as shields. Let’s let the government handle this one.

Secondly, let's stop waiting for government alone to solve problems that society itself can help solve. The same way we created systems to move money instantly, order food, book rides, and spread information across the world in seconds, we can create systems that make our communities safer. We need emergency reporting apps. We need community awareness networks. We need modern Amber Alert systems that can instantly notify citizens when children go missing. We need forest monitoring systems, sensors, drones, and technology that make it difficult for criminal groups to operate unnoticed. We need stronger communication between communities, security agencies, and emergency responders. We need citizens who understand that vigilance is not paranoia. Security is not just a government responsibility; it is a societal responsibility.

A society that is aware of itself is much harder to terrorize.

Thirdly, we need to educate ourselves about who we are, where we come from, and how societies actually work. Most of us are reacting to problems we do not understand. We inherit opinions instead of knowledge. We inherit outrage instead of context. We inherit narratives instead of understanding. This is why I believe projects like CYSTADS are important. A people disconnected from their history will struggle to understand their present and will have no blueprint for their future. If we do not understand how our societies evolved, how our cultures functioned, how our institutions succeeded or failed, and how we arrived where we are today, we will continue treating symptoms while ignoring causes.

Education is not just about passing examinations.

Education is learning how to think.

Education is learning how to identify patterns.

Education is learning how to understand problems from first principles.

The more informed we become, the harder it becomes for politicians, tribal narratives, religious sensationalism, and emotional propaganda to manipulate us. At the same time, we must become comfortable with accountability. Hold your Yahoo friend accountable. Hold your Politician friend accountable. Hold your Pastor accountable. Hold your Imam accountable. Hold your Parents accountable. Hold your Siblings accountable. Hold yourself accountable!

The culture of selective accountability must end. Finally, we need to get rid of the shortcut mentality and develop patience. One of the biggest problems in our society is that everyone wants the reward, but very few people want the process.

We want wealth without productivity.

We want success without competence.

We want development without sacrifice.

We want prosperity without patience.

Nation-building does not work like that. Strong economies are not built overnight. Great institutions are not built overnight. Sustainable wealth is not built overnight. The countries we admire today spent decades, and in some cases centuries, building the systems we now envy. We need to support local projects with patient capital. We need to support local businesses, local technologies, local innovations, and local solutions. Not every investment must produce immediate returns. Not every project should be abandoned because it did not become successful within six months.

We must learn to think long-term.

We must learn to build long-term.

We must learn to invest long-term.

Because at the end of the day, the battle is not against bandits alone. The battle is not against corruption alone. The battle is not against poverty alone. The real battle is against the mindset that keeps reproducing all these problems. Until we change that mindset, we will continue producing the same outcomes while praying for different results.