Currently, the news-making round in Nigeria is the attempted assassination of Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide. It was reported that the attempt led to the death of seven persons, including three police escorts. Suleman and his family escaped death because they were traveling in a bulletproof car during the attack.
The pastor had thanked God for saving his life claiming that he survived attack because of the anointing of God upon his life. Many Nigerian have found this testimony to be very callous, insensitive and offensive to the families of those who lost their lives in the attack. Some are angry that the pastor associated his survival to his anointing as a man of God. The question being asked by many “is whether the pastor and his family would have survived the attack if they were not using a bulletproof car?”
On this issue, it would be wonderful if users of bulletproofs cars also purchase for their aids, especially security details since the lives of those who protect them matters. Thus, while I agree that the pastor’s speech could have been more sensitive, I wish to emphasize that the issue on ground should not be about a bulletproof car, who uses it and how much it costs but on the unfortunate high level of insecurity in the country.
Honestly, the present security challenges in Nigeria require the use of bulletproof cars by whoever can afford it irrespective of whether the person is a pastor or a native doctor. We all bleed; we all die; none of us is immortal. While we sympathize with the families of the deceased, it is also good to acknowledge that Suleman’s family would have been dead by now but not for the bulletproof car. Suleman’s family matters too. That he is a pastor does not change this fact.
The question however is how many persons in Nigeria can afford bulletproof cars? I will say very few and if I am correct as I think I am, then the solution to the problem shouldn’t be bulletproof cars but dealing with the insecurity that necessitated the use of these cars.
Providing security to citizens is the responsibility of governments. In fact, according to the original formulators of the social contract theory, the state loses its right over citizens when it fails on security. Why are Nigerians not bothered that Buhari’s administration has failed to provide security to its citizens? Why are there too many guns in Nigeria?. How did the guns get in here? Who imported them? Who distributed them and why? Nigerians should be asking these pertinent questions.
I am completely disappointed that rather than been concerned about the high rate of insecurity in the land, and how it should be arrested many Nigerians are more worried that Suleman used a bullet proof car or attributed his escape from death to the Grace of God. With or without a bulletproof car, we all need the grace of God to be alive. If God marks you for death, not even all the bulletproof cars in the world will keep you alive.
In Nigeria, if you could buy a bulletproof car, please do so! Although I cannot afford one myself, I will not discourage anyone who could. However, the best solution is having a governmenttackles insecurity not bulletproof cars. I am immensely surprised that no one is calling out Buhari, the governor of Edo State, the police IG and the police commissioner of Edo State. These are the individuals entrusted with the responsibilities of securing Nigerians, not bulletproof cars or anointing oil.
