ON February 2, 2024, a 20-year-old girl, Adekunle Adebisi Ifeoluwa,  a 300 level student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, was found in a pool of blood at her off campus hostel in the community. She was rushed to the university health centre and later referred to a Specialist Hospital in Ikare-Akoko where she was confirmed dead.

THEREAFTER, a case of suspected murder was reported to the Police. The police said, “In the course of investigation, the detectives discovered that the deceased phone was missing. The police tracked the phone to one Olubodun Sanni ‘m’ aged 21, a final year student of the same school who is also a neighbour to the deceased in the hostel. The recovered phone led to further questioning of the suspect who gave details of what happened in his confessional statement, how he allegedly  entered the deceased room, stabbed her on the chest with knife and stole her iPhone XR.”

RECALL  last year, a similar incident occurred in Arigidi-Akoko when a 62-year-old retired teacher, Mrs Sidikat Adamolekun, was murdered in cold blood in her residence in Agbaluku, Arigidi-Akoko,  in the Akoko North West Local Government area of the state.

A police investigation led to the arrest of an 18-year-old prime suspect simply identified as Mubarak Akadiri, who made away with the victim’s cell phone worth N80,000. The boy was said to be the son of the victim’s housemaid. Police apprehended Mubarak with the cell phone, leading to the arrest of one other accomplice, Rildwan. Also his mother, Oluwaseun, working with the deceased was arrested.

Mubarak and his accomplice had confessed how he hit the deceased with a wooden stool on her head because she shouted for help, while dispossessing her of her Android Samsung phone valued at N66,000.00.Following police investigation, the suspects were arraigned at an Akure Magistrate Court, before Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, who granted the remand application by the prosecutor and ordered the remand of the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Centre, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and adjourned the case till March 15, 2024, for mention.

FROM  the above recent incidents, The Hope notes that it is obvious that some youths have turned to vampires all in the craze for phones, especially expensive phones, which we believe is as a result of socialisation. The ugly incidents leave one with intricate questions perplexing the mind and make one ponder on the importance youths so much attach to phones, such that they have become villainous in nature. They maim innocent souls, with no reverence for sanctity of human life. One of the questions is, “Do they steal the phones for monetary value?

OF major concern is the acquired and ostentatious lifestyle of some youths and the societal acceptability. The youths have the mentality of displaying wealth when they parade ‘big’ expensive phones about. A lot  of them believe it is  a big deal when they display phones like iphones, Samsung phones, instead of other androids they often refer to as the ‘small phones.’ Unfortunately, the society has accepted and seen this bahaviour as the norm. So, nobody questions who.

THE  Hope notes that agents of socialisation include family, education, peer groups, religious organizations and the mass media. And we state that each agent of socialsation must rise up to the occasion in the fight against the menace ravaging our society before  becomes a  catastrophic.

THE  family which is the first basic social unit, and considered to be the most important agent of primary socialization has a very sensitive and pivotal role to play, as it can have both positive and negative influences on the children. They can teach children to respect others and value their own strengths, keep off harmful ideas and be contented while they live within their means, rather than send innocent  people to their early graves because of covetousness and greediness.

A recent video that went viral captured the moment a Nigerian woman called on the government to arrest her son who purchased a brand new Benz worth $50, 000. According to the mother who was with the father at the time of the interview,  said her son was just through with secondary school and had no proper means of income. The innocent woman was confused on how the young boy could afford to buy such an expensive automobile. The Hope commends the woman for speaking out rather than keeping it under the wraps, like some mothers celebrate their children they know acquired wealth illegitimately.

ALSO, religious organisations like churches, and mosques too, should preach the truth to the young ones against the prevalent  ungodly and indecent behavioural patterns, including the craze for wealth by any means. In the same vein, the schools have a lot of roles to play as they are saddled with the responsibilities of inculcating moral teachings in the school curriculum in addition to academics, while the society too should checkmate children by enforcing and implementing accepted moral standards. The society should do the needful as it is high time we spoke against the moral decadence.

WE, as members of the society are all victims. What makes us inviolable if we find ourselves in the midst of such youths? This calls for a proactive move against the vicious acts while the perpetrators should be tamed to forestall any re-occurrence. If not addressed urgently, we, as part of the society will find ourselves in a repressive state as we would not be able to go out freely with our phones, for fear of being attacked or maimed.