THERE WAS ONCE A NIGERIAN POLITICIAN that made this promise during his campaign:

I will not combat crime with machete and guns but with education.

It sounded so funny to the people. They murmured: Politicians and their incredible statements. How on earth can one fight crime with education?

This politician maintained that education could fight crime to a standstill.

In curiosity, they voted him in and stood aside to watch him perform his magic. People were not fooled as he introduced educational reform that had no hope of surviving. The crime remained unsolved.

This politician started gambling with this idea that wouldn't fly. His ideology crashed the system. Petition after petition and observers laughed him to scorn as he did everything to make a pig fly. The crime was still there and his reform was facing resistance.

Then he switched his pattern and attacked criminals in the city with brute force. He demolished the properties of kidnappers and every possession that was linked to crime. This stopped every crime in the district.

Then, his people called him to a meeting and said to him: 'you failed in your promise. We hope you've learnt that the only language crime understands is brutality. Education can never fight crime anywhere in the world and we think you owe us an apology.'

This politician chuckled and said: I did not fail in my promises neither did I use force in fighting the societal vices. For these kidnappers, armed robbers, ritualists are not what makes a city unsafe but the availability of willing recruits.
I made sure that all the young people in this district are in school, and by so doing, I gave them hope of a bright future that is crime-free and I also cut off the supply of prospective crime apprentices.
The criminals I attacked with force are irredeemable. There was no other way to tackle them. So, I fulfilled my promise by placing every child in school and removing the criminals by force.

This is a true story.

P.S
This is exactly what happened in Anambra state. The politician was Peter Obi. He did what he promised and transformed the deadliest state in the whole Nigeria into a peace paradise. Years after Peter Obi left Anambra State, crime remained at its minimum.

Education is the only effective tool to fight crime.

By Ozii Baba Anieto