It started like a joke, became a rumour, then fact until we now saw the evidence via a Circuit Camera Television, CCTV which went viral last week showing a shadowy dark figure entering a hotel, climbing the stairs with a young lady in toe. Later the next morning the same figure was seen at the reception area of the hotel, trying to confuse the staff by walking around from the bar to the reception and repeating the same before finally making it out of the facility. This happened after women groups had protested what became an embarrassment to Nigerians.
The things Nigerians used to swear can never happen here are now happening before our very eyes. We used to say that Nigerians loved life too much as a result will not commit suicide, we also say Nigerians loved life so much we cannot become suicide bombers, terrorists or even serial killers. Today the story is different. We have young people committing suicide simply on account of being jilted by a lover. We have Nigerian members of the Islamic State. We even have our own homegrown terror organisations.
Today, Gracious David West has confirmed that we have serial killers too. Within two months the young man has killed at least eight persons. He says he was a militant, he is also a born again Christian. We saw him in front of a popular Port Harcourt Church tucking a Bible. In another photo, he posed with a “Youth” cap which showed they had a youth event in church. He is also a member of the deadly Rivers State cult gangs that have rendered many lives wasted. He is many things in one, but one attribute he left to himself alone is that he confessed of killing several women who did nothing to him except the fact that they were women.
West said his killing spree began in Lagos. He said it was a hotel in Ikeja the capital of the state. After killing his victim he took her debit card and withdrew money from her account for upkeep. He was also in Owerri where he worked briefly at the Federal University of Technology, FUTO. He stole things although the job was arranged for him by a pastor. A Port Harcourt based pastor. The pastor declared him wanted since 2018. He later killed a young woman in Owerri before returning to Port Harcourt where he enlarged his nefarious activities. He killed because according to him his mother was killed by poison, we can’t tell the relationship. He also said he does not have a home so he sleeps in hotels. Now that can give an inkling why he kills.
He kills, take the debit card, withdraws money he can use to live in hotels and feed himself. Since he doesn’t want his victims to know he doesn’t have money, he will rather kill them. That clearly shows a debased and wicked character. But this case also presents the police and our security agencies an opportunity to close certain obvious gaps in our architecture. There is no reason whatsoever that the police should not get to the root of the matter.
For example, it is clear that some of the places that West has killed people did not report to the police. They hid the crime when they found out and as such they have become accessories after the fact. Those hotels must be fished out. The hotel in Lagos must be fished out so that we can begin to understand how hotels hide crime and how people leave home and 10 years later their loved ones are still looking for them. First we should corroborate his confession through the ATM. The police should confirm from him which ATM so that it could be checked to confirm that truly his story is true. At least ATMs have cameras.
It is the same for our streets and roads. Several times we have argued here on why we need cameras on our roads and streets. The same way every hotel, motel and Short Rest facility must have CCTVs. We can’t continue to live in the 16th century. Crimes have become more complicated and it is important our security personnel are ahead not behind. The country can do it. For now we commend the police for tracking the serial killer. We wish his victim’s loved ones comfort at this trying time.
