In a recent publication done on The Guardian, Nigerian musician; Runtown has expressed his feelings and shared his thoughts on the state of the nation as well as his current stance on the recent happening in the country. In a tweet that links directly to the article posted on the online tabloid, the artiste mentioned that the message was written to serve as a reminder that “power comes with a lot of responsibility”.
Image Credit: Getty
In the article, Runtown expressed displeasure on the current trend of the day which includes the incessant police brutality on young Nigerian based on bias notions such as owning a laptop, having an exotic hairdo, owning an iPhone as well as living a comfortable life as a youth. He also mentioned; “It is true that the country isn’t free of offenders. Agreeably, Internet-based crime is at an all-time high. But very needful to note is that legitimately conducted internet-based businesses are also at an all-time high. Smartphones and laptops have become indispensable tools. As it is in other parts, young Nigerians are using the internet as a tool to amplify their creativity, access boundless meaningful information, champion game-changing ideas, scale up their start-ups and by extension, create jobs”.
“Given the reality of today’s digital-driven world, law enforcement agencies must begin to deploy intelligence-driven tactics to carry out just and effective policing. Criminal detection should not be conducted solely based on a person’s appearance. Innocent young Nigerians should not be harassed, brutalized or worse, murdered over unimaginable reasons like owning a fancy smartphone or wearing an exotic hair-do”.
Relaying his hopes for the future of the country, amidst shaky faith, he said: “I look forward to a time when the sight of an armed officer will no longer inspire fear. A time when Nigeria will no longer lose its human assets and forward thinkers to other countries as a result of low pay, lack of infrastructure and general neglect. A time when elected leaders will uphold the integrity and deploy empathy”.