Nigeria is a country blessed beyond measure, yet held hostage by forces both visible and hidden that continue to undermine its progress. While citizens routinely blame government failure for the nation’s woes, a deeper and more uncomfortable truth remains: much of the wickedness destroying Nigeria today is committed not only in the corridors of power, but also within the society itself. Our people, from the highly placed to the ordinary, have perfected ways of hurting one another without remorse.
A recent encounter revealed this bitter truth in its rawest form. A well-known oil magnate reached out urgently after viewing a short online message on judgment and personal accountability. He confessed that a single line “This message shall stand as a witness against you on the last day” kept echoing in his heart until he could no longer sleep. In tears, he admitted to participating in acts that have contributed directly to the suffering of Nigerians.
According to him, some private oil marketers deliberately frustrate electricity supply so that fuel and diesel sales remain high. He claimed that some generator importers influence power officials to keep the nation in perpetual darkness, ensuring that their generators remain in high demand. He confessed to benefitting from this system and, in some cases, supporting darkness in areas where his businesses operate.
But this kind of wickedness is not limited to the power sector. It reflects a wider pattern of citizen-driven sabotage that has eaten deep into the nation’s soul. Behind the suffering of millions are ordinary Nigerians who manipulate systems for personal gain, regardless of the national cost. From fuel hoarding to extortion in public offices, from the sale of fake drugs to illegal levies in schools and markets, a culture of greed has taken root.
This same mentality fuels the horrors of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. Terrorism does not thrive in a vacuum. Bandits, kidnappers, and violent groups often succeed because some insiders locals, traders, informants, and even security personnel betray their communities for a quick reward. In many states, bandits move freely because people who should protect the community enable them, supply them, or warn them of security movements.
A nation cannot defeat violent crime when sections of the population quietly profit from insecurity. As one security analyst rightly noted, “Nigeria’s security crisis persists largely because wickedness has become a livelihood for some citizens.”
We lament the killings, the bombings, the abductions of schoolchildren, and the armed robbery that terrorizes villages. Yet behind many of these operations are Nigerians who collaborate and supply intelligence for as little as a plate of food or a small amount of cash. When ordinary citizens make themselves instruments of destruction, how can the nation progress?
Today, wickedness has been normalised to the point where people proudly boast of outsmarting their neighbours, cheating their workplaces, extorting the vulnerable, or undermining national systems for profit. We celebrate “sharpness” instead of shame. We reward selfishness while mocking integrity. We forget the simple truth that the collective future of a nation is determined not only by its leaders but also by the hearts of its people.
Nigeria is bleeding from two sides: Inadequacy from our leaders and a morally compromised citizenry. Both must be addressed. It is impossible for any government no matter how sincere to succeed if the citizens themselves are determined to destroy the system from inside.
We need a moral revival, a national cleansing of conscience. We need to rebuild a society where wickedness is condemned, not applauded. Where people think of others before themselves. Where criminality is not excused as “hustle.” Where collaboration with terrorists or aiding bandits becomes unthinkable.
Our country cannot rise if we celebrate behaviours that diminish it. We cannot overcome insecurity if citizens remain complicit actively or silently. We cannot restore stable electricity if individuals profit from darkness. We cannot end poverty if those entrusted with resources steal them. We cannot defeat kidnapping if communities shelter kidnappers for money.
The story of the billionaire who repented after realising the weight of his actions reminds us that everyone rich or poor will ultimately account for how they contributed to either the progress or destruction of this nation. As long as we continue to normalise wickedness, Nigeria will continue to sink.
It is time for Nigerians to choose a different path. A path of conscience. A path of selflessness. A path where we reject wickedness in every form whether committed by government, private actors, or ordinary citizens. Only then will the nation begin to heal.
Nigeria can still be great. But first, Nigerians must change.