APOLOGISE ON BEHALF OF YOUR FATHER, NIGERIANS TELL SON OF LAWRENCE ANINI, EXECUTED ARMED ROBBER

However, number of participants on the Penpushing platform, noted that, Osayi may lack adequate information about his father’s brutality as an armed robber, to have come out celebrating him, and praise singing him with a defence.

The contributors on the platform pointed out that, nobody can change the fact that, Anini was his father, as well as understand stigmatization he might have been facing, but stated that, his remark on praise singing his late father was uncalled for, but rather he was looking for cheap publicity

‘Abi now. No matter what, “The Law” remains his father. He’s looking for attention. He just wants to further destroy his own future. Only that  eyes must be on that guy so he doesn’t become his “father”, participants stated

 ‘He should have apologised on behalf of his notorious armed robber father, who maimed and killed number of innocent Nigerians out of his brutality. Apparently, the boy may have been given history of his father as a hero, instead of a villain that he was. It is important for history writers to always get their facts right, instead of distorting records as relayed to this boy, who innocently sees his father as a great man’, participants emphasized

‘Nigeria Police will never forget ordeal faced during deadly reign of Anini. I remember at a point, the then Military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida after National Security Council meeting asked the then Inspector General of Police, “my friend where is Anini” a question which reflected the nation worry about high level crime of the notorious and brutal armed robbery gang leader’, a participant said

Penpushing further reports that, another participant said, the utterance of the executed armed robber son, shows how degenerated our society has been in morals and values, querying that, how can the son of a thief be speaking, he should just bury his head in shame and be sober.

However, participants also expressed disappointment over some leaders in the country, over their penchant for stealing, stressing that, except the elders in the land do something urgently, and the future of this nation cannot be guaranteed.

‘Today’s youths have lost morals and unwilling to be patient to achieve greatness. What about the children of looters of public treasury flaunting around the country. As long as the boy is not a thief he can be proud of his father for so many other reasons that are not known to the public’

‘Let’s not be quick to blame the young man. I think his statements and mindset is psychological and a kind of self defence mechanism. You can imagine what it is like walking around with the stigma of that name! People in such conditions build a wall of defense around themselves!’, another participant noted

‘Don’t forget if he’s a son of former president, people will still point at him, but the point is that he should stop praise singing his father as a saint. Even the deaf and blind knew that he was a brutal armed robber, who maimed and killed innocent people at random.  For those who does not know, who Anini, popularly called, “The Law” He was criminally influential that, he was aided by a Divisional Police Officer, who was executed alongside with Anini and his robbery gang members’

‘The story of Lawrence Anini, Nigeria’s own “Robin hood” is well known. I know his notoriety very well! Because of his criminal record, nobody will just name his new born son Anini. However, a son born of such a man would want to live in denial. He would never see his father with the same lenses with everybody else. To that extent, when people talk about his father in the negative, he will build a defence wall. That’s why I said his reaction has a psychological explanation’, another participant stated.

Another contributor said,’Anini was not the first notorious armed robber to be killed obviously he was not the last, the fact remains that his (Osayi) father is his father either armed robber or not . From the story himself and his senior brother are not armed robbers the young man was bold enough to fight that stigmatization created by his biological father his mindset has taken him above that limitations that many struggle with. He has his own life to live regardless what might happened in the past’.

‘ I am not against his own life to live, but he lacks correct information about the roles his father played in the underworld activities, hence, his ignorance of trying to exonerate him. Read this portion of the story credited to him, “I will release the true story of Anini by this month end. There is nothing real in that drama about Anini”, a participant emphasised

Penpushing also reports that, another participant in his own contribution said, ’So do you expect him to join in condemnation of his father? Is he not doing what a Son should do or are you judging or condemning him just because he is Anini son and has the boldness to stand up for him? I think the poor man needs encouragement…. just my thoughts’.

However, another contributor explained, ‘I am not asking him to condemn his father, nor ignored his boldness as claimed, but to me the boldness is better described as audacity. Does the father deserve praise singing, considering havocs he rendered almost across the country? I remembered during Lawrence Anini reign of terror, he was a thorn in the flesh of policemen across, who most time kept their uniforms in polythene bags, to avoid his (Anini’s) bullets’

Penpushing reports that, in contributing, a participant wrote, ’stigmatization is an issue here and, the disillusioned boy deserves our sympathy to fight the ‘sins’ of his progenitor.  However, he dares not, in his wildest imagination, attempt to justify, defend or rewrite the history of the heinous crimes of his callous father in any way. It will infuriate a lot of ill feelings and total condemnation.  He needs help from the experts to fight the stigmatization, if that were his intention…