By Onono Onimisi
There comes a dangerous moment in every society when those entrusted with public office begin to mistake power for personal property. That moment appears to be staring Kogi State in the face.
The reported arrest of Farouk Onimisi is not just another headline but a painful reminder of how easily authority can be weaponized against dissenting voices. Farouk was reportedly picked up in Abuja and taken to Lokoja, where he was made to write a statement over an alleged protest involvement his family insists he knew nothing about. If this account is true, then what happened to him should trouble every believer in justice.
More disturbing are allegations by the family that the hand behind this action is that of the Kogi State Accountant General, Habibat Oyiza Tijani Onumoko. If a public officer can allegedly deploy state influence against a citizen simply because he speaks, writes, or disagrees, then democracy itself is under attack.
The growing fear among many young people in Kogi is no longer hidden. There is an increasing belief that once you criticize the APC government or question those in authority, you become a target. Whether through intimidation, harassment, or arrest, the message many claim is being sent is simple: keep quiet or face consequences. That is not governance. That is political bullying dressed in official clothing.
Farouk’s case should anger not only his family but every parent whose child still believes in free speech. Today it is Farouk. Tomorrow it could be any outspoken youth whose only offence is refusing to clap for oppression. A state that hunts its young voices is a state preparing silence for its future.
Public office was never created to settle scores. Power is temporary. But the scars inflicted on innocent people can last forever. Those who use influence to crush critics often forget that history is a patient witness.
If Farouk committed any offence, let evidence be presented openly and lawfully. But if this is another case of punishing a citizen for expression, then those responsible should understand that injustice never remains buried. It grows louder with time.
Kogi must choose what it wants to become: a state governed by law or a territory ruled by fear.
Let Farouk have justice. Let those in power remember that authority without restraint is tyranny.
