Tobi Amusan runs into Nigerian hearts

In a tale of two videos which quickly followed each other, with one shattering the heart, and the other mending it, two events, continents apart from each other, were witnessed by   Nigerians received news between July 24 and July 25.

 In the depths of darkness

 On March 28 2022, just a day before Nigeria was supposed to confirm its participation in the 2022 World Cup scheduled for Qatar by swatting Ghana aside at the Mooshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, horror took haunting form and hunted down a passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna.

When the terrorists were done with their operations, at least nine of the passengers were killed; many injured and many others abducted.

The next day, a soccer-crazy country promptly drew the tie when only a win would have been enough, to send a less-fancied Ghanaian side to the World cup and further darken the national mood.

It has now been more than three months since the country receded into darkness within  those two days, and in the captivity of the terrorists who continue to taunt the Giant of Africa with heartbreaking videos of unspeakable cruelty, about 43 innocent Nigerians remain, some of them children.

In a video released by the terrorists which went viral on Sunday July 24,2022, the male victims were flagellated with whips as they cried out in agony. For those who have been collecting the heartbreaking images and moments of Nigeria`s demise, it was another prize piece.

The terrorists went on to mock Nigeria in the video, threatening President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

In the agonizing wails of the victims in the video, Nigerians do not need to strain to hear the death rattle of a country that once promised so much.

 Out of Eugene, an electric jolt of hope

While the terrorists whipped some Nigerians as if they were thieves  and threatened a government  seemingly growing mor  impotent by the day, in Eugene, Oregon,Tobi Amusan  surged to  the gold medal in  the final of the women`s 100m hurdles event, smashing in the  process the  world record.

Amusan, the current commonwealth champion, finished in a time of 12.06s,0.08s better than the 12.12s she posted in the semi-finals to push Jamaica`s Britany Anderson to second place, and current Olympic Champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Cuba to third place.

She was promptly reduced to tears as the Nigerian national anthem was rendered during the podium ceremony.

Undoubtedly, hers were tears of joy.  But given the size of the champion runner`s heart, some of those tears were undoubtedly for Nigeria and the graveyard it has become.

 A graveyard of talents

Tobi Amusan no doubt put many years of work into her record shattering feat to surge into the hearts of many Nigerians, and there is no doubt that she will stay there.

For years now, a country of impulsively happy people has gradually been reduced to a place where every news is bad news and depression continues to deepen.

The national mood has become so dampened by pain and despair that even when feats like Amusan`s happen,the celebration is brief and forced.

Amusan`s achievements is some validation for a country that has continued to show that in spite of its many difficulties, it remains a prolific producer of talents. For Tobi Amusan who is only 25, and Nigeria, this just the beginning of more gold and glory. There is more to come. Much more.

Someday too, out of the hearts of Nigerias young people, hastily branded ‘lazy’ in 2018 by an ignorant president, redemption will come for Nigeria from the claws of the predators who prowl Nigerias halls of power.

 Kene Obiezu,

keneobiezu@gmail.com

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