By Ishola Adeleke, YeyeNews.com, December 16, 2021
The insecurity in Nigeria has become so endemic to the extent that Santa Claus popularly known as Father Christmas have started moving around with armed mobile police escorts, YeyeNews.com can authoritatively report. A source in one of the elite private schools in Abuja revealed that the Santa Claus that the school contracted for their annual Christmas party showed up with a retinue of heavily armed mobile police escorts. “When the Santa Claus was asked why he decided to hire armed escorts, he said it was to prevent him from falling victim to the marauding kidnappers in the FCT”, the source said.
YeyeNews.com was able to speak with a source who work with one of the companies providing Santa Claus services in Abuja. The source pointed out that all the service providers now attach at least two armed mobile police escorts, not only to protect their Santa Claus from the kidnappers rampaging the city but also against many petty thieves who steal for their daily survival. “No one is taking chances in this city anymore because the criminals don’t spare any category of persons. Even if Jesus Christ walks these streets he may be kidnapped with no qualms. That is how bad things have gotten although the government has refused to acknowledge it. Now we don’t have a choice but to take measures to protect ourselves including providing armed guards for Santa Claus”.
But the Minister of Information and Culture has described the decision of the Santa Claus to move around with armed escorts in Abuja as a measure to improve their entertainment value. “I don’t think it is right to say there is high insecurity because a Santa Claus decided to hire armed guards. Those people are into entertainment. The mobile policemen wearing the camouflage and carrying their guns are a source of extra entertainment for the kids. That is the real reason for the armed escorts”, the minister stated in his text message reply to YeyeNews.com enquiry.
