“Government magic” was a famous phrase and chorus coined by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti in his 1981 protest song.” In the track, he uses “Government magic” sarcastically to describe how officials commit crimes, destroy evidence, and walk away with total impunity.
Governor Seyi Makinde is asking the right angry question, what exactly happened in Orile, Oyo?
Abductions, then sudden “releases.” No clear suspects. No public briefing. And then the Federal Government performs its favorite trick, what citizens now call “magic.” A disappearance from headlines, a press release that says nothing, and life continues like nobody was taken from their homes.
That is not security. That is management of chaos.
Makinde’s call for UN interrogation sounds extreme until you remember why he made it. When local institutions cannot explain how citizens were picked up and dropped back, when trust in federal agencies is this low, leaders start looking outside. Not because they love foreign intervention, but because they are tired of domestic silence.
This is the cost of “magic governance.” Victims become statistics. Families get trauma without answers. Communities learn that safety depends on who you know, not the law.
Oyo people deserve more than vibes and vague updates. They deserve timelines, names, charges, and courts. If the Federal Government has nothing to hide, then open the file. Invite independent observers. Let victims speak without fear.
A state government begging the UN to interrogate its own released citizens is an indictment. It means we have lost confidence in our own process.
Security is not magic. It is records, arrests, prosecution, and transparency.
Until Abuja chooses that over PR, governors will keep shouting and citizens will keep being abducted, released, and forgotten.
+2348039289375
bcradle@ymail.com