A US Congressman has said Nigeria has become a hub for South American drug cartels under President Tinubu.
It is shocking to some. To others, it was expected. Because when a cultist is crowned a king, his palace becomes the rendezvous for his cult members.
This is not about one man. This is about the signal we sent to the world. For years we celebrated impunity, godfatherism, and money without source. We normalized “it is our turn” politics over competence. We clapped for thugs at rallies and called them “structure.”
Now the bill has come due. International watchers are no longer whispering. They are speaking on the floor of the US Congress.
A nation that cannot police its ports, cannot track illicit cash, and cannot jail big men will always attract big crime. Drug cartels do not move to strong institutions. They move to weak ones. They move where customs can be settled, where justice is for sale, and where noise drowns accountability.
The tragedy is that ordinary Nigerians will pay the price. Our students will face more visa scrutiny. Our businesses will face more checks. Our young men will be profiled. And the real cartel of poverty will grow bigger.
Leadership is not just about power. It is about the company you keep and the example you set. A palace must be a place of law, not a lodge.
If we want a different headline tomorrow, we must demand transparency today. Clean the ports. Prosecute the big names. Jail or clear them.
Until then, the world will keep treating our country like an open lodge.
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bcradle@ymail.com
