Unwarranted sympathy for Iran's rulers while Nigerian lives are lost, by Adekunle Adekoya

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, involving the United States and Israel against Iran, continues to have far-reaching consequences worldwide, with the war starting on February 28.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, was killed in the aftermath of air strikes on targets in Tehran, as part of a joint operation by the United States and Israel, utilizing strategic intelligence from the US's Central Intelligence Agency, CIA.

Khamenei's death was significant, not only as Iran's Supreme Leader but also as the acknowledged leader of all Shi'a Muslims worldwide, with his influence extending to Nigeria, where Shi'a Muslims are organized under the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, led by cleric Ibrahim el-Zakzaky.

Upon learning of Khamenei's death, members of the South-West chapter of the IMN took to the streets of Lagos on Monday, 2 March, to protest the reported killing, gathering around the Maryland area and chanting slogans condemning foreign intervention and demanding global condemnation of US intervention in sovereign nations.

The protest in Lagos was part of a larger wave of demonstrations across Nigeria, including in Kano and Niger States, where members of the Shi'a-aligned group marched to denounce the US-Israeli strikes and mourn Khamenei's reported death.

Similar protests were staged at Idumota Central Mosque in Lagos and on the streets of Kaduna and Bauchi, with demonstrators also seen in Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Gombe, and Kaduna states, condemning the joint military action that led to Khamenei's death and that of his family members.

Protests were also reported in Bauchi and Yobe states, as national security agencies deployed officers to key points across Lagos to prevent any breakdown of law and order ahead of the rally.

The following Friday, Shi'ites protested again at the National Mosque in Abuja, expressing support for Iran after attending the regular Friday prayer at the mosque.

A former minister and professor was seen in a viral online video weeping over Khamenei's killing, sparking reflection on the right to protest and the priorities of Nigerian citizens.

Notably, when former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua died in 2010, and when another former President Muhammadu Buhari died, there were no protests, highlighting a perceived disparity in the public's response to different events.

It is unlikely that Nigeria's Shi'ites will protest Buhari's death, given their experience during his tenure, particularly that of el-Zakzaky.

The tears shed by the former minister and other protesters for Khamenei are seen as misplaced, just as the country's leadership struggles with misplaced priorities, as evidenced by the lack of response to more pressing domestic issues.

Last Monday, during the holy month of Ramadan and the Lenten period, suicide bombers detonated IEDs in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, killing at least 23 people and injuring 108, according to police sources.

Despite this tragic event, there were no protests in the country against the killing of these innocent people, highlighting a perceived lack of empathy for domestic tragedies.

Insecurity has plagued Nigeria for 15 years, with at least 3,700,000 people, including children, living in 3,900 camps for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, across the country, yet there have been no protests over this issue.

Killings by herdsmen militias in Benue State and the ongoing bloodbath in Plateau State have become a regular occurrence, with no significant response from the public or leaders.

In Kwara State, gunmen killed nearly 200 people in Woro village, and there were no protests or public lamentations from former ministers, governors, or commissioners over this massacre.

The disparity in response to Khamenei's death and domestic tragedies has raised questions about the priorities and empathy of Nigerian citizens, with some arguing that those who wept for Khamenei were shedding crocodile tears.

For those protesters and the weeping former minister, a comprehensive reset of their cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains may be necessary to realign their priorities and empathy, much like a factory reset for a malfunctioning cell phone.