In the heart of Nigeria, where multidimensional poverty tightens its grip on the bellies of over 130 million souls, two creatures have made Aso Rock their lavish haven. The Bat and the Rat—the power couple—perch high above the suffering masses, oblivious to the devastation their extravagance leaves in its wake. The symbolism couldn’t be more apt: the Bat, a sneaky, nocturnal creature with an eye for mischief, and the Rat, a notorious destroyer of things at homes, gnawing away at what little remains of the nation's wealth.

Nigeria is in a state of misery. Hunger stalks the streets like an uninvited guest, while the government tightens the noose on the average Nigerian’s neck with every fiscal policy. Yet, as the people scrape for crumbs, this first family has found a way to scrape the treasury clean—feeding their insatiable appetites for luxury, foreign trips, and mind-boggling opulence.

In just three months, the Rat, wife of Bat, has devoured N701 million from the public treasury to fund her globe-trotting escapades, all in a whirlwind of foreign exchange procurement. From New York to Paris, from Addis Ababa to London, this Rat has left a trail of public funds in her wake. And for what? To represent a constitutionally non-existent office? To parade herself across continents while Nigerian mothers can't feed their children?

This is no ordinary Rat. It is one with a taste for designer wheels and extravagant programs. With N1.5 billion blown on fancy cars for the "Villa" (read: for the Rat and her entourage), and millions more spent on decorating her events, one would think the country has nothing more pressing to spend money on. The same people whose lives she pretends to improve through these programs of questionable impact are the same ones starving in the streets. But no, the Rat must be chauffeured in style while her fellow citizens ride the vehicle of suffering into deeper poverty.

Then there's the Bat. While he may sleep during the day, his nocturnal ventures have not gone unnoticed. His administration has purchased a brand-new $150 million jet to replace the 19-year-old Boeing Business Jet that served four predecessors. Apparently, even though world leaders like Joe Biden still manage just fine with their decades-old planes, this Bat finds it embarrassing to fly anything but the most pristine, gold-plated luxury in the sky.

For a creature that thrives in the darkness, the Bat seems unaware that his gluttonous feasting on national resources is happening in broad daylight. The people eat the rancid fruits of his misrule, from skyrocketing inflation to the unbearable cost of living. The Bat may think he can swoop in and out of view, but the people’s eyes are now wide open. They can see the grotesque priorities of his administration—an administration that treats the treasury like its private buffet while the rest of the country starves.

This is not governance. It is a sick display of contempt, a slap in the face to the people who thought their cries for better leadership would be answered. The Bat and the Rat have instead chosen to live in opulence while the nation they claim to serve withers in despair.

But Nigerians have a choice. They can continue to let these two creatures feast on their resources, or they can begin to fumigate the villa of this infestation. It is time to shine a light into the Bat’s lair, to catch the Rat gnawing at the national wealth, and to demand a leadership that will not treat public office as a personal goldmine.

The Bat and the Rat might think they can fly and scurry away from accountability. But sooner or later, the people will set the traps. And this time, it will be the end of their midnight feasting.