20th October, 2020
Lekki Toll gate
6:30 am.
I and Bimbo had slept opposite the Toll gate with some other protesters.
The lights from the upper side illuminated the streets.
We hurried to bathe and change our clothes as people began to wake up. After the girls clean up, I decided to switch on my phone.
Messages came up the screen of my phone minutes after it was on.
Maami
Don't be stupid, Jóke.
Come home now.
Tola
Are you sure your head is correct, Jóke? Do you want to lose your life?
Are we not important to you?
Go home now. Maami is worried.
How can you switch off your phone?
God, help this child oh.
Tolu
Go back home, Jóke.
It will be fine.
Maami is worried.
We're all worried.
Please.
I was really sorry for causing a mess at home. I really hoped that they'd forgive me.
10:30am
We started helping the organizers to give out food. I stared at Bimbo as she smiled and gave the protesters food.
"Eat and have energy. We're going to dance today." She said to a man as she passed.
"How do you know we're going to dance?" I asked.
"Ah, babe you don't know?" She asked and I shook my head.
"DJ Chizzy will be playing songs for us today na and she's going to perform here." She said excitedly.
"Wow, I didn't know." I replied and gave a man his food.
"Ah I will dance ehn. Even the dead will stand up and dance."
At the mention of the dead, Bimbo stopped walking and bowed her head.
"If Ade and Emmanuel were alive. If Nigeria was a better place, will this be happening?" She asked.
"No. Jabiru doesn't want to leave that seat. He has not even said anything since this protest began. What a nonsense president we have." I said as we walked back to our seats.
"He's a mumu man." She replied and we both laughed.
As afternoon drew near, the protesters gathered behind the barricades that were put in front of the toll gate. Most people seemed to have lost hope as some sat on the barricades.
"All we are saying, End Bad Governance." We began to sing.
Everyone began to sing and some clapped.
"End SARS."
"End police brutality."
We continued to clap and sing for a long time.
5:40pm.
DJ Chizzy had us dancing to Jerusalema. This made Bimbo excited as it was her favorite song at the moment.
"Give a loud shout." DJ Chizzy said through the mic and everyone shouted.
"Nobody can stop us eh. We're gonna go higher eh. We're gonna go higher eh...we're gonna go..." DJ Chizzy sang
"Higher higher." Everyone sang after her.
"We're gonna go..."
"Higher, higher. Nobody can stop us eh. Higher higher..."
Bimbo kept shaking her bum.
"Bimbo..." I said and laughed.
"Better dance. Higher...higher." She said and danced again.
I was wondering why the Lights weren't on. The lights around the Toll gate were always on.
"Bimbo, the lights aren't on yet." I said.
"It will come on soon." She said, pulling me to dance. She held my fingers and danced around me.
"I'm worried, what if something is wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing is wrong, jare. Dance." She said and I smiled.
"Can I dance with you?" A guy asked me and I nodded.
"There's no harm." Bimbo said and smiled as we danced at arms length.
"I'm Taiwo." He said and I stared shyly.
"I'm..."
Gunshots raided the air. I felt blood splatter on my face. I opened my eyes to see Taiwo's forehead open. His blood was on me.
"Ahh!" I screamed as I let his hands go and his body tumbled to the ground.
"Soldiers are shooting." Someone said and people stopped running. The soldiers were shooting in the dark.
Now I understand. They had turned off the lights.
Bimbo pulled my hand.
"Sit down, Jóke." She said and I did, our heads bending low behind others.
It was really dark. Some people used their phone torches.
"Arise O compatriots,
Nigeria's call obey."
They began to sing.
"To serve our father land with love and strength and faith."
The shots went through the air. I heard screams behind me and in front of me.
"The labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain."
"Jóke!" Bimbo screamed as I felt pain on my shoulder. I was shot.
"To serve with hearts and might." I sang. "One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity."
I was shot again, below my chest.
"Someone help my friend." Bimbo screamed as I fell down, my breaths becoming ragged.
"Jóke stay with me." A man said using a cloth to press my chest.
"Is...is that the..Nigerian flag?" I asked as Bimbo kept crying.
"Yes," he said and nodded.
"Have...they stopped shooting?" I asked again.
"They just did." He said. "Someone call an ambulance."
"They are not letting them pass." Another replied.
"These people are wicked."
"Chai."
"Jóke don't leave me." Bimbo cried as I was losing strength.
"Bimbo...tell...tell Maami..."
"Yes..."
"Tell Maami, that I love her." I said and sighed. "I love you too Bimbo."
"You're not going anywhere." Bimbo said and grabbed my hand. "You will not leave me."
"One Nigeria." I said.
Bimbo
"One Nigeria." Jóke said and then she stilled.
"Jóke." I called out. But she didn't reply.
"Somebody wake her up. She can't leave." I cried as Jóke was covered with the blood stained Nigerian flag.
"I'm sorry but she's dead." A man said and shook his head.
"No! No!!"
What will I tell Maami? What will I tell Tolu and Tola? What will I say?
That Jóke is dead?
That she was shot by soldiers?
Oh Nigeria...oh why?
I fell down to the ground and cried so much like I've never done before.
The ambulance were finally let through but it was too late.
My Jóke, my best friend was gone.
Forever.