Abuja, Nigeria – As I dey wait to follow Mr. Peter Obi come funeral for late Arise News journalist, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, wey dust gather inside Abuja recently, my mind begin wander enter the land of the dead (no, no be wahala wey cause am sha). Na only death fit make kings and commoners dey shook head together!
In dat moment of silence, the great poet John Donne come flash for my brain. Him talk say when you hear bell dey ring, no be time to ask who e dey ring for – e dey ring for everybody. Every death dey remind us say we all dey together as one big family (even if some of us dey vex for our padi). Somtochukwu join that list of shining stars wey don quiet down. Na so life dey go, shine today, tomorrow dem fit carry you enter goodbye zone.
Dis reflection take me back to my LASU days back in the nineties, when wahala dey scatter everywhere. Na there wey we dey fight cultists like say we dey play football, but dis one na serious matter wey dey come with bullets and blood.
Wey dem dey ramp up the fight, my classmate Owolabi come turn the leader as soft boy wey dey shout ‘no to cultism!’ Barrister Felix Ashimhole, wey sabi how to scatter ground, come join the commotion and fiya one ‘knockout’ for Okonuga Hall. You no go believe the wahala wey follow! As cultists dey raid campus, nobody wan sit near Owolabi for class, fear dey catch everybody as bullets dey fly everywhere.
Now, Felix, wey no dey take rubbish, dey protest say cultists no go turn our campus to kill zone. I wan just dey tiff away from all the drama, but Felix no gree. He dey argue say no life supposed end like that, whether na cultist or politician. E be like say I dey see double because as I dey shake my head dey disagree, time come prove say e dey right somehow.
So, I grab my pen as my only weapon and start to write, dey condemn cultism like say na my full-time job. I get one article wey I go soon release titled “Musa’s Failure.” Fast forward to years later, time come show me say that cultist wey die in front of Arts Block na my village padi. E be like say Donne don begin chop my life lessons again: “the bell dey ring for us all.”
Now, Peter Obi don show concern for Somtochukwu’s passing like him dey lose him padi. E tweet, no be ordinary condolences, abi na poetry? E show as father mourning own daughter. But when I tell am say Somto na from Agulu, the man face change, e suffer deeper grief. We dey wahala, but na different level of grief wey we must process.
As we dey mourn for Somtochukwu, abeg no fit compare am to those wey allow cultism decide their fate. Dem deaths suppose serve as warnings, no be loss wey community go dey feel. How many people gain admission into school just to follow cult and destroy their own future? I gree say cultism no easy, but life still dey valuable, sharrrr!
Dem days for LASU, I dey try steer clear for such nonsense, but my padi Barrister Robinson go dey point out cult boys as we dey waka pass them, “Val, see that one, he be cultist.” Robinson na far from cultism enter, him dey fly high in law but no fly for cult drama. E no easy na!
My last public article na “A Parting Look,” I dey spill truth about classmates. Some people no gree and plan to beat me. Robinson come hear and warn me say dem don set me up. “Just finish your paper quick and run, dat is the survival advice of the day.”
After the final paper, wahala don calm small. Robinson later come gist me say dem don miss my aura because I dey outsmart them. Later, life dey funny. Those who want beat me still dey dey share drinks and laughs with me. Youths, dem get plenty fire, but wisdom? Na so-so minimal.
As I stand for Somto’s funeral, memories of my days at LASU dey teach me that life dey sacred, whether na journalist, student or just ordinary padi. Donne don talk am, and I feel am again: na all of us wey dey share this humanity together. Time don reach to step inside church now for Somto sorrow, and commot for me to yarn about Obi wey just land from UK this morning!
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