It began as a speculation but gradually became reality. Apprehension could be felt all around. You could visibly see people's mouths wagging in hushed tones. No one dared voice out their fears as if not saying anything would get rid of the problem.
That period in my timeline was one that threatened my peace of mind. I thought I was strong emotionally and psychologically but when that event occurred, it shook the very core of my being.
My pulse ran higher than normal and all I could think about was how to defend myself when I came face to face with the elephant in the room. I couldn't breathe air freely, heck I couldn't even drink water freely. Every little noise startled me and left me seeking a cave to hide in. Words cannot fully convey the dreadedness that I felt during that time. Maybe, you'll understand how I felt when you read my story below.
It was a few months after the compulsory lockdown stipulated by the Federal government during the Covid-19 pandemic here in Nigeria. Life was beginning to fall back into place with several people resuming work and several businesses kicking off again.
There had been rumours of the dreaded one million boys flying around. There were stories of how those goons disrupted people's lives by coming to loot and attack them. It was said that they were a gang of thieves who lived up to their name. They were too many to count and they consisted of both males and females, armed with weapons, like weapons were jewelry.
Places like Ikorodu, Ojo, Ajegunle and other well known areas of Lagos State had already fallen victim to their attacks. Recent news said that they were coming towards the Badagry area, which is where I reside. At first, no one took such rumours seriously as Badagry area was often referred to as the back of Lagos, with nothing phenomenal occurring.
But soon, reality slapped us in the face when several estates began receiving handwritten letters from the infamous one million boys. The estate where I reside was not left out. The letter clearly conveyed threats…..”prepare for us or face the consequences”. That was the latter part of the letter and on it was inscribed the date they would invade territories.
Panic became a living being at that time. Parents monitored their children like mother Hawks and community meetings were held back to back. This should not happen in our community. Many of the men in my area protested vehemently.
It was rumoured that when one million boys invaded a community, lives would always be lost. I heard that in one community where they invaded and couldn't find treasures to loot, they raped the women both old and young and cut off the limbs of the able bodied men in that community.
I heard one story that shook me deeply and it was that they forced a young guy to rape his grandma whom he was living with at the time. He was held at gun point and told to commit such atrocity all because he had no money to give to the gang. There are more gruesome stories but let me spare you all the gory details.
So with this, you can imagine the level of anxiety that I felt. Sleeping at night was a problem. I would sleep lightly and at the sound of any noise, I would jump up and be alert instantly. I even borrowed cutlass and kept by my bedside nightly (as if I could finish them off on my own).
Fortunately, the men of my community were proactive as they all became voluntary night watchmen. Curfews were issued to every family. Motorcycles and certain commercial vehicles also had curfews. Those who served certain deities used that opportunity to freely carry their charms and fetishes, in the name of carrying out protection rituals.
All of these arrangements were consistently carried out for about three months, until the belief that the threat had passed. I never want to experience such mental and emotional trauma again. It was heart wrenching, to say the least.
Thank you for reading through.
Images used are mine
