By Abdulquadri Abdulkareem
Very early in the morning of 20/10/2020, Nigerian youths prepared themselves for the #ENDSARS protest, with the hope of a better Nigeria. Parents spoke with their children:
“Babatunde ómó mi, mo mó pe éto ré lo fé ló ja fun, sugbon maaba wón fa wahala ooo, kodé pada waale, maa ma duro de ó.”
“Babatunde, my son, I know it’s your right you want to go and fight for, but don’t join them to cause trouble and don’t come late, I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Uche, wake up, follow them go fight for your right, fight for better Nigeria, but no follow them cause wahala. Onye ndu anyị n’ọdịnihu.”
“Hassan ka bi abokanka ka yaki Nigeria, amma kar ka kawo fitina, a yi sujadar lumana.”
“Hassan follow your friends, fight for a better Nigeria, but don’t cause trouble. It should be a peaceful protest.”
On this day, youths gathered to fight for thier rights. They fought for a better Nigeria, not only in Lagos but all over the states in Nigeria.
During the protest, several posters with hashtags like “#ENDSARS and #ENDBADGOVERNMENT” written on them, were lifted and waved in the air by protesters. This also included the Nigerian flag, which was raised as a symbol of peace and unity.
A number of Nigerian celebrities and influencers also showed up at the Lekki Toll Gate protest scene. They joined to protest with the hope of a better Nigeria.
“ENDSARS, END BAD GOVERNANCE, STOP KILLING THE YOUTHS” were voices of protesters which filled the air at regular intervals, coupled with DJs who played music to make the protest easy and peaceful for the youths.
With these, the protest went peaceful until the fateful and unwanted moment in the evening, at the Lekki toll gate. Nigerian youths who hoped for a better governance got a disaster instead. The leaders responded to the youths’ protest through some unknown and unidentified soldiers who killed our future leaders.
Despite the Nigerian flag that was raised during the protest, the youths were shot by these unknown soldiers with stray bullets, which stained the flag with bloods of future leaders. A peaceful protest turned bloody protest.
While others found their way home, bodies of protesters laid lifeless on the ground. Some had broken legs and arms, while some were robbed.
Babatunde left home to fight for a better Nigeria, but was brought back home lifeless by his friends. Uche came back home with a body wounded by bullets, and blood all over his body. Hassan made it home, but he was unbalanced. Earlier that day, he went out with his two hands, carrying the Nigeria Flag, only to come back home with one hand.
October 20th, 2020 was a day we hoped to get freedom from bad governance. Instead, we were showed how much bad governance could hurt us the most.
Mothers turned childless. Children who were their family’s bread winners got killed by the government.
Days after the October 20th protest, the government publicly denied the killing, saying the soldiers were unknown to them as well. They told the nation that they do not know who ordered the killing of protesters at the lekki toll gate.
Till date, Nigerian youths haven’t recovered from the massacre, yet we still hope for a better Nigeria. May the souls of the dead continue to rest in perfect peace.
THE SILENCED LEADERS shall never be forgotten.
Images: Public
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