A letter to Fashola (This is Not a Threat!)

It all happened on Saturday morning at the Yaba Local Government office between the students of Yaba College of Technology and the local government thugs; it was a situation that almost led to the loss of life and destruction of government properties, both at the federal or state level. I am a fresh grad and was just visiting when it all happened and it was deadly. It all looks like it as ended but the tragedy as just begun. This is not a threat.

Two honourable members of the house of the student union of the college were arrested in front of the school gate a few minutes to 9:00clock, they called some student union officials and with due respect to law and orders, any attempt to bail them was delayed until the environmental exercise was over. They called the college driver, some members of the union and other notable students were assemble with a Man O War escort making a total of 12 delegates and they were sent to the Local Government Office in a true spirit of solidarity. They were not armed and we meant no harm but what we got was more than what we bargained for and considering what we got, only more harm will come their way, ours is just a tip of the iceberg.

Getting to the gate of the local government amidst chanting and songs of solidarity for the unjust arrest of students at the school gate was the crime we committed, only 7 of the delegates had alighted from the bus when chaos broke out, the gate was partially open and the bus was still at the entrance when it all started. All i could do was stand and watch because i was one of the 7 that had already highlighted. Plank and bottles and machetes from no where in a local government premises… ha! We were beaten like thieves while the driver and the five remaining students that were yet to alight ran back to the school to regroup. The few of us that got down got unlucky, the student union president was stabbed in the back, The speaker of the house was smashed as well, the fore-head of the social director was opened with concrete, other students lost their teeth and lips, I got whacked as well and i just had enough strength to come out and put this across today.

We were locked up in their cells, some were dragged into the court room, we got robbed as well and were rescued by some of our colleagues that work in the council and lived around. They heard about it and came to our rescue. Our union president was handed over to the policemen at Adekunle and accused of breaking the cells and allowing arrested offenders to flee while others that were badly beaten were left sprawling on the floor helplessly. Soon help came from the few that flee and more students arrived in four more buses and everything went flying. They fled and we escaped from our bondages, and somehow they went and regrouped as well and from within the local government office, more cutlasses and weapons surfaced for fresh violence. It all got out of hand and the state CID office intervened a little to forestall law and order. We blocked the highway and motorist fled and everything came to a halt. We demanded for the council chairman but they said he was away, we locked them inside the council compound and nothing was moving and we resolved that we are not leaving until justice prevails.

Our great mother Dr. Mrs. Oladipupo (The Rector) heard about the situation and quickly drove to the scene, she pleaded with us and asked us to return to the college with her and we did, she tended to our wounds and promised to bare the cost of our lost just for the sake of peace, and we believed she will. We respected her because she’s been a great leader, and we respect you as well and that is why I am forwarding this mail to you. It all ended there on that Saturday but it is not over, this is not a threat. We shall and we will pay them back in their own coin. We know the witness, the Vice-Chairman was present at the incident and he saw it all, he couldn’t call his own people to order and he even opened his mouth and ordered that we should be locked up. He will definitely get a full portion of the pay back theme when it’s ready. The judge of the customary court was a witness and we know her, she’s got kids like us and she will feel the pain our mama’s felt when the saw us when it’s payback time. We know the chairman, if nothing is done in good time, he will get a personal payback package, and for the thugs that are within, we don’t blame them because that’s who they are, we only blame the government that put them in place of authority and responsibility when they know fully well that they are irresponsible, we know them and will deal with them silently in an uncivilized brutal manner.

There will be environmental next month, we will go out and go even beyond the gates of our school, Moore road and all the way to Igbobi Sabé area, tell them to come arrest us and we will make them feel more than the pain we felt. The neighborhoods watch members walk the streets, tell them they are in danger, the KAI officials, drive thru our hood, and tell them they are not safe. For the ones that go about in plain cloths, we know them and we will not wait for karma, they took the laws in their hands and we will take it beyond our hands. It has happened before and it was the military that saved us from the embarrassment, it happened again and an attempt to resolve it peacefully was turned to war. It is now two eyes for an eye, the laws of Moses now reign supreme, this is not a threat, it will happen before our own very eyes. We’ve been peaceful for too long, we’ve been at peace with our environ for such a long time, we’ve laid low and laid back for too long and now we must let the world around us know that we are still ever Aluta ready as the days of old. Amala Ewetu! This is beyond Aluta.