I was in a bus home from work during the week and as you all know, Nigerian youths have decided to have a say in what their future turns out to be. I’ve opened Twitter this week more than I have ever done in my entire life. It’s been cold, sad, bloody, weird, and funny because if there’s no humor, it’s not Nigerian. My eyes have been opened to see a lot of things. If anyone ever told me that young people will come out one day, risking their lives to fight for their rights, I would have said they were dreaming. I’ve been stuck in traffic everyday this week and I’m not even mad. I was so scared of moving about at night but I wasn’t mad. It wasn’t an option. How can I be mad at a powerful attempt to change our future for the better?

@lanreicream (twitter)

In the bus going home, a lot of the passengers were furious and my ears got full so quick I had to stick my earphones in my ears. I heard a lot! It started with the driver saying protests deserve to be shot. Can you imagine a human being who probably has kids of his own (cos he’s old) wishing innocent people death? One particular thing that has been making me want to cry is the fact that this positive energy put into making a positive change has been countered with so much negative energy. You’re wondering why a lot of youths are coming for the older generation? A lot of them do not understand and they’ve chosen to do what they mostly do : “Taking over” because they’re older. 

There’s good and there’s bad. You can put all your energy into creating a good thing but because you can’t read people’s minds, someone with an evil agenda might just mess everything up. 

These people are going back and forth about youths being reckless spenders. “How can you have tattoos and dreads and not expect SARS to follow you?” Oh...I didn’t know we were now justifying evil acts just because you don’t like something. You’re practically saying it’s okay for anybody to be shot because of how they’ve chosen to express themselves. The funny part is they keep saying “it’s because they don’t really know God”. You know God but you’re judging people just by looks?

“But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

I didn’t know God gave someone cheat codes on how to get to heaven. Because who is this woman and what is she saying? You’ll be watching Africa Magic Yoruba and be thinking you know everything. 

“Na yahoo boys dey protest”. Age is not equal to wisdom honestly. You’re not interested in knowing what people are doing but you must talk. I pray God protects everyone going out and rewards them greatly. I pray everyone’s effort doesn’t go to waste and that the lives lost aren’t in vain. I’m just really happy I’m not related to anyone in this bus. It proves that you can do everything it takes and the world will still have something to say.

“Most of these youths are unemployed that’s why they have time to be blocking road”.

Excuse me sir, you’re so used to being poor your brain doesn’t even want to experience anything new. Your children will grow too. 

Please let’s #EndSWAT💔