Pascal Johnson

My three friends, Bola, Biola, and Lola, and I were proactive about the protest, as we stationed ourselves at the Alausa, Ikeja barricade. They said we should join them at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20-10-20. We got into our cars, but when we arrived in Gbagada, my car broke down near Gbagada General Hospital. They waited while my mechanic worked on the car. The hours passed, and before we knew it, it was approaching 6 p.m. I told them to go ahead without me and promised to join them later that night. After my car was finally fixed at exactly 7:35 p.m., I started the engine and was about to accelerate when my mother's call came in. "Seun, if you have been at the protest ground, you have tried your best, and it is time for you to go home." This was after Sanwo-Olu had issued a stern warning to everyone. My mum did not just advise me to go home; she pleaded with me to leave. I called my friends and asked them to return to the mainland. They refused. They were adamant that they wanted to fight for the country. They said they were tired of the state of the nation and that it was either now or never. At 8 p.m., I went on my socials and saw DJ Switch's Instagram Live broadcast. The Nigerian Army was already firing sporadically, initially shooting into the air to scare the protesters away. But the protesters insisted they were not cowards and stood their ground. By 8:25 p.m., the soldiers had started firing live ammunition at the protesters. Bola was not so lucky. He was hit by a bullet, and we lost him. Following his death, his mother, who was barely 52 years old, died the following year. Despite his eldest brother relocating her to the UK in the hope that a change of environment would help her cope with Bola's death, all efforts proved futile. We lost Bola on 20-10-2020. We lost Bola's mum on 15-09-2021. Rest on, Abimbola. 🕊️