Kolade Johnson: Will it get to me?

On April 1 at about 4:15pm, I was en route to Akure when our bus was stopped by some guys with guns, I clutched to my rosary so hard, it made holes in my palms. Just as I was about to jump out to find my way into nearby bushes, I heard something like “oya come roger”! Instantly, I noticed heartbeats dropped, smiles returned, fear vanished, paving way for some of us to clean our sweat which was almost turning into a pool in the bus.

Without giving a reason, they began to “off-load” us from the bus; claiming they wanted to conduct a “search”. Apparently, the “stingy” bus driver refused to “roger” and so we had to pay for it. We were going to be delayed. After about 10 minutes of finding nothing, they began to shuffle us like a pack of cards. Soon, we found ourselves in different divisions. What seemed to be hope soon dissipated into frustration and once they separated two guys, the drama began!

“Where are you coming from? Who gave you this phone? In fact, open it. That laptop in the bag, where is the receipt? Who gave you money to buy it and what are you using it for? Look at your hair! In fact, sit down on the floor you criminal!  You won’t leave here until you show me all the documents of the laptop and you open your phone…”

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I just stood there wondering when the ownership of a laptop or a good phone becomes a crime in Nigeria? When did tattoos, dreadlocks, beards and other fashion trends of a 21st century youth become criminal? But wait, don’t you think we are stubbornly holding on to some archaic and ridiculously fanatic ideas that makes life ultimately difficult for others? Imposing ideals and ideas that are relative at best? Forgetting that culture is dynamic and its objectivity is therefore, nonexistent?

We sit here and condemn racial profiling in the United States and Europe, while we engage in a worst form. A show of mediocrity merged with radical shamelessness indeed. I don’t even want to talk about the “roger” thing that has found its way into our unwritten rules of engagement, nor even the continuous harassment of our youths by those who should, in fact, protect them. What I am most scared of is the result of these kinds of act.

This Kolade Johnson’s case has become one too many. What makes human beings superior to other mammals is our sense of reasoning which should determine how we live and understand the times we live in. But it seems that our law-enforcement officers have refused to let go of their ancient rigidity and expect the youths of 21st century to be like those of 19th century. I am yet to find the correlation between dreadlocks, tattoo, mobile phones, laptop and crime. Youths of every sphere, please stand up and speak up. You may sit there and say, “it doesn’t concern me, I don’t keep beards, hair or tattoos”. But you have phones and laptops. Maybe you should ask yourself, when will it get to me?

Paul Mark

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