Inside a Nigerian Boarding School

Danger and Skull are two people in my hostel that most of my mates will avoid any form of relationship with because we have no idea of any illegal activities they cannot partake in. Logically, you should be scared of anyone nicknamed Danger or Skull. Sometimes you do not know how dangerous you are until you have crossed the enemy's line.

The other students were in the dining hall; it was dark and the perfect time to break the rules. Michael, Francis, and I were getting ready to leave the school premises, which was a punishable offense. Fear was not an option; we only regret our actions when caught. We break the school rules for fun; we intend to play some video games until late at night when returning to the school premises is safer. Moving at odd hours as kids was risky, but we enjoyed taking the risk. Imagine sending your child to a military boarding school facility with the assurance that they are in safe hands. Still, they are having fun in an alien environment, which might be dangerous to them. You cannot blame the management; we are just too hard on them, or they are too hard on us.

Danger and Skull were also set for the same agenda; I do not know what they are going outside the school premises for, and I do not care. I intended to reserve some cash before going out, so I asked Skull if he could change a thousand naira note into two five hundred naira notes, and he was willing to help. He collected the money and tricked me until I lost him. I was so mad that I decided to track them into the bush. A large area was covered with bushes before getting to the fence behind the hostel, making it easier for us to leave the premises unseen. They refuse to return my money; two outrageous men against me should bring me to my knees. I was ready for whatever might happen. I struggled with them while they made moves for the fence until we all jumped over the fence. They stopped a taxi, but I made it impossible for them to enter; the people passing could not avoid the scene. The driver got mad and drove away. Danger and Skull became very angry. A cemetery was nearby, and they walked inside to scare me off. It was dark and raining softly, and I was less advantaged because they were two. I fearlessly kept resisting their intimidation until they eventually gave up, and my money was returned to me, but they would not let me leave. Danger grabbed my shirt from behind, and I replied to him with a punch to the face. Skull rushed toward me after what I did to his friend, but I took no chance and ran away. It was dark, but I ran fast because I could hear their footsteps behind me. I fell into open drainage close to the roadside but got out before they could come close. I jumped the fence back into the school premises and noticed they had stopped the chase, and now I became more afraid because they would surely strike back. I told my friends what had happened and begged them to stay alert because I might need their help. James was my roommate, and he kept reassuring me to remain calm. Some minutes past 11 p.m., they came banging on my door. I was the house captain of Octopus House then; I was not staying in the hostel hall like other students. I refused to open the door, and they stopped. The next day, I met them in the bathroom, and they threatened me, but I was not afraid anymore; they also knew that if they pushed me to the limit, I could also be dangerous. Skull told me I was lucky last night for not opening the door, as he would have used a broken bottle to write his name on my skin.

I was comfortable and in control in my final year because I was nominated and elected House Captain of my hostel. It was the highest post in the hostel; I was not the most feared or respected senior in the hostel, but I was the boss of my hostel, and other hostel prefects had to work with me while I reported directly to the housemaster. The house dues passed through my office, and I was corrupt, embezzling money that was supposed to reach the housemaster. I generated fake reports to cover my tracks and was not suspected or caught. Everything was fine until they changed the housemaster to Mr. Tony, the school exam officer. He was a complete terror to my little office; we never aligned in anything, and his methods were too extreme for prefects, my house members, and me. We both knew we could not walk together, which was evident until he proposed a deal since it was not in his jurisdiction to remove me. He suggested I step down from my duties to my assistant, which I agreed to. My assistant was to be the house captain, and the housemaster would cover the leakage in my assistant’s office with a third party. I am still entitled to all my benefits as the house captain, but I do not make the decisions anymore, which is fine. He brought Shamashama, a third party as the house captain, and my assistant maintained his position. My assistant was not giving me my office as agreed, but it was not my fight anymore. We restructured the hostel government without the school management knowing. I attended general meeting with the management to cover my deal with the housemaster. Everyone was confused as the modus operandi changed because it was not official or announced. The best you could access was the rumor. This was the first form of politics I ever engaged in, and I loved the whole idea because I was technically relieved of the oppression I was receiving from the housemaster. I avoided my responsibilities; most students concluded I was no longer the house captain.

At our graduation ceremony, gifts were presented to all the captains and prefects; my name was called, and all the students became more confused. Something funny happened that day. Shamashama, who thought he had replaced me, was disappointed because the school did not recognize him as a captain. I guess he just realized that he had been used all this time. The event was still on; the housemaster called for a private meeting, and I saw the poor boy with him; his countenance already explained the need for the meeting. I do not know the deal he had with the housemaster that made him feel so bad, but it was funny; it was my graduation ceremony, and not all this drama mattered to me anymore. Mr. Tony reminded me of our deal and asked me to give my gift to the man who did most of the work. The gift was still wrapped; I did not know what was inside. I gave it out without thinking about it and tried to catch up with the ceremony.

There were many sad moments during my school years, but I will never forget this particular event. Three military officers who would not let go of my rebellious act in my final year battered me. I was in the hostel with my friends when no one was allowed to be there. We just finished the first phase of our final exams and did not consider ourselves students anymore. The soldiers intercepted us in the hostel, intending to lock us up in the guardroom. The guardroom in my school was just like a prison; you would be locked away from other students and unable to partake in any school activities until your release is permitted by the person who initiated the lock-up or by another higher authority. We were ordered to form a chain frog jump to the guardroom. I have less than two weeks in this facility and cannot be a part of this process again. When the soldiers were distracted, I broke the chain and ran away. It was a foolish decision, but there was no going back; I could hear their voices ordering me to stop. My adrenaline was at its peak; I had already made my choices, and the result of stopping now might be equivalent to the punishment I would get if they could catch me. I was not surprised when I noticed no one was chasing me. Snitching on others to gain favor was a normal deal; maybe someone had sold my identity to the soldiers already or not, but my goal was to leave the school premises through the fence. I majestically walk outside the wall because no one can catch me now; little did I know that a manhunt was organized for me. My action crippled their egos; I ignored direct orders, and some students applauded me because it was bold. I looked back countless times to confirm if I had been followed. It was not a premeditated move; I do not even know where to lay low because there is still a probability they will come for me. As I walked by the roadside and remembered how I would be the talk of the school, I was impressed with myself. Looking behind me again, I saw a bike from a far distance with three military men on it. My legs started running without control. The bike was very close, and I could see the looks on their faces; they looked happy even when I was not caught yet. I noticed they were gaining distance because I ran parallel to the road. I started running on paths that were not bike friendly. They also changed their strategy; two soldiers came down from the bike to chase me on foot, while the third soldier followed slowly with the bike. At this point, I have lost the ability to think. I could not swim, but there was a river ahead. I was locked in a chase formation that only pushed me toward the river. I gave up the run and laid down immediately because their first approach was to take me down violently. They put me on the bike, and we all squeezed ourselves on it; we became the center of attraction as we rode back to the school through the main entrance. The school guardroom was located at the gate, but we did not stop at the gate, and I kept wondering what this soldier was planning for me until we arrived at their lodge, where I was vandalized. They ordered me to remove my clothes, leaving me with my undies. A soldier flogged me with a motorcycle brake cable; the scars are still visible today. I was transferred to the guardroom, where I met two of my friends, Ganiu and Kenny. I was less concerned about their offense, but they could not wait to hear the story that warranted all the signatures on my skin. The memories refuse to fade, as the scars are available to make them fresh.