PART 58
Everywhere was quiet like a grave after that. About 5 minutes later, Ugo and I and everyone in the bus came down from the bus and discovered that the mamee market has been bombed. The whole area was in disarray and also on fire. Within a twinkle of an eye, we heard ( a sound of a bus being parked and also immediately, we heard series of gunshots towards everyone on sight. Then it dawned to us that we’ve been attacked by the Boko boys, THE DREADED BOKO HARAM! The soldiers in the camp also came out with their rifles and then the shooting began. Ugo and I were running to no particular direction. It got to a point that there was stampede. We were just matching each other in a view to just escape all the shootings. Ugo couldn’t run much because of his size but I tried to hold him to we could keep running at the same pace. While we were running to a nowhere, something struck my mind, “The fence at the back of our room which leads to another village! I dragged ugo back and told him we have to use the fence at the back of our room if we have any chance of escaping out of this mess. Looking at Ugo, I could see shedding tears but he still has that look of a man. Will you blame him? Someone that has just 5days to his wedding! What would his family feel? Oh, beautiful Onyinye is also awaiting the arrival of the both of us especially her husband to be. I only shed a tear or two while thinking about how my parent will feel too hearing we were all killed in a gun shot by Boko Haram. Who says man doesn’t cry? There is this adage in Yoruba that says “Na person wey fight no meet they talk say him be man” (Eni ija o ba lo n pe ira e lokunrin). We were getting closer to the fence; we could also discover that some corp members are also following us too. They also felt the fence might be the only way out from the fence. They were about 12 in number. I had no problem jumping the fence while I have to help some host of others to get through to the other side safely. We were now 13 in number who has successfully crossed the fence with me leading them. We walked across some bush path before we saw a particular road leading to only God knows. I told the rest of the guys to let us to follow the road maybe we could be able to get an assistant out of here but we had to walk through the bush and also walk cautiously because the boko haram boys might pass through that road anytime soon. We’ve walked for about 56minutes when we saw a river, on it we saw a canoe empty. Examining the river, I could see it’s not that big but with God helping us, if we can make it to the other side, then we are safe. We crossed the road one by one to get close to the river. I crossed first then I discovered two dead bodies at the bank of the river then I saw a gun there too. Oh My God! The canoe man might have been killed by the Boko guys. I took the gun which looked more like the AK 47 I do see in American movies. It was quite heavy thou but I carried it like my life depended on it. Of course it is because without it, we won’t have any chance against the Boko guys even if the chances of making it alive were so slim. I beckon to the rest of the guys to cross one by one. I asked them if anyone of them could paddle a canoe. Ugo said he has an idea but he was not that perfect. Am sure he might have gotten that idea from his village before coming to lagos. He is from Delta remember? A typical Delta guy must know how to swim or paddle a canoe. Ugo went to the canoe and closely followed by the rest of the guys one by one while I kept watching. When they were still trying to adjust the canoe, we could hear a bus approaching.