I'm Chidi (Barrister) & this is my story, one of SORROWS, TEARS & BLOOD.

I was born into a family of 12.
10 siblings (7 girls, 5 boys)+ (2)parents. I'm the 5th child, 3rd male.

I & My family lived in a single room apartment, in a slum in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

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My parents weren't educated, but they vowed to educate us, this they did in earnest, until they couldn't, death came knocking.

Education was relatively cheap then, my father enrolled us as soon as he could afford it, we all had a minimum of secondary education before they died. https:///vXcOfyyaiO

Back home, I had to hustle from a young age, all of my siblings as well, this was inculcated into the fabrics of our very existence.

We had to hawk everyday after school,
we regularly skipped school, to attend to "money emergencies", this occurred very often as u would imagine. https:///MOR4jbrvDU

After the burial of our parents, a family meeting was held, 10 of us were in attendance, a resolution was agreed upon, I have been chosen to further my education, Every family member was to contribute money in that respect.

I was elated, I was very happy! https:///1GCMo7tU1w

Papa made Okpara (Eldest son) swear to produce a graduate in our family on his dying bed.

Sat for JAMB & conquered JAMB!

JAMB had other plans, I chose Law as my preferred course of study, but JAMB, in their infinite wisdom & mercy offered me Sociology & Anthropology.

I cried! https:///oiXYbHA3Zn

I pleaded with my siblings to allow me sit for another JAMB, they weren't having any of it.

"If I wanted to see the four walls of a university, I should take what I was offered", they threatened & thundered! https:///K1MaRtYl5r


I reluctantly agreed to their arrangements, I was delusional and devastated.

I felt JAMB had cheated me.
I felt the system hates me.
I had always dreamed of becoming a lawyer.

I was already being called "barrister" ffs,
it was my nickname, I deserved to be a barrister, I cried. https:///bdps7TOlZe

A lot happened in my first year, bt d turning point occurred during my second year.

I was already a ranking member of a violent cult group. Incidentally, I also doubled as an executive in a student fellowship, one that had presence in almost all tertiary institution in �� https:///cQkcfFnnkT

Series of reprisal cult killings had occurred, plus a member of our cult group cross carpeted to a rival cult, that was unacceptable, plus, he was my right hand man.

He knew too much. He had to be taken out asap. Naturally, I headed the strike team tasked to execute the task. https:///upMLJkG6Wt

We strategized & struck, but he wasn't a duck (soft target), he knew our MO, had protection of his new family!

He was a liability to us, but an asset to them. You would understand that cult groups form collaboration with others, we had ours, they had theirs. https:///neawHj7QCz

Suddenly Vincent vanished into thin air, we searched & searched to no avail.

Our armouries were ransacked (secret locations where arms & munitions, cash, clothes etc were hidden in case of emergency). What was their next plan??

We became jittery, afraid but very bitter. https:///8Zkrk7Nc0P