₦airaland Forum

"oga wetin happen, why you shout like that ?" someone said..

"the toilet is messed up mhen.. WTF, how would someone do that " benjie replied

"so na why you shout like, you just come?, you no know say that toilet don spoil?" the person told Benjie..

"I didn't know, I can't use this toilet mhen .. I might just vomit "


"oga, you be fresher abi, why you no go rent off k, sha, if you no mind the stress, you fit dey go bath for this newly renovated hostel opposite our own, their toilet fresh " the unknown person advice benjie again

"really, thank you, me I can't use this toilet " Benjie replied while taking a look at his phone, it 8:45, he decided he was just going to wash his face, spray some perfume, and go to class, he wasn't entering any those toilets, never !!..



Walking back to his room from the toilet, he managed to take a look at all the toilet compartments, one more time, thier doors were worn out, as a result of constant water touching the door when people bathed, this benjie deduced..
He thought about the movie "beast of no nation ", his mind went to the scene were agu said "I saw things, terrible things ".. He too had just seen things, very terrible things, that cannot be unseen, things that could haunt his dreams in that nasty toilet..... If only his dad had let him stay off-campus... He thought.




"in this department, having an A is for God, B is for me the lecturer, getting a C is for the best students, and the rest of you would share the remaining grades , now I would be taking you guys Ecn 101, principle of economics " this were the words of doctor aluko, and this words sent shivers down the spine of benjie, with what this man was saying, it would be difficult to pass, he was not a genius, but he liked to pass, and would like get very grades, he thought to himself, as the lecturer continued teaching the class...
The class was very silent, and every one was paying attention, and anyone could guess that they "freshers" because of how most people looked in the class.. Most of the students wore this naive look, that most new student wore, they were all anxious to listen and learn, and to top it all, they all looked fresh with thier new clothes , like they were dressed for a party .

Immediately the lecturer was done with his teaching, benjie could see some group of students entering majestically from the front door of lecture hall 2, he could deduce that they were senior students, if he could call them that, and they probably had some kind of post, maybe s.u.g(student union government) he thought to himself..

"of the greatest Nigerian students " the leader of the group hailed, but there wasn't no reply, just mumuring all around the hall, it seemed no one knew how to reply..

"OK, freshers, when I say of the greatest nigerian, you guys reply greattttt, my colleagues would lead, so now, of the greatest Nigerian students " the leader hailed again


"greaaaaattttttt" was the echo all around the hall

"of the greatest gba gba"


"gbaa gbaa" was the reply of the colleagues, of the leader, so student in the hall followed suit, shouting..


"I want to talk, I say I want to talk " the leader said


"talkkkkkkkkkkk" was the reply all around the hall.. Benjie was amused by all the chanting , it was new, but it was fun... He didn't shout, he just watched, he could see some fellow freshers shouting, and agitated like they were used to all the chanting, he was envious of their confidence..

"my name is Joshua Atoyin, I am the president of the student union in this department, and the union is called NESA, I am sure you, most of you know this, because, you guys would have paid your department fee, you are welcome to the department , as a union, we have a lot in stall you, both academic and social. Firstly, we having our freshers night party, and I would be calling up the director of socials 'koded ' to talk to you hug about that " the president said, at the mention of the freshers party, everyone in the hall started talking, there was excitement in the air..
Benjie was not sure of how he was feeling, he had never been to a party before, and this was a university area, he wasn't sure going to a party would be safe, there would be bad boys there, he had heard that fights happen in parties..


"omo mhen, the party go lit gan, you guys should turn up with your department fee receipt, maximum fun is guarantee, plenty music and games, you can Only enjoy your freshers night once " this was koded, the director of social speaking, like he knew what benjie was thinking, and was trying to convince him..


'wasup, would you be going to the freshers night? " Clemo would was sitting beside benjie asked.. Clemo was one the guys Benjie met during registration, he was fair and short, but he walked around with confidence, like he didnt care about his height..

"I don't know, I haven't been to a party before " benjie replied..

"guy, let's go oh, there would be girls there "

"girls?? " benjie said, he was not used to talking with girls, apart from his sisters, he went to an all boys secondary school, and never had a girlfriend before, he wasn't sure he had held hands with a girl with who was not sibling before..

"yes oh guy, plenty girls, see all this girls in our class, they would be there " Clemo said, trying to convince Benjie..


'hmmmmmmm".. Benjie took a look around the hall, there were girls truly, all this made him anxious, he was shy when he had eye contact with some of the girls while he looked around the hall..

"I might just think about it " benjie said, not sure of what he was going to do..

"it's 96.9 cool fmmmm Abuja .. You tuned in to the early morning sports show, my name is Arafat alyiu, triple A my friends call me, and I am your host"

This was the sound coming from a radio, as benjie streched his arms... He checked his phone, It was 8am, he had an hour to his lectures, he looked around the room, elrufai was sitting on a student desk, eating a plate of rice and beans ... Another guy who he didn't know, was on the top of an opposite bunk reading "48 laws of power "... The guy directly on top of him was no longer there, benjie wondered where he had gone... on the other end of the room, there where two guys going checking out something on thier phones, they were probably transferring files, they were speaking fluent Hausa, so benjie guessed they were notherners...


Taking a look at the phone again, it was now 8:15am, he had to go take his bath, but he was shy about coming down from the bed, he didn't know how to relate with all this guys he didn't know, even at home, he didn't have many friends, just a friend, now there are so many people here, he was lost on how to relate, but he knew he had to, he has no choice..

He picked up his phone, it was a gionee p3, scrolled through it, and came down from the bed, he fixed his eyes on the screen, like he was doing something serious, so as to avoid eye contact with the people in the room.. Then all of a sudden he heard his name


"Mr Benjie, good morning, how was your night? " elrufai greeted..

"I am fine sir, thank you " benjie replied shyly..

"sabuwa, wambai, the law, this is our new roommate, his name is Benjie" elrufai called out to the other guys in room, as he introduced benjie to them..

"benjie welcome " wambai one of the two guys pressing thier phone, said with a nothern accent and straight face, that made benjie shrug for a sec. ..

"benjie, that's short way of calling Benjamin right, you're welcome, what department ?".. Sabuwa, the other guy with a phone asked with a smile, he also had a nothern accent..

"thank you, I am in economics, 100level" benjie responded..


"ah fresher, you welcome once again, this a peaceful room, no fighting, no stealing since I have been in this room for 3years now" ...

"3years?, how did you manage to stay here for 3 good years " benjie thought to himself, and he wondered why sabuwa was telling him about stealing and fighting, did he look suspicious or what , he was not one to steal or fight..


"Mr Benjamin, you are welcome, I am vershima" the guy, whom elrufai, reffered to as 'the law ' said, giving Benjie a had shake..

"nice to meet you sir" he wondered why they called him "the law", he was probably a student of law department, law faculty as he would come to later..
Vershima looked like an ajebo too, he looked more refined than the other guys, benjie thought..


Benjie took his bucket and went to the tap outside, he took a look at his phone, it was 8:30.. He needed to be quick, so he doesn't run late for his first class...

He could see students going to lectures, some of them wearing black and white, another set were wearing blue and black, which look some sort of uniform, while others dressed in normal causal dress, his department never mentioned any mandatory uniform, so he was going to be in the causal dress group, he was happy about that.. When he was done fetching the water, the went to the room, picked up his soap and headed towards the toilet , vershima had earlier come from..

"if vershima could used the bathroom, with his ajeboness, then it wasn't going to be bad then " benjie thought to himself.. He walked toward this bathroom room, the whole place looked dark, if not for the light ray coming from the small windows in the toilet and sunlight coming from the general kitchen, which was opposite the toilet...

" why would the kitchen face the toilet? " Benjie asked himself, as he turned towards the toilet, he could see buckets of water in front of the toilets, like people were waiting, there were eight toilets compartment, some of the doors were locked, while some opened when benjie got there, the toilets look so old from where benjie stood, but he wanted to be hopeful that it would be neat.. While he stood there, someone rushed and entered on of the empty toilet, this made Benjie realize he was running late, so have picked his bucket of water and walked towards another empty toilet, stepping his foot inside, benjie was left in shock, he didn't know when he screamed ...

""jesuuuuu""

"would you stay with me, cos y'all I need "

was the lyrics of the song coming from a phone on top of the bunk, a matress was now there, and there was someone there, the person had succeeded in waking him from sleep, benjie checked his time, it was almost 5am... It was quite cold, the harmattan had not gone yet, it was the second week I January... His first lecture was 9am, so he wanted to sleep again, he covered him self with his duvet, ready to go back to sleep, then the song from the phone playing above changed..

"wo bobo, were loba de,

wo bo, were loba de,

We be making money, every night and day

Oya shakiti bobo, oya ferari bobo "

"who is this idiot? , playing music so loudly, and he is directly above me? when did he come sef?, how come I didn't notice " benjie thought to himself, he was not such a deep sleeper, how come he didn't notice when this guy came in.. His mind quickly went to his wardrope, was a spell casted on him so he could sleep, and then steal his things, then he dropped his foot down, as soon as his foot touched the ground, he knew something was wrong, the ground was very soft..

"who be this one wey dey match me ?" a sleepy voice said... benjie quickly drew his legs back..

"what's happening, how is there a guy on the floor? " he asked himself, it was then he looked around the room for the first time, there were people on all the bunks, the room thag was empty when he slept off, was filled up.. The room had four bunks, making it a room of 8, but there were almost 14 people In the room now, benjie rub his eyes, there were still 14 people.. There were two people sleeping on the floor right under his bunk, and another two sleeping on the floor close to the other bunk , on one of the top bunks, two guys were sleeping together on the matress..

"where did all this people come from ?" he asked himself again, then he remembered his wardrobe again..

"jeezz".. He checked his pocket, his key was there, he stretched to look at his wardrobe, it was locked, he felt relieved, and he tried to continue his sleep..

Eyo by asa was the song now playing from the phone above his head.. At least it was a song he liked, so he would try to sleep off, before it changes to a party song again..


"gosh I hate this hostel " he muttered to himself as he looked around again, everyone seem to be sleeping peacefully...

Benjie's mouth was left ajar entering the room, the room was everything he never wanted, he wondered why he had to get this kind of room, the painting was very old, half torn wall papers could be see all over, he could also see various inscription on the wall like "tonado was here ".. "military zone keep off"... Benjie's mind and eyes were too engrossed in assessing the room that he didn't notice people in the room staring at him... Until someone in the room said something that brought him back..

"chairman who you dey find?".. Someone asked rudely..

Benjie had always heard that the University was a complex place, and he had heard that there are bad boys, he was not ready to get beaten, so he planned to be humble..

"sorry sir, I am not looking for anyone, I was allocated this room" Benjie replied the person..


"really, toh, you didn't say anything, so we were wondering, anyways, welcome, I am elrufai"..


"nice to meet you sir, I am benjie, benjamin, 100 level economics "..


"you are welcome benjie, I am Sunday, you are welcome to our room " another person said from a bunk.. Making benjie realize that there was another person there..

"thank you sir Sunday " benjie could not understand why he was calling them sir, but it felt like the right thing..

"see that wardrobe, behind that bunk, it's empty, you can take it, it's a single wardrobe, that's the only single wardrobe remaining, the remaining one are double wardrobes, I would advise you to rush and take it".. Sunday adviced

Benjie walked towards the wardrobe, he surveyed it, it was empty, but the lock was spoilt, he looked at the double wardrobe, thier lock was perfect, he was now indecisive, he wasn't sure he wanted to share a wardrobe with anybody, he surveyed it again, he decided he would fix the lock, and take the single wardrobe ... A decision he would be happy he made later..


As he walked to pick his bag, he looked around the room, he saw four other single wardrobe, but they we feel padlocked, he wondered who were the people that got them, he saw a paper with a writing attached on one of them "400level sociology, do not touch ".. As he had seen a ghost benjie quickly walked past the wardrobe, he sure didn't want to offend anyone , talkless of a 400 level sociology guy...

He went towards his load, picked his small student matress, he noticed only one bunk was without a foam or matress, taking a look at most of the matresses , they looked like a haven for bedbugs... Benjie shrugged.. He stood beside the empty bunk and shook it, it looked strong, he was now torn in between choosing the top or bottom bunk, he thought about falling at night from the top bunk, he was not used to it, so he went for the later... A decision he would later regret....



The room was very dusty, so benjie tried his best to clean his path of the room as much as he could , he was cleaning his wardrobe and wondering where he could go buy a lock, when Sunday came with a hammer and lock,

" you can use this, let me help you fix the lock, then you can buy a padlock".. Benjie thanked him for the gesture, but his was suspicious of this kindness, his father had warned him to be wary of people in the hostel and school in general , after fixing the lock, he removed a padlock from his bag, he was glad his mother bought him one now..

"thank God for mothers, they have great foresight " he thought to himself, as he arranged his things, he provision and clothes, all a sudden he noticed elrufai looking at him, he had also heard they still things in hostel, and this elrufai with his reading glasses might be one of the thiefs..

"let me take precaution" benjie thought, as he closed his wardrobe a little bit and used his body to block others from seeing what he was doing, he stared at elrufai again, he seemed not be looking towards benjie again, he eyes were now fixed on his books or whatever he was reading ..

"better, read well, don't look at my wardrobe " benjie thought to himself, he didn't know if he was being unecessarily apprehensive, all he keeps was that he was planning on letting anyone take advantage of his jjc status.. All this ran through his mind as he arranged he matress on the bunk , he looked at his wrist watch, it was 8pm, he was to have his first lecture the next day, he had to sleep..

"God help me " he prayed as he stared up to the dirty ceiling, trying to force a sleep, he looked at his wardrobe, it was locked, he felt relieved, he put the keys in his pocket and tried to sleep...