My Lockdown Diary: The Consequence Of Being A Lagosian (Part 1) -By Abdulwasiu Mujeeb

As I dwell in boredom, I picture the days of freedom, the days I walked around with friends without fear of infections, days when masks were not given much value as though the least currency note of the country.

During the first week, when the federal government announced the closure of schools, I couldn’t imagine the lockdown exceeding one month as declared. As most friends did, I didn’t celebrate, but I felt a cold resentment against the onslaught of school activities. All-day lectures, assignments, and research projects. Break at last!

Are they really traveling? friends were whopping out of the seat of the caliphate with my mind telling me to stay back. Though I was largely worried then about the pandemic status in Lagos, where I live. I consented with my mind. But at that moment, I had questions, zillions of them.

With my keen decision, for how long will this happen? As it goes, will I ever have the urgent opportunity to travel out of Sokoto state if needs be?

Partially in my head, I was compelled to believe that such a moment comes once in blue moon. That it is an opportunity for me as a finalist to round up my end of degree research and enrich myself with more nutrients of creativity.

At a time, I got scared, I got filled up with fear. I lay on my bed and let my mind rake through the past, through the weeks I was struggling with the remnants of my foodstuffs. I had just started to pray about the foodstuffs when I heard about the lockdown. I defiantly checked through the Polaris bank message on my smartphone, the digits there seemed to me like airtime with only power of “flashing”.

I was stuck in confusion. Thousands of monsters played a painful game inside my head, I didn’t know what else to do.

” I can’t risk death” I whispered to my self. Mum had called to that day, preaching the sermon of “prevention is better than cure” and I exclusively agree.

What happened next? The second part shall reveal next week. Watch out!

Abdulwasiu Mujeeb is a final year law student at Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto. He can be reached via mujeebabdwasiu@gmail.com or 07031069380