by Radiance Chibuzo
Two years ago, my family and I travelled to our village during the festive period. We were excited to see relatives we had not seen in a long time. When the celebrations ended, it was time to return to Abuja.
We left the village around 5:00 a.m., and I was still very sleepy. We travelled early because the journey from the village to Abuja was long, and my daddy was the one driving.
When we got to Okene in Kogi State, we met a large crowd dressed in white clothes. They were holding weapons such as cutlasses, machetes and local guns. They were shouting, dancing, and hitting their weapons on passing cars. Aggressive masquerades, roughly dressed and carrying long canes, were running after people and beating them.
My daddy did not know he was supposed to stop until they finished whatever they were doing. He drove into the middle of the crowd, and about twenty masquerades surrounded our car, hitting it and threatening to kill us. They ordered us to keep our faces down.
We bent down, crying and praying for our lives, until some people came and pleaded on our behalf. We were eventually allowed to go, but not before my daddy had to give them some money to calm them.
It was a very frightening experience, and I pray never to go through such an experience again.
Radiance Chibuzo is a grade 4 student of Lordswill Academy, Abuja