June 12, we had family law class, that day, and I remember how our lectures ended so fast and why i will never bet against Dr. Etefia Ekanem in any race competition, for reasons known to us that attended that class that day.

There was pandemonium,gunshots boomed everywhere, intermittently, with the shot hiatus filled with white smoke churning teargas canisters that came cartwheeling down the skies, as they were fired at random into the school premises.
Normal Human beings were running from the line of fire, but not me, me and Chindi Uche my adrenaline was pumping on overdrive, and i went in, and saw the students ragtag defence army.
It comprised mostly of folks with loud voice and litanies of curse words, like God punish una, tunda fire una mama, as una papa, and una generations were added in, to add variety to the cursez, and others alternated taking the battle to them in the language to which the illiterate among them could grasps... *atta Uka, anam ye usôr' and other curses in the ibibio dialect,that are often more effective than the English words that just wash over, when you are cursed and abused in your native dialect, it speaks directly to your heart...

And in retaliation, they doubled up the firing, and those that had nor arsenal of curse and swear words,found reprieve in the stones that lay around..
All this while, i was still with my black and white, and tie, and yes the tie survived all the pandemonium and stayed knotted on my neck, and at a point, some folly in me that must have smoked some high stuffs went as far as confronting a gun taunting Sars official, that was pointing the Kalashnikov riffle at me, and clutching to the trigger. You remember the part i told you i must have been high that day ? I believe i was, because i edged him on, believing that my white and black would act like some form of 'Odeshi' bullet proof vest, and still clutching my hard cover lecture note, so i felt the weight of it like some sci-fi prop, that will turn into a sub automatic weapon, and lunch me into some form of hero to save the day,should the police officer fire,i told you i was high.
The guy was wiser though, he didn't want to shoot a mad man, he had other plans,so he left, and me invigorated by this and red eyed from this left the small gate, and went to annex main gate. And the nigahs at that end were doing some high-level guerilla warfare stuffs, one guy targeted the point were 3 officers were gisting, then shielded by the fence,he snug on behind them, and drop a stone to contribute to their discussion.

https://www.just2know.com/blog/remembering-kingsley-udoette-6-years-witness-account-uniuyo-sug-abandoned-lessons-learnt/

The police guys probably didn't like anything the stone might have said to them,because they began screaming, albeit with their guns, and the air got thick with tear gas,and i was partially deaf from the loud blast of semi-automatic fire. I remembered the movies,that you lie down when you encounter such, and my instincts bypassed my sub-conscious mind that was concerned about my starched white shirt, and i found myself embracing the grass field behind the bus.Admin/Agric Faculty library, passionately with dear life.

While running to take cover, my eye had caught movement of people under the pine trees close to the gate, as they were running towards the bus.Admin block, i remember that one guy had gone down,i thought that he was taking cover like me.
However when the dust began to settle, the guy tried standing up, but was clutching to his stomach, and the white shirt he had on, was begining to have stains of red, that seemed to expand, and people began running towards him.
I joined the throng, and at this point, the blood loss was much, and his white clothe was now red. Chindi helped in carrying him, and the guys blood got stained on his 3quarters, and he later promised not to wash it, to keep the blood stain as remembrance.

The guy was moved outside the gates, and the police were called to help take the guy to the hospital, non came, not withstand that they had 2 vehicles with them. At that point they took him to towards the school clinic, and seeing what was coming should the guy die, my senses returned, and i abandoned ship, and had to turn back and use the ikot ekpene road gate, to get back.. I just knew that shit will hit the ceiling, and i didn't want to stay close when it all came down. So before one could say Benesis, i was back on my bed, answering calls from loved ones at 4lane, reading online with my E5, that the guy had died, and that Uniuyo was burning.

Now looking back, i discover how lucky i was in that whole charade, Kinsley, the guy that died wore white, and it didn't stop no bullet, and Kingsley died, and the police packed all students they could lay hands on, and charged them for the murder of Kingsley. The SUG stood back while close to 30students that were caught in the hostel, stayed imprisoned for 3years for a murder charge that was committed by the prosecutor.

And i remember that later on, when i saw some construction, near the place where the stray bullet took Kingsley, i felt that it was the SUG trying to remember its own, because every time i passed by the whistling pines close to the annex game, i always remember vividly, as Kingsley went down under the weight of the bullet) however, the SUG body never had such compassion to remember its own, the creed of "all for one and one for all" and the glory of comradeship was non existent in Uniuyo, and even when an artwork was to be done at the former VC's office that was burnt down, i thought that Uniuyo will remember to do something for its own, but no.
Even the innocent ones that were in the hostel when it got raided by sars, didnt even get the SUG fighting for their release, so those with big parents to pay 300-500 thousand walked free, and those with no one, wasted 3years of their lives in prison, while their mates graduated.

I know how unconsolable the mother of Kingsley will be today, and i knowhow my mum would have felt, if my rash decision had turned that bad for me. And i have learnt that in this life, that no ones has got your back... the cries of "Solidarity forever" is all scam. The only people that really got your back are your parents, and siblings, and their loyalty is not totally certain at all times.
So when next you feel inclined to go out for a cause, don't think you will have some heroic memorial to you, don't think you will move in and save the day, because, all it takes to take us from our beloved mums and dads that have invested so much in us, together with our siblings and loved ones, is just but a single bullet.
And like Chindi told me.. "its not all those bullets that have our names on them, to which we must all fall to, that we need to fear (Valar Morghulis), rather,its all those other stray bullets to which "to whom it may concern" are written on them, that we need to fear and pray against.
Kingsley Died 6years ago, Uniuyo might try as much as possible to erase his existence, but in our hearts, June 12, will always be that day we remember what being at the wrong place at the wrong time could cost us, and our loved one...
May his soul continue to rest in peace. Amen

https://www.just2know.com/blog/remembering-kingsley-udoette-6-years-witness-account-uniuyo-sug-abandoned-lessons-learnt/