“WAR ON MATRICULATION EVE” A Must Read For Every Nigerian Student. DAY 1

The sleek Toyota 4 wheel drive jeep glided silently through the main campus gate. The air of affluence radiating from the car was so obvious that the security men hesitated to stop the vehicle. But, the driver stopped and beckoned to one of them. One of the tinted glasses of the back seat rolled down and a young lady’s head popped out.

“Please, where is the registration centre for new students?” She asked

“Are you a new student?” Inquiry the security man

“Yes” She answered.

“Ok mek you drive straight turn right at that roundabout, you go see where plenty people gather up there, naim be register centre”.

“Thanks”. She replied... continue

The tinted window rolled up and the car drove off.

The security man stood gazing at the vehicle then wondered aloud

“Imagine, the kind car year one student carry come school, na wa o”

Cynthia, a popular final student whose genial nature made her friendly with everyone including the security men had hovering around the gate since the admission list was posted on the notice board and first year students started arrival at the campus for registration. She laughed at the security man.

“Oga security wetin dey worry you now? You no know say na yuppie people de enter school now?”

“My sister na so world dey, make I kuku de do my work sha!” He said.

As the security resumed his stand, Cynthia opened her cell phone and called a number.

“BS 2, Check out a black Toyota four runner arriving at the administration. There is a babe in there. I want detail of her particulars. She looks like class, you know what I mean. Yes every detail name, home, background, hostel number, and department”.

“Will do, BS1”. BS 2 replied.

Santos was sitting in front of a café near the gate watching Cynthia. His boys were drinking and singing at hang out. He beckoned to Cynthia.

“Who’s that babe?”

“Which babe?”

“Come on Cynthia, I saw the babe too. She’s classy and I believe you’ve already given orders to BS 2 to enter her at the admin, not so?”

“So what, look Santos just keep off. This is BS property don’t interfere, you hear”.

Santos laughed and drew Cynthia down on his laps.

“You know babe, sometime I feel like spanking the living day light out of your stubborn arse, but that will be later. Right now I have other runs to do, so run away and be a good girl”.

He pushed her off and joined his boys. It was 10am but some of the Brethren were already tipsy. “Hey Danga, how are the boys shaping out”? Danga was second in command to Santos, the deadly Capone of the equally deadly cult called Brethren. He was also a final year student. The joint was their hang out as well as operational HQ. They called it (OPS HQ) in their highly coded language. From here, they sourced for members from the newly arrived first year students.

Sourcing as their call the membership drive was a highly important and seriously contested exercise for all cults; both male and female. It was a sessional activity carried out by older members of each cult. The success of the drive determined the strength, influence and effectiveness of each group.

Sourcing had two methods. The first was called Soft touch, a very subtle and diplomatic approach which includes offers of friendship to naive first years, invitation to birthday parties, Lagos based, Port Harcourt based celebrations, picnics etc arranging hostel accommodations in and outside campuses, introducing the new students to lecturers and admin staff especially those in admissions and exams and record divisions. Stone face is the second method of sourcing and it involved brazen and intimidatory tactics calculated to frighten and subdue the victim into acceptance of the protection of the group. When Stone face changes to Red Eye then conflict is round the corner and operations could be carried out resulting in intra cult clashes, or dealing with a student or a member of staff.

Danga was carrying out a soft touch on five first year students who had been picked up a week ago.

“Men, two confirmed, Dave and Stevo, one possible, Sammy. The others are fuck up, James and Peter. They are choir boys. They no get liver”.

Choir boy is their slang for students not likely to belong or those involved in Christian work.

“Discharge the choir boys. How many have we sourced altogether?”

“Twenty five”

“Not bad, I have the Maroons have got twelve. Anyway prepare for initiation next week, then runs. We must act quickly to sustain our influence. That means quick action men”.

“Right Capo”

To be continued tomorrow

Credit: Nnamdi Anumihe (Ph.D)

(The National Flag & Other Stories)

N/B: This is a work of fiction, all settings and actions are purely imaginary. The characters in these stories bear no factual resembles to any person(s) in real life.