CODENAME: A.D.A

Chapter 17

The Lekki Toll gate protest marked the biggest public protest against the government in Nigeria in order to eliminate the unjustly killings of our people. The Nigerian youths, adults as well as students protested. They marched down with their voices, heads and hands raised high. Some of them held hands in a horizontal line with the aim of blocking the gates.

They didn't have to talk too much. Their actions and tears spoke loudly for themselves. They demanded to be heard.

The media hovered round in an attempt to capture the protest and put it on the news.

I heard police officers were banned from protecting the protesters so most people came with their private bouncers for the benefit of everyone. Some even brought their guard dogs.

The atmosphere was filled with purpose and determination, purpose to avenge the deaths of their fellow citizens and determination to make the government listen.

All in all, I was greatly impressed. Never have I seen Nigerians so fearless and united. It made me ecstatic that they were also fighting for others and not just themselves.

My eyes roamed across the crowds of people gathered. I spotted a lot of celebrities and public figures but now is not the right time to think about it.

To my right, I noticed a lot of food stands for the protesters to eat as they desired for free. How nice of the people to provide this, I thought to myself. I thought the government said Nigerian youths were lazy? I thought we were selfish? How come we're doing so much for the benefit of our fellow citizens? Why are we fighting for our killed brothers?

Loud music blared from the speakers and the people danced carelessly. If not for the placards being held, I would have mistaken this large gathering for a party and not a protest. The Nigerian youths were relentless but still carefree at the same time. Afterall, problem no dey finish.

Earlier, I encountered a homeless man dancing with everyone. He said he had been homeless for years but recently found a home in the youths for the past few days that the protest had been going on.

Yes, they came here to fight for a cause but they still found a way to do that whilst combining it with a little bit of fun. I even overheard a few girls talking about how they found their soulmates on the protest grounds.

My lips formed a wide grin as I took in my surroundings. I closed my eyes and sighed. It was like a breath of fresh air.

No discrimination. No bad energy. No judgements. Just vibes. Pure vibes.

"Ada, have you noticed any unusual person?" Chen's voice rang through my ear pods.

"Nope" I answered truthfully.

I looked around again. All I saw were peaceful and happy protesters.

The five of us were spread out on the grounds. If we were together, it would be hard to notice any suspects but it would be more productive if we were all positioned in different strategic areas of the grounds. Even at that, we were still unable to detect any unusual activity and we've been here for close to two hours now.

What if it was a false information? I can't comprehend why anyone would want to harm a crowd of peaceful protesters. They weren't causing anyone any harm. They fought for their rights in a respectful way. Anyway, I'll still keep watch. Something might happen later.

Time passed as different celebrities came on stage to address everyone. They sympathised with the families of the deceased, they told stories and shared experiences with police brutality and advised on how we can stop this crisis.

We had global attention now. Various countries were on our side and are sending in donations but the people at the top were still making attempts to stop it. I shook my head at the thought. Tragic.