To Laugh to keep from crying
Being a Nigerian is abysmally frustrating and unbelievably exciting - Chinua Achebe in 1967.
There's something to be said about how even in the midst of the fight to survive and peacefully protest and ask the officials we elected into office to do right by us, we still find pockets of happiness and reasons to burst out in laughter.
Someone keeps asking what would Nigeria look like if Nigerians weren't this funny?
During the peaceful protest held at Jibowu in Lagos, there was a certain man who was dressed in a long red dress and Ankara bonnet, holding white cardboard and black nylon dancing away to the national protest anthem “fem” by a fellow lazy Nigerian youth, Davido.
In Warri, Delta state where another peaceful protest held, we see a Native doctor lose his home training at the protest when he slipped and said "End SWAT in Jesus Name" and the crowd chanted loudly in agreement "Amen".
On Friday, October 9th, the protest began in the Federal Capital Territory. That day and the days after, young Nigerians who were protesting peacefully, have been either beaten up, harassed and sprayed water (the same Abuja that office of Accountant general got burnt with vital financial documents because of no water) and shot at. But unfazed, they kept showing up. Yesterday, 13th October 2020 at Banex area in Wuse 2, the police came by again to spray water on them and the children of disobedience started singing "You are the ones we've been waiting for, you are the ones.." then they turned back and left them.
One of the difficulties protesters are facing aside from dodging stray bullets and attacks from the police officers who swore to protect us is deciding what protest venue to be at to get the best out of the protest menu.
No matter what, we will stay laughing. Even if it's after we wipe our tears.