She was lying helplessly on the floor when I passed by that night (last week Monday). There were only 2 people around her trying to resuscitate her...which simply suggested that the incident had just occured. (You know how, in a city like Lagos, it takes less than a minute to have hundreds of people gathered when ANYTHING HAPPENS).
I had had a long day and was very tired at the time (around 9:30pm) and I was only halfway through my journey home. It looked (to me) as though, she had suffered a convulsion (or a seizure) and so I said to myself, "she'll be fine"...+... I'm usually not the nosy type of person.
[My philosophy: if you invite me to your business, I 'somehow, reluctantly' get involved. If you don't, I NEVER get involved.]
That's me. I mind my business (sometimes), to a fault.
[My philosophy: if you invite me to your business, I 'somehow, reluctantly' get involved. If you don't, I NEVER get involved.]
That's me. I mind my business (sometimes), to a fault.
Anyway, on this day, I had a very strong urge to stop. And I did. I parked and walked back the distance from Maryland Mall to the Pizza shop; the point where Abimbola still laid on the floor. By this time, people had gathered in their numbers. I inquired from one man about what had happened and his narration completely shattered me.
Maybe Abimbola had been suspicious all along.
Maybe she thought she had entered a "one-chance" bus.
Maybe she thought she had entered a "one-chance" bus.
But according to my "storyteller" (who was also a passenger on the same bus), the man sitting next to Abimbola only said, "I like your purse."
She probably sensed danger.
She interpreted that statement as a cue. And next thing, Abimbola took the leap. She jumped off the fast-moving bus and landed, hitting her head awkwardly on the floor. Her blood spilt all over!
She interpreted that statement as a cue. And next thing, Abimbola took the leap. She jumped off the fast-moving bus and landed, hitting her head awkwardly on the floor. Her blood spilt all over!
She wasn't dead. She was still breathing. I said a silent prayer and hoped she'd be fine. After a few minutes of the usual 'Lagos drama', she was carried into a vehicle and driven off...(obviously, to the hospital).
All through the week, I had chills everytime I remembered Bimbo. I don't even know how I managed to get myself home that night. I struggled to get the image of her lying on the ground and hanging on loosely to life out of my mind.
Two days later while on the morning show, we stumbled on these headlines;
"Lady killed, pushed out of bus naked after being robbed in Lagos"
"Abimbola Ayanwale's Death: Murdered and pushed out of bus unclad."
If you search the internet for this story, those headlines up there are the things you'll find. The reportage of the event was a completely distorted story.
But I was there. YES! I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT!
THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!!!
But I was there. YES! I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT!
THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!!!
It's sad enough the way social media (these days) is filled with lies and half-truths. We all know that bad news sells but then, who derives any sort of joy from painting a worse picture than what actually happened?
Dear bloggers, you only end up spreading and planting fear and hopelessness in the minds of people by doing this. Maybe ...just maybe, if Bimbo hadn't read too many distorted stories, she wouldn't have been sooo frightened that night.
Dear bloggers, you only end up spreading and planting fear and hopelessness in the minds of people by doing this. Maybe ...just maybe, if Bimbo hadn't read too many distorted stories, she wouldn't have been sooo frightened that night.
Anyway, let's leave our poor reportage of issues on one side first. We'll discuss that some other time.
Abimbola thought she was in danger.
...just because of the things that have happened.
...just because of how bad we've become as a nation
...just because we've collectively become a people that shouldn't be trusted.
...just because of how bad we've become as a nation
...just because we've collectively become a people that shouldn't be trusted.
She ran. She jumped...sorry, Abimbola flew and right after that moment, ...another RIP.
I'm disturbed!
I'm very hurt.
I don't know this lady. I never met Bimbo. But seeing her lie helplessly on the floor that night made my heart sink. Every time the image of that night flashes through my mind, I feel very sad...almost in tears.
How did we get here as a country?
I'm very hurt.
I don't know this lady. I never met Bimbo. But seeing her lie helplessly on the floor that night made my heart sink. Every time the image of that night flashes through my mind, I feel very sad...almost in tears.
How did we get here as a country?
How did we reach the point where a compliment as simple as "I like your purse" is enough to cost a life?
Suicide has taken away a sizeable number of young, vibrant and gallant compatriots lately.
I lost Taiwo Bankole; the Gen. Sec. of my pet project (& entertainment outfit) "The All For Laughter Crew" to an avoidable accident along Lagos-Ibadan expressway back in December 2012. That road still remains a deathtrap till date.
Seun Ogunfuyi, a very important figure in almost all the productions I had with my drama team (Soldiers For Christ) back-in-the-day is one whose death in July 2017 still hurts sooo bad. If we had better healthcare at our general hospitals, if there was more than one nurse on duty that night, I'd like to think Seun would still have been with us now.
Anyway, this right here, is my tribute to Ayanwale Abimbola Modinat ; another Nigerian youth who has been failed by Nigeria.
She didn't commit suicide!
She didn't die due to poor healthcare
...neither did she have a terrible road accident.
Abimbola fled from the fear of death to DEATH!
She didn't commit suicide!
She didn't die due to poor healthcare
...neither did she have a terrible road accident.
Abimbola fled from the fear of death to DEATH!
This is the sad story that our country has become.
One is left wondering and pondering over a few questions;
Who's next?
What kind of death awaits us?
One is left wondering and pondering over a few questions;
Who's next?
What kind of death awaits us?
This is Nigeria where a few people steal our billions and leave us with A MILLION WAYS TO DIE.
May God keep evil far away from us.
smiLeJesusLuvsYou...krAzy
