BOJU BOJU

TRIGGER WARNING: This content contains graphic depiction of violence which some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.

Omode, I am going to tell you a story. A story of a man who died and resurrected from a game. One simple game.

Boju Boju.

It all happened on the night of 11th November 2008.

In the depths of Sambisa Forest… Just before anyone knew it to be the Boko Haram’s lions’ den.

12 little children stranded in the middle of the Sambisa Forest, all alone with no other than the game mastermind himself.

Mr Kanayo Agu.

Name like the famous villain actor Kanayo O. Kanayo.

“Alright, kids.” He smiled, before asking the most dreadful question, “Who wants to play a game?”

All 12 pupils looked at each other in fear, frightened of this impersonator in front of them. But why would they be afraid of the man that brought them here? Was he a kidnapper? A ritualist? A paedophile?

No.

He was their Agriculture teacher. The man who wore red suit to class everyday.

About two months ago, Silver-Spoon International School had encountered their worst nightmare; Mr Kanayo Agu. The moment he stepped foot into the finest primary school in Maiduguri, it was all over. Yet, nobody could see it back then. How could they?

Mr Kanayo Agu was a simple man with a big smile, the students’ pet. He came in as an NYSC corper to do his primary assignment for the next one year.

The kids loved him. They called him Father Christmas because of his bright red suit, but little did they know that red was the color of danger.

And now, the red suit and big smile was standing in front of the 12 frightened children who had no clue what was about to happen next.

“Mr K, we want to go home.” They cried to him, “I want my phone. I want to call mummy.”

Mr Kanayo had seized all their expensive gadgets after the excursion at the animal farm was over. He punished them for making a mess at the animal farm, but little did they know this was his plan all along when he let the snakes’ cage open with no one watching.

And now, in the cold night, all the children were assembled before him in the forest. He had used the excuse of urinating in the bush to lure them into this creepy environment. He made sure every single child got down from that bus and walked into the middle of the forest with him. One by one, they peed before Mr Kanayo until he was satisfied that they were satisfied.

But the trick of it all was that he told no one to leave for the bus until the driver came to meet them. In the middle of the forest.

“When the driver comes, you will get your phones.” He assured them.

But, the driver was dead. Strangled by Mr Kanayo and hidden in the boot of the bus, never to be seen again.

“I am hungry.” Precious cried. She was the fattest one in the class, in fact the entire school.

• *

Don’t worry, sweetie. That hunger will disappear when I am through with you, Mr Kanayo thought to himself.

He smiled at her instead and offered some glucose powder in a small nylon from his trouser pocket.

All the kids gathered to have a taste of the glucose as well. Only Mariam, the tiny timid girl in the class, did not have a taste. And Mr Kanayo did not fail to take notice of that.

He could not force her to have a taste, or else the other kids would sense his dangerous plans.

“What kind of game do you want us to play?” Ifeoma, the class captain, finally asked Mr Kanayo after everyone had calmed down from the glucose powder.

• *

A game of death, He thought.

He looked at her, “What kind of game do you want to play?”

“Rock paper scissors!” She jumped.

“No, I want Simon Says!” Another kid interjected.

“No, Bread and Butter!”

“Let’s play Nintendo DS! Do you have Nintendo DS in the forest?!” Hassan, the game addict, asked the stupid question.

“Yes Nintendo DS! Let’s play Pokémon!” Husseini, his fellow dumb twin brother jumped on his back and they both fell down in excitement.

Soon, there was an argument among the children on which of their ajebota games they should play first. The only one who did not partake in this argument was timid Mariam, who just stood at the corner watching them. Mr Kanayo did not fail to notice of her silence too.

He smiled as he watched all the kids engulf in this argument, knowing his plan might, just maybe, succeed.

“Shut up everybody! You idiots are just big stupid babies!” Amina pushed them away and insulted her classmates like they were a bunch of hopeless animals.

Well, they would be soon.

Amina was known to be the little hijabi witch and big bully of primary 4 Tiger. The one the kids in the classroom feared the most.

“Alright, kids. This is how we are going to do this.” Mr Kanayo came to stand in between the children.

His first plan? Make them play their own games.

He made a bet that only three people’s games would be played. Starting with Ifeoma’s Rock Paper Scissors game which will determine whose game would be chosen next.

After a few rounds of Rock Paper Scissors, there was a winner, and it was no other than light-skinned Zafar. Zafar was the ladies’ man. The yellow one all the girls had a crush on. The one that they all cheated for to win this game.

He chose Simon Says and acted as Simon. He only had three chances to play the game and it was no surprise to Mr Kanayo that Zafar ordered the other kids to do stupid dares like eat an earthworm from the ground, pull down their trouser and two enemies kiss on the lips.

All these orders secretly came from Amina the class bully, whom Zafar had a crush on. Mr Kanayo had noticed she was the one leading this game from behind, though the others didn’t notice.

All the kids Amina told Zafar to select obeyed the stupid dares, but somebody had to break the rule.

“I’m not kissing that frog face!” Biodun shouted at Zafar after being dared to kiss timid Mariam. Of course, Biodun was the most stubborn kid in class, he never listened to anyone talkless of playing a dare like this.

“Kiss her! Kiss her!” Amina started chanting in excitement and the other children joined, but soon, Biodun began pushing all of them out of anger.

Timid Mariam was very frightened and began taking little steps away from them but tall and lanky Lawal blocked her from behind.

Stubborn Biodun began punching some of the kids, causing a fight to break out between him and one other fat kid. Mr Kanayo did not stop them, he sat on a big rock with legs crossed and watched them in amusement like this was one of the regular WWE matches he watched on channel 128.

“Forget it, you babies! I will do it!” Lawal shouted from afar and forced Mariam around to kiss his dry lips, just like his dry crocodile skin.

Everyone gasped in shock at his action, though Zafar and Amina laughed like there was no tomorrow.

When Lawal pulled away from Mariam’s lips, she screamed, her voice coming out for the first time in history.

In shock, Lawal released her shoulders and Mariam ran away to cry somewhere. Nobody stopped her or ran after her. Where she was running to in this isolated forest, no one knew.

“Primary 4 Tiger!” Mr Kanayo clapped his hands to get their attention and walked over to them, “That is enough game for today.”

The children groaned, complaining that they were not ready to stop playing.

“If you still want to play, it cannot be your game anymore.” He paused and stared at them for a while, “It has to be my game from now on.”

The 11 children cheered in excitement, despite Mr Kanayo has not yet told them what kind of game they were going to play.

“Gather round.” He ordered them and they all gathered to form a circle in front of him. He beckoned for them to sit on the grass and they obeyed.

“Mr K, what game are we going to play?!” Fat Precious shouted in excitement.

“I want to take you back to my days. Are you ready?” He announced and began his first option, “Have you heard of the game of Omoba Fausa?”

They all looked at each other in confusion and shook their heads.

“What of Suwe?” He looked at them, “Ayo? Or… Boju Boju?”

They still shook their head. Not a single one of these Arewa ajebotas knew about any of these games.

He stopped on his tracks, wondering how he was going to begin his plans on these children. But then a thought popped up.

“How about Hide and Seek?!”

“Yes!” They all shouted in agreement. Finally.

Mr Kanayo smiled. It was time.

****

“So, listen up. We are going to play a game very similar to Hide and Seek.” Mr Kanayo announced while walking around with a red handkerchief he removed from his blazer pocket, “It is called Boju Boju.”

The children paid attention in amusement.

“This game is a little bit different. The seeker will sing a song, and after each line, you must all respond ‘O!’ while the seeker continues singing as you run to hide. He cannot start seeking unless you give him the permission to. You hear me?”

“Yes!”

“But I want to make this game more fun.” He rose the red handkerchief in hand, “The seeker will tie this red cloth over his eyes before everyone runs to hide. This time, no one cheats, abi?”

“Yes!” The children cheered in excitement, but only one person asked the most important question.

“Mr K, we don’t know how to sing the Boju Boju song.” Ifeoma the class captain said.

He smiled, a mischievous one, “That is why I will be your seeker today.”

This caused all the children to be very excited, but they did not know what was coming for them.

“Alright stand up!” He ordered them.

Everyone stood up and began separating themselves, though Mr Kanayo told them not to leave yet.

“Kids, this is a game of hide and seek. And here are Mr Kanayo’s 3 rules to this game: 1) No two people hide in the same place, 2) No one leaves their hiding spot unless I say so, and 3)” He gave a long dramatic pause, “Anybody that gets caught... dies.”

They all froze, confused at his last statement.

Mr Kanayo laughed, “Just kidding. Anybody that gets caught becomes the next seeker.”

But was it really… a joke?

“But!” He exclaimed, causing the children to shake, “Nobody becomes the next seeker unless I say so. You hear me?”

They all nodded, not sure whether to be excited again or not.

And the game begun.

After Mr Kanayo had taught them the Yoruba song, he turned around to face a tree and tied the red handkerchief over his eyes. The children stood up quietly behind him, looking around for where they could hide in this semi-dark forest.

Mr Kanayo put his two hands behind him and began singing,

“Boju-boju,” Cover your eyes.

The kids did not answer.

“Boju-boju?” Mr Kanayo repeated.

“O!” The kids shouted in response, remembering the rules of the game as they started running to hide.

• *

“Oloro nbo,” The chief masquerade is coming.

“O!”

• *

“Epara mo,” Go and hide.

“O!” Their voices become more distant.

• *

“Shey kin shi?” Should I open my eyes?

Nobody answered.

• *

“Shey kin shi?” Mr Kanayo repeated but no one answered.

He removed the red handkerchief from his eyes and did not see anyone around, as everyone had gone to hide somewhere in the forest.

He picked up a tree branch stick from the ground and smiled mischievously.

Get ready kids, the real masquerade is coming.