There is anger.
It has exploded in the bus I am in.
A korope.
We are heading to Obalende.
And had picked up this guy from Law School bus stop.
When a lady dropped off.
He sat in front where the lady was previously sitting.
There is traffic.
Snaking all the way from Ozumba Mbadiwe Way, over Falomo bridge and down to Falomo roundabout.
When we approached the exit from the bridge down to the roundabout.
The driver told the guy we had picked up to come down from the bus and walk the short distance to the roundabout, so that he can drive on and take Alfred Rewane road to Obalende and thus avoid the traffic gridlock on the falomo roundabout exit of the bridge.
The guy bluntly refused.
The driver pleaded.
The guy still refused.
The driver offered a refund of the N100 the guy had paid, so that he can disembark from the bus and cover the short distance to the roundabout by foot.
The guy refused and told the driver that instead of him giving him a refund he should instead take him back to the bus stop from where he picked him up.
This incensed the other passengers and instead of continuing to plead alongside the driver as they had been doing, they started shouting on the guy.
All of them saying that he was inconsiderate and stubborn.
He shouted on them saying that the country is what it is because people do not fight for their rights.
They continued the heated verbal challenge.
Finally when the traffic began to move slowly the driver drove on and took the exit in continued vexation.
As we descended down the exit the traffic stopped.
Gridlock.
We waited.
The other passengers lamented.
Spewing their anger on the guy who had refused to come down and save everybody the inconvenience of the gridlock that had clogged the exit.
The heated voices finally cooled down and a seething silence descended.
It was then that the guy said aloud as he made some movement.
"How do you open this your door? I want to get down."
The driver exploded.
"Dem no born you well!"
The other passengers joined in, all of them hurling expletives at the guy.
He responded.
His voice in high pitch.
"Open this door!"
The driver matched him.
"I say dem no born you well!"
"You are taking me hostage."
"See this one o, e dey call me kidnapper."
"Yes you are. I demand that you open this door right now!"
"I no go open anything until we rish roundabout. Even sef roundabout no be bus stop so na the bus stop after roundabout na im I go drop you."
The passengers chorused their support for the drivers position.
Raining plentiful abuse on the guy in tow.
The guy pushed hard on the door, shaking it in vain.
"Open this door!"
The driver laughed sardonically, before he said.
"Over the bar! You put us for go slow kon say you wan comot. You dey whine me ni?"
"I can sue you for this!"
The passengers laughed at him in derision.
The driver retorted.
"Go carry police kon arrest me first. Or you fit sue pesin wen you no know?"
The guy tried to open the door from outside.
It didn't budge.
He shouted in rising frustration.
"I said open this door!"
The driver laughed in his face.
"You tink say na you wicked pass. I go show you something."
The guy half stood, then leaned towards the driver so.he could put his legs through the window and come out of the bus.
The driver shoved him back on the seat with his right hand.
Glared at him.
And said with a manufactured growl.
"If I blow you."
Totally flustered the guy responded as he adjusted his tie and suit.
"It is my right to get down from this bus wherever I like."
"Na my right to give you correct beating if you no wan get sense."
The guy brought out his phone and turned to the guy.
"Touch me again and you will see if I don't get you thrown in jail for the rest of your life."
"Say who you be?"
"I am a student of the Nigerian Law School and I have the entire legal system of this country at my disposal..."
Lagos
Jude Idada
August 15, 2023
