Chuks (not real name) was a second-year student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He lived in a hostel in the same neighbourhood as this reporter. He was a level headed dude, whose age then can be put at between 23 and 25. He is not blessed with rich parents, and to make ends meet, he sometimes helped his fellow students to wash their clothes.
During the long vacation of 2017, Chuks disappeared. He probably travelled to meet his parents like most students did, but on the commencement of the next academic year, he failed to return to continue his studies. He, however, visited the neighbourhood in a clean Toyota Venza SUV around November of the same year. “Chuks, you brought your parents’ vehicle to school to come and show off, is it not?” This reporter queried Chuks jokingly. He simply smiled wryly in an unruffled manner and stated that the car was his.
He bought drinks for his former hostel mates, and later left. Much later, one of the hostel mates, who saw our shock on the speedy transformation Chuks experienced, had this to say: “Oga, no go kill yourself ooo. Chuks is into yahoo plus. He just bought a plot of land for N50 million at Okpuno (near Awka), and has said that once he returns again, he was going to erect a plaza there.” This reporter has, however, not set eyes on Chuks in the five years that have passed.
Chuks is just one out of very many youths who have abandoned education and are pursuing wealth with vigour, and doing so by every means possible, including killings and other fetish practices that involve human lives.
