Yaba Bus stop was more than a bus terminus, in the 70s/80s before it was largely transformed by the urban authorities to make way for the dualisation of Clifford Street, now renamed Murtala Mohammed Way in honour of one of Nigeria’s past Heads of State. The location of the bus stop itself was unique, as if divinely designed to be in the middle of everywhere in the city of Lagos. It was a fulcrum from the east, west, north and south of the city. It was like an artery from the heart distributing both automobiles and its commuters into the inner recesses of a part of Lagos. The bus stop was a bedlam of activities, the cacophony of human endeavours, a burst of people’s restiveness; traders, street urchins, vendors of sundry articles , pickpockets , government workers, the law enforcement agents, drivers , conductors and students of various levels of school, all engaged in the mix of purposeful and methodological commotions. The bus stop was the hub of major transportation companies. During this time, there was the government owned Lagos Municipal Transport Service (LMTS), which was later changed to Lagos State Transport Corporation (LSTC), the private run ones, such as Benson Transport Company, Elias, Oshinowo and some others; Their conductors wore uniforms and issued tickets for their fares from a small metallic machine, which when cranked, sprouted out small paper tickets to passengers. There were also the taxis, mostly Datsun and Opel sedan cars painted in the Lagos yellow and black stripes, the smaller Volkswagen konbi buses, locally referred to as “danfos” , the lorries converted into passenger buses called “bulekaja” meaning “disembark and let’s fight” in Yoruba language were also features at the famous terminus. I can’t recall seeing Molue buses at the Yaba Bus stop during this time.
The Bus Stop then had a filing station in the very center of it, run by the father of one of my classmates, Ayoola Fagbembe who had an elder brother, Dele Fabgemnbe in the 1979 set of the Baptist Academy. There was a Rotunda right in the middle which had the “de -facto bakery”, a pastry shop that sold confectionaries. There were also some organized stalls inside the rotunda, however, at the fringes of this structure were the ubiquitous vendors; displaying their wares on makeshift stands. There were the novels and magazine sellers; Hadley Chase and Nick Carter series being the most displayed, GQ Magazine , Ebony, Dust, Star Dust (the Indian Film Magazine) Life and comics such as Tiger that had famous strips of Hotshot Hamish, Skid Solo and Roy of the Rovers; Archie had some characters such as Jughead, Betty, Veronica ( from which a lot of school mates got their nicknames) , the never out of fashion Marvel comics, which had the super heroes creations, Hulk, Spider-Man , Captain America , Iron-Man and a host of others. Also on display, but partially hidden out of sight were the “forbidden” pornography magazines such as the Playboy, which you must not be caught with anywhere. There were others who also sold academic text books which you could get in the bookshops around the bus stop, however, there were “makeshift bookshops” that sold used and dogged-eared academic textbooks apparently “fenced”; stolen by students from other fellow students and classmates, then sold to these vendors. One could easily get Stones and Cozens, the standard biology textbook for senior classes at this time, but of course, worn out and the pages where the names of the “real owners”’ were written, scratched out, as if the textbook had being in a fight with a cat.
The surrounding noise around the Bus stop complemented the organized commotion in the area. The din of a thousand different sounds waltzed in the air; bus conductors calling out their destinations, ‘…Balende ooo !, Juelegba- Lawanson- Tire!, ketu-Ojota!, Ko’duooo rented the air. It was amusing that most of the names of the destinations had their first letters omitted upon being vocalized. Adding to the pervading noise and blaring from loud Speakers were songs played from the numerous makeshift “Record shops”, where Vinyl record albums and cassettes were sold. Most of cassettes sold were the “dubbed version”, which contained a list of the current “reigning” songs that were copied without the copyright permission of the original owners.
The adjoining areas around the vicinity of the Yaba bus stop had the same significant composition of its restiveness, hustle and bustle. Just down the road you had the popular Ojuelegba area, which on its own had acquired the notoriety as a place of bedlam; that the maestro of Afro beat, Abami Eda Fela Anikulapo Kuti gave an account of the pandemonium and chaotic life associated with Ojuelegba in his one of his albums, “Underground System” and under the title “Confusion Break Bone” (CBB). Fela described Ojulegba as a place of confusion, where even a dead body, pronounced “dedi bodi (corpse), occasioned an accident! leading to confusion that could break bones!!. The Tejuosho market, before it was modernized into a shopping complex was beside the railway tracks close the bus stop. The railway tracks ran all the way from the Apapa wharf, with a terminus at the popular Iddo area and another terminus located at Ebute-Metta, close to Oyingbo. The old Tejuosho market had a section which was the delight of “happening guys”, and which said market with the then popular Quayside market on Lagos Island, were considered the fashion capitals of Lagos, though they were mostly flea (used commodity) markets. These markets had clothing or “Sputts” as we called them then, comparable or even more in season than those sold in the upper class boutiques like the Copperfield fashion store located then on Broad Street and having a branch along the Agege Motor Road. This section of the Tejuosho Market held known designers’ outfits and wears you can get even in Milan or London shops, ranging from the popular Vero Cuoio shoes, Giorgio Armani, valentino, Gucci, Versace wears and the British Thomas Pink shirts, which were my favourites.
Other significant locations close to the bus stop were the Federal Psychiatric Hospital which faced the terminus on one side and is usually referred to as “Yaba Akpa Osi” , meaning “Yaba on the left side” in Yoruba language and not too far down same road, turning to the left under the Yaba- Jibowu Bridge was the “Empire area” on Moshalashi Road, so named, because of the location of the Empire Hotel, where the great Fela Anikulapo Kuti had his performances at that time. On the opposite side of the same road, the iconic Fela had his famous “Kalakuta Republic”, where he resided with his family and staff. The Kalakuta Republic was razed down in 1977 by persons referred to as “Unknown Soldiers” , when the soldiers of the Nigerian Army stormed the Fela residence to arrest him. Fela who was a social crusader had been a relentless critic of the Military Government through his songs. One of the songs “Zombie” , which criticized soldiers for their highhandedness on the civilian populace was said to have provoked the onslaught on the Fela residence. The property was subsequently acquired by the State government, which built a school on same, the Rasome- Kuti Memorial Grammar School , apparently in honour of the Rasome Kuti Family.
Back to Yaba bus stop, the bus stop, more than any other bus-stop in Lagos, at the material time being written about, had more collection of students at a bus stop in the city of Lagos. There was a convergence of this youthful demography at the bus stop as they poured in from the four corners of the city resplendent in their uniforms. From the Yaba axis came the students of Methodist Girls High School (MGHS) in their red white pin-striped dress and marching red coloured beret, Our Lady of Apostles Girls Secondary School (OLA) in their sky blue and white lapel dress, from the Sabo- Yaba area, we had the students from the Reagan Memorial Girls Secondary School with their royal blue pinafore, worn over white, and their oxblood coloured beret, Lagos City College (a school said to have been founded by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria), the students wore all white uniform with green accessories; Premier College with their white over Khaki coloured uniform, down to Onike , you had Queens college (QC), Blue pinafore over blue and white checked top and the notorious Western Boys High School (WESCO). From the Akoka area, another suburb of Lagos, you had students from CMS Grammar School, in their white uniform with navy blue blazer, navy blue and white tie, the Girls Secondary School Bariga ( now rechristened Eva Adelaja Girls Grammar school) in their brown and white pin strip uniform, St. Finbarrs College , all white uniform with sky blue school colours, The Ikorodu road axis had schools coming in from its vicinity, Igbobi college with their unique all khaki top and shorts, the prestigious Baptist Academy , reputed to be the oldest standing institution of learning in Nigeria, resplendent in their all white uniform with their unique Navy blue , white and red school colours. Disembarking from various buses from the upper direction from Carter Bridge inward Obalende , were students from the Island schools like St. Gregory, all white, with green school colours, kings College , all white , with blue and white school colours, Holy Child College, the girl’s school that had the most unique head-wear, the two Aunty Ayo Girls ( Grammar and comprehensive) from Ikoyi, all came to connect buses to take them to the Ikorodu Road axis, Ketu , Ojota, the stretch of Apapa, the Mile Two Festac Axis. The third Mainland Bridge was not yet built at this time.
At the close of schools, which was about 2pm weekdays, different students arrived from different directions in commuter buses, stopping at Yaba to connect their rides to the inner recesses and suburbs of some parts of Lagos. The Yaba bus stop became an oasis and convergence of students, all in their school colours, It transformed from a bus-stop to a social hub, an atmosphere of conviviality , a centre to trade the latest gist and happenings in students’ circles in Lagos. This was where you could get to know the next Lits venue, exchange novels, hook up with your neighborhood friends from other schools and tag home together. The Bus-stop was a delight, where the school colours you wore conferred on you a status of pride .Your school accoutrements like badges, blazers, caps, cardigans, berets, were a sign post that you attended a prestigious and happening school. The snobbery in those days was real, apart from Queens College and Kings college , the legacy schools were the upper-crusts ,the legacy schools at that time were the old missionary schools like Baptist Academy, CMS Grammar School, St. Gregory College , St. Finbarrs College, Igbobi College , Methodist Boys High School and their female counterparts, Reagan Memorial Girls Grammar School, Methodist Girls High School, Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School ( OLA), Holy Child College, Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School ( LAGGS) , Bariga Girls Grammar School ( Now Eva Adelaja Girls Grammar School) , other schools that were considered as having some social standing were schools like Maryland Comprehensive High School, Aunty Ayo Girls , Federal Government College Ijanikin , Government College Lagos ( probably because they were full of Surulere boys). The Baptist Academy colours comprising white, navy blue and red stood out anytime , incandescent in the clash of colours amongst those of other schools. The most dreary school colour then, was that of Igbobi College, khaki top and khaki shorts, having just a small colour of allure, of dull yellow on Its badge. There were times I had “overdressed” just to impress some guys in my neigbourhood, particularly, my crush then who was attending New Era Secondary School, coming from school, I will adorn my cap, cardigan, tie and pin my badge to my cardigan, hoping to catch her attention, but I was still largely ignored because she was in a senior class in school than me (laughs).
Another feature of the bus stop is the fight to get on the buses, the fight was an unusual fun for our little minds, shoving and pushing to get a seat on the LSTC buses, particularly getting on the bus to reserve a seat for a crush if you were a boy and in some few instances your friends. I particularly boarded a bus called the LSTC “Bus 99”, which route is from Yaba – FESTAC Town, crisscrossing Costain, Iganmu, Orile, Suru- Alaba , Mile 2 and ultimately ending up in Festac Road 301 or so. The fight to get on the bus was more than that usually occasioned getting into the infamous molue buses.
Yaba bus-stop has since experienced changes, all the old structures are gone and remodeled by the government, it is now just like any other bus stop now in Lagos, but I can’t still help the nostalgia that comes with that place any time I pass there.
Culled from the unpublished novel “Reminisces of a Schoolboy” by Fora Jowata-Paul, a lawyer and an alumnus of Baptist Academy,Lagos, 1976/81.
