NOTHING CURES HUNGER LIKE SADNESS! A DESPERATE ILLNESS NEEDS A DESPERATE SOLUTION. QED.

LONG AGO IN THE DEFUNCT BENDEL STATE, NOW EDO AND DELTA STATES, AN INCIDENT TOOK PLACE WHICH I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET. THERE WAS A CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUP WHICH HAD A CERTAIN FESTIVAL WHICH WAS BEING CELEBRATED ONCE IN EVERY TWO YEARS. IT WAS A CUSTOM THAT DURING THE FESTIVAL, ANY DOMESTIC ANIMAL FOUND ON THE STREETS AT NIGHT SHOULD BE KILLED AND EATEN BY THE MASQUERADES. THE MASQUERADES WERE MAINLY YOUTHS. AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THE FORBIDDEN APPLE IS ALWAYS THE SWEETEST. AND SO WHENEVER THE FESTIVAL WAS APPROACHING, EVERY FARMERS WHO PRACTICES ANIMAL HUSBANDRY WOULD LOCK UP THEIR ANIMALS TO KEEP THEM SAFE. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE MASQUERADES NO LONGER HAD FREE MEAT TO ROAST. THE WORST OF IT WAS THAT THEY HAD NO PITY FOR THE OWNERS OF THESE ANIMALS. THEY MAY SEE WHERE THERE WERE ABOUT FIFTY GOATS, RAMS AND CHICKENS AND THEY WOULD STOLE THEM, SLAUGHTERED THEM, COOKED THEM AND EAT THEM. AFTER THE FESTIVAL WHICH NORMALLY LASTS ABOUT TWO WEEKS, THE FARMERS WILL START TO COUNT THEIR HUGE LOSES. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE YOUTHS WILL BE BEAMING WITH A SMILE OF SATISFACTION AND CONTENTMENT. AND SO ON EACH CELEBRATION THE YOUTHS NO LONGER HAVE MEATS TO ROAST AND COOK. THEY THEN DEVISED ANOTHER CRUEL MEANS OF GETTING THESE ANIMALS AT ALL COST. THEY BEGAN TO BREAK INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES AND POULTRIES TO STEAL THEIR ANIMALS. THERE WAS A PARTICULAR RICH FARMER WHO HAD A VERY BIG POULTRY FARM. THEY MADE HIS POULTRY THEIR DEPOT OF STEALING OF ANIMALS WHENEVER THE FESTIVAL COMMENCES. HE BECAME FRUSTRATED AS HE LOOSE A HUGE FORTUNE EVERY TIME THE FESTIVAL COMMENCES. HE COULDN'T TAKE ANY LEGAL ACTION BECAUSE IT WAS THEIR BELIEF THAT THE MASQUERADES WERE NOT HUMANS BUT SPIRITS, EVENTHOUGH THE PEOPLE KNEW THAT THEY WERE THE VILLAGE YOUTHS. THEN ONE YEAR, JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE FESTIVAL, THE FARMER WENT TO A ZOO AND HE RENTED TWENTY FIERCE LOOKING MALE LIONS. HE SOLD OFF ALL HIS ANIMALS AND PUT THE LIONS IN THE POULTRY. AS USUAL, THE SECOND DAY OF THE FESTIVAL WAS ALWAYS THE MOST COLOURFUL BECAUSE ALL THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO LIVE IN DIASPORA NORMALLY COME HOME. THIS VERY YEAR IN QUESTION, THE VILLAGE HAD DEVELOPED WITH MORE HOUSES AND PEOPLE. MANY OTHER NEIGHBOURING COMMUNITIES YOUTHS WHO HAD ABOUT THE FREE FOOD OF ROASTED MEATS DURING THE FESTIVAL ALSO CAME TO PARTAKE IN THE FREE ENJOYMENT AND SO THE COMMUNITY SWELLED WITH PEOPLE. FIRST OF ALL, THE YOUTHS HELD A MEETING IN THE OUTSKIRT OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY STRATEGIZE HOW THAT YEAR'S ENJOYMENT WILL BE. THEY GATHERED FIRE WOODS, CUTLASSES, PLATES AND KNIVES FOR THE NIGHT'S SHOW. IT WAS MIDNIGHT, EVERYTHING WAS SET. ARMED WITH THEIR MACHETES, EACH OF THEM UNAWARES OF THE DANGER BEGAN TO SCALE THE FENCE AND JUMPED INTO THE POULTRY. IT WAS A COLOSSAL DISASTER AS NONE OF THE SIXTY NINE YOUTHS WHO JUMPED INSIDE CAME BACK ALIVE! THIS TIME AROUND, THE REVERSED BECAME THE CASE AS THE ANIMALS ENJOYED THE RAW FLESH OF THE YOUTHS! THE FARMER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED BUT HE WON THE CASE ON THE GROUND THAT THE PLACE WAS WELL FENCED ROUND WITH HIGH WALLS TO PREVENT ANYBODY FROM GETTING INTO IT. AND THAT WHOSOEVER THAT DOES NOT PASS THROUGH THE GATE INTO THE SHEEP PEN BUT CLIMB OVER THE FENCE,  IS A THIEF!  HE WAS DISCHARGED AND ACQUITTED! CASE CLOSED!  THAT WAS HOW THE FESTIVAL WAS ALSO ABOLISHED.  What a serious lesson!