An urban legend or contemporary legend is a type of folklore or moonlight story entailing stories passed out as true, especially when having happened to a "friend’s friend" or family member, often with horrifying or humorous elements. These legends can be very entertaining, but often said to expose mysterious happenings or troubling events, such as disappearances and strange objects. They may also be confirmation of moral standards or be a way to make sense of societal anxieties and happenings.

Some urban legends have passed through the years with only minor changes to suit regional variations. Let’s talk about some urban legends in Nigeria…

Bush baby

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The bush baby is a myth used to scare school students into minding their business and staying indoors at night. The bush babies apparently sounds like a normal baby or a toddler crying, sometimes the kid will call for help, and when the good Samaritan goes outside to help the little one he or she disappears, never to be seen again.

Well that’s one part of a story but I know of another. This was told to me by my uncle in Kogi State. Here he narrated how my grandfather came in contact with a bush baby in a forest.

He said it looks like a baby with white hair covered all through its body. Feet faced backwards and always carrying a mat. My uncle said one of the ways to distract a bush baby is by pouring a lot of sands on the floor saying that that the bush baby won’t be able to resist counting the sand down to the last.

I can’t really all the details of the encounter between my grandfather and the bush baby but what I can remember was that my grandfather took a hair off the bush baby and was one of the strongest spiritual people in the village then (the hair contains special powers).

I don’t know how true it was but trust me to pass down this story to my kids one day just to scare the hell out of them because when I was told, I was so scared.😂😂😂

Miss koi koi

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This legend is so popular amongst the boarding school students. I heard it firstly when my sister got admission into FGGC Shagamu. Her first holiday back home, she came back with this exciting story. Although there are so many stories linked with this lady but a few things are common in all stories. Here it goes.

She was a teacher known for her looks and her fondness for red heels. It is said that when she walks down the hall, her heels 👠 makes that “koi koi” sound. She is also said to a very bad teacher that loves pushing students anything that involves students or children being in pains, well she’s up for it.

In some stories, she was sacked and on her way home, she died. In another story, she was killed by some students and her ghost came back to kill the students except from one who kept on telling people that he still hears her walking down the hall but no one believed him. So one night, he heard the sound and decided to go check it out but was killed. The next morning his body was discovered and the school was shut down.

She is now reported to be heard after lights out in boarding schools in dormitories, hall ways, toilets etc.

So if you stay in the hostel, watch out for this because she might be coming for you next.😂😂😂😂

There are some legends I have also heard of but can't say much about them. Some includes:
The lady/student who always makes the finest hair in school not knowing that she removes her head to make her hair herself.

Another is a mother that seemed to have lost her child and calls out for the child each night if you answer, you disappear.

I guess that's all for now. I know there are still so many folklore out there and I would love to know them so watch out for a follow up post.

I still remain Trojan..

Till next post.
Keep on buzzing