A Lesson on Loyalty and Freedom

In a small village in Nigeria, there was a man named Jide. 

He was a quiet man, always watching, always thinking. Many people in the village said he was strange because he did not follow the ways of others. 

While everyone else was quick to stand by their friends and family no matter what, Jide was different. 

He only stood by one thing, the truth.

People often said to him, “Jide, you must support your own people. 

That is how the world works.” 

But Jide would simply smile and say, 

• “If my people do wrong, should I still support them? 
• If I love them, should I not tell them the truth?”

The villagers did not understand him. 

They believed that loyalty was more important than truth. 

But Jide knew something they did not.

The Problem with Loyalty

There was an old trader named Baba Tunde. 

He was an honest man who never cheated anyone. 

But one day, his son was caught selling bad food at the market. 

Instead of correcting his son, Baba Tunde said, “He is my son. I must protect him.” 

So he lied to the village and said his son did nothing wrong. 

Because of this, many people fell sick.

There was also Mama Chichi, the village nurse. 

She was kind and always helped the sick. 

But when her best friend, Chief Okafor, used village money for himself instead of fixing the roads, Mama Chichi kept quiet. 

She thought, “Chief Okafor has been my friend for years. 

I cannot betray him.” 

So she said nothing, and the roads remained broken, causing accidents.

Even the wise elder, Pa Emeka, made the same mistake. 

When his nephew stole from another man, Pa Emeka said, “It is a small matter. 

Let us settle it in the family.” 

But because he did not allow justice, the thief continued to steal from others.

All these people, Baba Tunde, Mama Chichi, and Pa Emeka, were good people. 

But because they were loyal to their loved ones, they became part of their wrongdoings.

Jide Stands Alone

Only Jide refused to follow this path. 

When his own brother, Kunle, was caught lying to the village chief, everyone expected Jide to defend him. 

Kunle begged, “Jide, I am your brother. Say something for me.” 

But Jide shook his head and said, “Kunle, I love you, but I cannot lie for you. 

If you did wrong, you must face it.”

Many people in the village were angry with Jide. 

They called him heartless. 

They said, “How can you betray your own blood?” 

But Jide did not see it that way. 

He believed that telling the truth was the only way to truly help someone.

The Test of Truth

One day, a big problem came to the village. A rich man named Alhaji Musa accused a young boy, Chima, of stealing from him. 

The villagers were divided. 

Some defended Chima because he was poor and honest. 

Others supported Alhaji Musa because he was powerful and they feared him.

But Jide did not choose sides blindly. 

Instead, he looked for the truth. 

He spoke to many people and found out that Alhaji Musa had actually taken Chima’s father’s land unfairly, leaving Chima’s family with nothing. 

Chima had only taken food because he was starving.

When Jide told the village what really happened, nobody was happy. 

Alhaji Musa’s supporters said Jide was disrespecting the rich. 

Chima’s defenders said Jide should have just called the boy innocent. 

But Jide did not care. 

He had spoken the truth, and that was all that mattered.

The Meaning of Freedom

Over time, people in the village began to see that Jide was right. 

They realized that blind loyalty was dangerous. 

It made good people excuse bad actions. 

It made them part of crimes without knowing it.

Slowly, things changed. 

Parents corrected their children instead of defending them blindly. 

Friends told each other the truth, even when it was hard. 

Leaders were held responsible for their actions.

Jide remained alone in many ways, but he was the freest of them all. 

He did not carry the burden of lies. 

He did not have to defend the wrongs of others. 

He was at peace because he had only one master, the truth.

And so, his story was told from village to village, teaching people this important lesson:

“To be truly free, you must not be loyal to people over truth. 

• Love them, yes. 
• Help them, yes. 

But never cover their wrongs. 

Stand for the truth, no matter what.”