He Escaped Nekede, But His Past Found Him at IMSU: The Tragic Story of Sympathy
The story of Sympathy, popularly known as Chime, is a haunting reminder that in the world of campus cultism, escaping your immediate environment does not always mean escaping the consequences of your past.
At the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Sympathy was once a charismatic Banking and Finance student who had built a formidable reputation as a prominent member of the Black Axe confraternity. But that reputation would eventually place a permanent, inescapable target on his back.
He was accused of identifying a Viking member who visited Nekede and was subsequently killed by Black Axe members. Whether that allegation was entirely accurate or not, his name became deeply associated with the escalating, brutal violence between the rival groups.
As clashes intensified and the pressure became unbearable, Sympathy made a desperate decision: he left Nekede and transferred to Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, hoping for a clean slate.
THE ILLUSION OF A FRESH START
At Imo State University (IMSU), Sympathy appeared to become a completely different person. The swagger was gone. The public displays and dangerous bravado vanished.
He became quiet, friendly, and deliberately kept his distance from any form of confraternity activities. His goal was simple—finish his education and leave the dark world he had once embraced far behind him.
Those who encountered him during this redemption phase remembered him fondly. As a peer who gained admission the same year (2012) recalled:
"This guy was my very good friend back in IMSU, harmless and simple.. We got admission same time (2012). He changed in our 2nd year second semester. That burning dream from the beginning was cut short.. Rip chime"
For a while, his new life seemed to be working. But while Sympathy was quietly trying to rebuild his future, the underground war between Black Axe and the Vikings was exploding across the IMSU campus.
In that brutal underworld, changing your school can change your immediate surroundings, but it can never truly erase your identity or your history.As many veterans of campus politics note, a major disadvantage of being part of a secret cult is collective accountability: Even if you didn't spill blood with your own hands, so far your cartel is spilling blood, you are not to be spared either if rivals catch up with you to settle scores.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAPS AND TACTICS OF CAMPUS CULTS
To understand how Sympathy was caught, it helps to look at the playbook of campus secret societies. Cultists often use calculated psychological tactics to trap or track members.
When they cannot easily approach someone to lure them in or force them to stay, they resort to provocation, surveillance, or manipulation.
As someone with deep insight into campus dynamics pointed out:
"Cultist have one strategy; when they cannot approach you to lure you to join, they begin to use other means like deliberately provoking you, so you react and they use that opportunity to haunt you, or they will send a girl to befriend you and they confront you that you have taken egede man babe.... different strategies.. that is why I try my best to avoid woman, stay away from trouble and avoid unnecessary confrontation... because you no know who be who!"
Beyond direct targets, the psychological terror extends to innocent students trying to navigate the campus. Countless students face daily intimidation just for trying to live normal lives. One former IMSU student shared a harrowing personal experience:
"My own was that, while in school, this same IMSU, a cultist wanted to be my boyfriend by force and i told him im not interested, he said it is by force, that if i don't be friend him , i will never be friend any guy in the school... Whenever he sees me talking to a guy probably a course mate, he will come with his friends and slap the guy, ask the guy to do frog jump... my happiness then was, he doesnt know where i stay, i usually come from Ihiagwa to the school then. Las las him tire for me."
For Sympathy, however, it wasn't a trap of provocation—it was simply that his face and name carried too much weight from his Nekede days.
Relocating from the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede to Imo State University (IMSU)—two institutions sitting practically in the same town less than 10 kilometers apart—proved to be a fatal miscalculation. Moving just down the road did nothing to hide him from rivals who crossed paths between the schools regularly.
THE ANATOMY OF A FATAL TRAP
Then, on an ordinary day, everything shattered.
Sympathy walked into an IMSU lecture hall, entirely unaware that someone who knew his past had spotted him... Viking members reportedly recognized him as the former high-profile Black Axe figure from Nekede.
What happened next was a swift, coordinated operation.
While Sympathy was still inside the lecture hall, a hit squad was allegedly positioned around the school’s main gate, waiting for him to emerge.
When the lecture ended, Sympathy stepped outside into the open air. Then, he saw them.
Realizing the mortal danger he was in, he took off running, desperately trying to reach the crowded student market opposite the school front gate. But there was nowhere left to hide.
Additional Viking members were already waiting inside the student market. As Sympathy attempted to break through, they grabbed him and restrained him. Seconds later, the hit squad caught up.
The atmosphere of panic that day remains etched in the memories of those who lived near the front gate. One witness recalled:
"I still remember that day, was at my sister's hostel at front gate when everyone started running and there were gun shots, omo we locked the door, and started hearing that they just shot a guy in front of the hostel! Say no to Cultism."
Another former student added:
"Chaii, I remember that day he was killed, he came out from whr he went to eat at Imsu front gate precisely, they traced him n shot him, we were at hostel when we had that shot, that scared everyone to stupor... I can still vividly remember how his brother wept, cos he was close to my sister n i. This just brought bk painful memories. He indeed became friendly n quiet those days, I remember his bro coming to express his fears n worries via d victim’s identity just b4 the incident. It’s a pity"
Someone who stood at the scene shared the pain of that afternoon:
"I was one of the persons that cried for this guy in 2016 at student market imsu front gate, because he used to be a quiet guy and U would see him in church every Sunday. Rip to him. Just knowing about the nekede story after how many yrs we cried. Avoid cultism"
In broad daylight, inside a bustling market filled with innocent students, Sympathy was shot and killed. He had changed his school. He had changed his lifestyle. He had tried to disappear into church pews and quiet lecture halls. But he could not outrun the shadow of his past.
A GLOBAL PHENOMENON OF RETRIBUTION—No Safe Haven
Sympathy's tragedy is part of a wider, terrifying pattern. History shows that running away—whether to another campus in the same state, another region, or even across international borders—rarely offers permanent safety if a person's hands were stained with blood or if their name was marked on a hit list.
Consider the parallel case of another campus cultist who tried to escape across states:
"I heard of the story of a cultist who ran away from IMSU to UNICAL in an attempt to live a free life devoid of cultism. He was tired of shedding blood and engaging in diabolical stuff for protection. Barely a year later, he was tracked down to Calabar... His neighbor saved him by taking a secret picture of the hit squad waiting outside his house. He had to flee to an army barracks to spend the night in a dark guardroom, before eventually escaping to Lagos and then moving to the US, where he still lives today."
Even crossing oceans doesn't always guarantee safety from a past life. Multiple accounts reflect the chilling reach of these networks:
- The Liverpool Graduate: A university lecturer shared a story of a student cultist who finished school, traveled to Liverpool for a Master's degree, spent nearly eight years abroad, and then returned to Nigeria. Unaware that he was targeted, he went out drinking with old friends, and hitmen who knew him from his undergraduate days tracked him down and eliminated him.
- The Port Harcourt Executioner: Another account detailed a Rivers State University executioner who carried out hit jobs across Uniport, Rivpoly, and Unical. After graduation, he travelled abroad, completed a Master's and a PhD, and returned to Nigeria—only to be murdered on the streets of Port Harcourt while celebrating his academic achievements.
- The Edo State Exodus: History records that during intense clashes, some Axe lords from Edo State University, Ekpoma, fled Nigeria with the hope that time and distance would protect them upon their return. Years later, when they came back, many still met their waterloo.
As one reader reflected on these geographical blunders:
"Leaving Federal Polytechnic Nekede and joining Imo State University Owerri, all in the same Owerri and Imo State, was never by any means a wise decision for him if he had played the game with wisdom... He might have been moving with a mark of Cain without his knowledge, and going to another state might have saved him the calamity... Nevertheless, who kills by sword dies by sword too. Hard luck Sympathy."
THE BROADER TOLL :
Innocent Bystanders, Families And The Governance Fight
The ripple effects of campus cultism extend far beyond the active participants. Innocent students, roommates, and family members often pay a heavy psychological or physical price.
Family members live in constant anxiety. As one parent warned:
"That is a good story, if you don't want anyone to kill you don't kill anyone, I love this story, even I told my son that is in university that if you forget that kind of family you came and the purpose of sending you to school and join cultist, if you kill any of others or the other kill you, I will not cry for you, and if I noticed it before they kill you I will not sponsor you in school again..."
Another voice from the community emphasized the collateral damage to relatives:
"Even being related to a cultist is a big risk. You might be at home and something u don't know will hit u just bec of sending a child to school to learn, but out of pressure he or she joins cult... If they don't get u, dey will get a relative or a friend close to u till dey get u. So if ur securing ur life and advising ur self also, advise ur family and friends too. So they don't bring trouble to ur doorstep."
Even post-graduation life offers no immunity, and political leadership plays a role in stamping it out. As people noted:
"The funny thing is after graduation, cultism continues. Here in Abuja I see big working class guys being hunted down. A director of a big company who was once a point 1 still settling disputes of younger generation cultist. Once a cultist always a cultist, even if you relocate or avoid meetings... Cultism does not pay; our youths should desist from it. That’s the only reason I love the governor of Edo state. He hates cultism and so do I."
THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION :
Consequence, Grace, And Redemption
Beyond the physical danger of rival hit squads and geographical blunders, many who reflect on these tragedies point to a deeper spiritual dimension.
For some, walking away from cultism requires more than just a lifestyle change or a new school uniform—it demands a total spiritual realignment.
As one reader thoughtfully asked:
"After denouncing evil, what next? Embrace Christ. I am not sure he sought Christ. Who are they? With his genuine salvation, the mark of Christ would have scared them. What about people who denounce occult yet still living."
This perspective connects earthly actions to a higher moral order, reminding readers that earthly escape cannot outrun ultimate accountability. Another participant contextualized this through scripture, noting that even giants of faith faced earthly reckoning:
"You see in life no matter what happens one must face the consequences of his or her actions in life. David and Paul in the Bible faced the consequences of their actions despite of their relationships with God."
And as another writer framed the spiritual reality of sowing and reaping:
"When the Bible said the wages of sin is death. We see as mere story, but it is real. The word of God can not change... In all your stubborn life don't spill blood once you do that you must pay, it only takes extra Grace and intervention of divinity to spare you."
CONCLUSION—The Inescapable Ledger
The tragedy of Sympathy is a mirror reflecting a deep societal malaise. Whether analyzed through the lens of spiritual consequences or the harsh, unforgiving logic of street vengeance, the message from those who watched, wept, and lived through these eras is absolute:
"We should be careful with the kind of life and people we associates with, because a mistake you made at 18 can affect you at sixty."
Sympathy tried to change. He became friendly, quiet, and sought peace. But the seeds sown during his days at Nekede could not be un-sown by a simple change of school or scenery.
For every young person stepping onto a campus today, his story stands as a brutal, life-saving warning: Stay away from cultism. The temporary illusion of power is a trap, and the debt it demands will always find you—no matter how far you run.
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Description : He Escaped Nekede, But His Past Found Him at IMSU: The Tragic Story of Sympathy The story of Sympathy, popularly known as Chime...
SALVATION MESSAGE
If you wish to escape the eternal fiery burning torment of HELLL FIRE inorder to make HEAVEN, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour today because tomorrow is never promised. You must restitute and confess all your sin unto God and also ensure you joined “ a Bible Believing Church for more spiritual growth” However, if you are a Christian and still indulges into various kinds of sins such as......
Envy, anger, unforgiveness, lying, hatred, malice, murmuring, gossiping, stealing, taking or giving bribe, exams malpractice, fraud, smuggling and robbery. Perhaps you into masturbation, fornication, adultery, prostitution, Lusting after MONEY and SEX, abortion, lesbianism, homosexuality, kidnapping, ritual killings and assassination; You must confess and repent today.
Perhaps you into drunkenness, fighting and quarreling, alcoholism, smokers, divorcee, polygamous marriage, occultism. Consultaton of native doctors for charms making. PRAYING in the name of MARY or any Saints or Angels, BOWING DOWN or HONORING THEM. You must renounce all these abominables and plead for God's mercy
Perhaps as a Woman you still given-in into vile affection "CHANGING THE NATURAL USE OF YOUR BODY INTO THAT WHICH IS AGAINST NATURE" Therefore indulging yourself into worldly fashions, dressing in transparent clothes, wearing of mini and tightly skirts or WEARING OF TROUSERS (pant). Exposing your breast, lapse to seduce men. Painting lips, fixing attachments, weave-on, jewelries and earrings. Making-up, putting on extra eye lashes, piercing of noses, tattoos, nails fixing and body bleaching
You must repent, dispose and burnt them off and ensure you maintain your natural beauty because unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Remember; your soul is precious and was costly purchase by the Blood of Jesus Christ and you can't afford to lose "yours" in Hell for the next billions and trillions of years in ETERNITY with eternal sorrow, tears, anguish and hopeless of ever coming-out due to mere pleasure and fashion of this world that PASSETH-AWAY which you can easily forsakes NOW and run to Heaven.
Oh Heaven; a place of an everlasting joy, without tears, sorrow and neither pains but rather filled with happiness and God's glory. Please my beloved, "Don't Miss Heaven" and I pray to see you in that Glorious City very soon. Please Say Below short prayer and get right with God today.
CONFESSION AND ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST
Dear Lord Jesus Christ; I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself only. I am sorry, and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me.
You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life; I give it to you. From this day forward, help me to live every day for you and in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord Jesus, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you in Jesus name i pray. Amen
