Madam Koi Koi: The Boarding School Ghost You’ll Never Forget
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| Madam Koi Koi |
Koi… koi… koi…
The click of high heels echoes across a tiled floor.
Now, maybe you’re thinking, What’s so scary about that? Well, let me tell you—if you’ve grown up in certain parts of Africa, that sound is enough to make your heart stop. Because when you hear it in the middle of the night, in a place where no teacher is supposed to be walking, there’s only one possible explanation: Madam Koi Koi has come to visit.
And trust me—she’s not there for a friendly chat.
Who (or What) Is Madam Koi Koi?
Madam Koi Koi is one of the most famous urban legends in Nigerian boarding school culture—and beyond. Her name comes from the distinct sound her red high heels make as she walks: koi koi on the floor, like a metronome counting down to your doom.
Ask around, and everyone will have a slightly different version of her story, but the basics go like this: she’s the ghost of a former teacher who met a tragic (or sometimes downright gruesome) end. Now, she roams the halls of boarding schools at night, looking for students to discipline… or punish.
Some say she’s harmless if you ignore her. Others swear she’ll slap you so hard your ears will ring for days. And in certain versions? If you see her face, you disappear. Just—gone.
How Did the Legend Begin?
Like any good ghost story, Madam Koi Koi’s origin depends on who you ask. Here are the two most common tales:
The Cruel Teacher Version
In this telling, Madam Koi Koi was a strict, beautiful teacher with a love for fashion—especially her signature red heels. Unfortunately, she also had a mean streak. She was known for slapping students hard enough to leave marks, sometimes even drawing blood.
One day, she hit a student so viciously that the girl’s ear was damaged. Parents complained, and the school had no choice but to fire her.
Humiliated and furious, Madam Koi Koi left the school for the last time, heels clicking against the pavement. But on her journey home, she was killed in an accident—some say a car hit her, others claim she fell and struck her head. With her dying breath, she vowed revenge on the school and its students.
Soon after, the night patrol began hearing the unmistakable koi koi in empty hallways. Students whispered of a figure in red heels, sometimes visible in flashes of moonlight, sometimes just a sound in the dark. And thus, the legend was born.
The Student Revenge Version
This one’s darker—and more unsettling. Here, Madam Koi Koi wasn’t just strict—she was cruel. Students feared and hated her.
One night, after yet another harsh beating, a group of students decided they’d had enough. They lured her into an empty classroom, locked the door, and attacked her. Some say they gagged her and beat her with her own high heel until she stopped moving. Then they dragged her body outside the school and tried to make it look like a robbery gone wrong.
The next term, strange things started happening. Students in the dorms heard high heels clicking outside their rooms. Doors opened on their own. One boy bragged about being involved in her death—and vanished days later. Eventually, the school shut down and the students were transferred. But the legend followed them to their new schools. Because Madam Koi Koi wasn’t done.
What Happens When She Appears?
Madam Koi Koi’s hauntings aren’t quiet little whispers in the dark. She likes to make her presence known.
Picture this: You’re in bed in your dorm. The night watch has already made their rounds. The only light is from a flickering bulb down the hall. Suddenly—
Koi… koi… koi…
The sound is slow and deliberate, echoing as if from just around the corner.
If you’re unlucky, you’ll hear the dorm door creak open. Maybe you’ll catch a flash of red as she glides past your bunk. Sometimes, only one of her shoes is visible, clicking against the floor while the other foot drags.
In some versions, she walks right up to your bed and stares down at you. You can’t see her face clearly—it’s blurred, shadowed, or covered in a blood-red veil. Then she speaks in a low voice, asking, “Where’s my other shoe?”
Here’s the thing: you never answer that question. Ever.
Those who do? Well… they don’t come back to school the next day.
Madam Koi Koi Beyond Nigeria
While she’s most famous in Nigeria, Madam Koi Koi isn’t confined to one country. She’s a traveling spirit—her legend has spread across Africa.
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Ghana – Here, she’s known as Madam Moke (“Moke” means high heel). One popular version says she was accidentally locked in a cupboard by students, not realizing she was pregnant. She died before anyone found her, and now her spirit searches for her child—and revenge.
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Tanzania – She appears as Miss Konkoko, haunting boarding schools with the same heel-clicking sound. In some versions, she targets only boys.
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South Africa – The legend morphs here, sometimes blending with other local ghosts. Still, the clicking heels remain.
It’s rare for an urban legend to travel so far and stay recognizable. But Madam Koi Koi has managed it, and that’s part of what makes her fascinating.
Why Does This Story Stick?
Urban legends thrive when they hit close to home—and Madam Koi Koi is perfectly tailored for her audience. She haunts a place every student knows intimately: their school.
She’s also easy to picture. The red heels, the echoing footsteps, the dark corridors—all of it creates a vivid mental image. And because schools are full of long hallways, empty classrooms, and locked storage rooms, it’s easy to believe she could be waiting just around the corner.
Modern Sightings
You’d think a story this old would fade away, but nope—she’s still making appearances.
Some boarding school alumni swear they heard her in the early 2000s. One woman recalled lying in bed, hearing the koi koi pass her room, and feeling a sharp slap on her leg. Another said she saw a shadow in heels walk into the bathroom, but when she followed, it was empty.
Even students in universities have claimed encounters—suggesting Madam Koi Koi isn’t picky about the age of her victims. If you lived in a dorm? You might be on her list.
Pop Culture Resurrection
In recent years, Madam Koi Koi has stepped out of whispered campfire tales and into the spotlight.
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The Origin: Madam Koi-Koi – A two-part Nollywood horror series on Netflix (2023) brought her to a new generation. It’s set between 1971 and 1991 and follows a girl named Amanda as she uncovers the ghostly truth at her school.
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Ms. Kanyin – Released in 2025 on Amazon Prime in Nigeria, this film reimagines the story with a French teacher who dies after an exam scandal and returns as a vengeful spirit.
These adaptations keep her legend alive, adding fresh twists while keeping that signature sound.
How to Survive a Madam Koi Koi Encounter
If you ever find yourself in a dark hallway and hear those dreaded footsteps, here’s what the “experts” say:
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Don’t look – Eye contact might be the last thing you ever make.
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Stay in bed – Don’t investigate. This isn’t Scooby-Doo.
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Ignore her questions – Especially about her missing shoe.
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Cover your ears – The sound gets louder the more you focus on it.
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Pray – Hey, it can’t hurt.
Of course, if you’re the type who wants to see for yourself… well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Similar Spirits Around the World
Madam Koi Koi isn’t the only ghostly figure who announces her presence with a signature sound. Around the world, there are plenty of legends about spirits tied to specific noises, clothing, or locations—and they make her legend feel like part of a much bigger supernatural family.
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La Llorona – From Mexican and Latin American folklore, she’s the wailing woman who searches for her drowned children. Much like Madam Koi Koi, she’s often tied to a tragic backstory and a specific, chilling sound—her cries in the night.
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The Woman in Red – Found in ghost lore from Europe to the U.S., these spectral women are often dressed in striking red clothing, appearing in hotels, theaters, or roadsides. The red heels of Madam Koi Koi fit neatly into this visual tradition.
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Hanako-san – A Japanese school ghost who haunts bathrooms and will appear if you call her name. She shares Madam Koi Koi’s love for the school setting, and both have become rites-of-passage legends for students.
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The White Lady of Balete Drive – A famous Philippine ghost who appears to drivers on a haunted road. Like Madam Koi Koi, she uses her appearance and location to create an atmosphere of dread.
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The Click-Clack Ghosts of South America – In some rural areas, tales speak of ghosts whose footsteps make a repetitive, unnatural sound—said to foretell danger or death. The rhythm of Madam Koi Koi’s heels could easily fit this eerie category.
What ties them all together is that these spirits don’t just appear—they announce themselves. Whether it’s high heels, weeping, or footsteps, that sound builds suspense before the apparition ever comes into view. It’s that anticipation—the waiting—that really gets under your skin.
Final Thoughts
Madam Koi Koi’s legend isn’t just about a ghost in red heels. It’s about how stories shape our fears, especially when we’re young. It’s about the places we thought were safe—dorm rooms, classrooms—becoming stages for something supernatural.
Whether you believe she’s the spirit of a cruel teacher, a wronged woman seeking justice, or just a story told to keep kids in bed after curfew, she’s earned her place among the greats of African folklore.
So, next time you hear koi koi in the middle of the night, you might want to pull the covers over your head and stay very, very still.
Because Madam Koi Koi just might be looking for you.
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