ALL IN A CIRCLE Episode 42
Tolani, Stephanie, Tokunbo, Dolapo and some
of their friends were
discussing inside Tokunbo room amidst tears.
“Seriously, if I had known that Chioma is the
next on the list I
would have swapped her place with mine.”
Dolapo said shocking everyone
in the room.
“Dolapo. What’s your problem?” Tokunbo
asked.
“I know what am saying. What else am I living
for? Dayo has been
killed. Let me too die.” Dolapo replied.
“I can see you are not okay. You left your
comfort zone where you
are safe and came back to school this
morning, where your safety is not
guaranteed.” Tokunbo replied.
Everyone in the room kept abusing her for
coming back to school
saying she just wished to endanger her life.
“I even saw Darasimi when I was coming.”
Dolapo informed them
expertly changing the topic.
“Where?” Stephanie asked.
“Security complex.” Dolapo replied.
“Did you greet her?” Tola asked.
“Yes I did but she snubbed me.” Dolapo
replied.
“I still have a feeling that girl is responsible
for Chioma’s
death.” Stephanie said.
“Me too.” Tokunbo added.
“But lets not forget that the fact that she was
with Chioma when the
incident occured doesn’t mean she had a hand
in it.” Tola said.
There was knock on the door.
“Yes come in.” Tokunbo said.
The door opened and two youngmen walked in.
“Good morning.” The two men greeted.
“Good morning.” The girls replied in unison.
“My name is Robert from the state police
department.” One of the men
said.
“You are welcome.” Tokunbo, the room owner
said.
“We are sent to provide adequate security for
you girls during this
period. This is Collin.” Robert explained.
Stephanie saw this as a point of duty to
intoduce everyone in the room
to the men, their saviour.
“I am Stephanie.” She said.
“I am Tolani.” Tolani said.
“Tokunbo.” Tokunbo introduced.
“Dolapo.” Dolapo intoduced formally.
The intoduction went on until the last of the
girls said her name. They
exchanged numbers with the two men.
“We’ll provide twenty four hours cover for you
girls. Give us a call
when you want to go out we’ll drive you to
anywhere you want. But
please try and make sure you don’t go out at
night.” Robert concluded.
“Okay sir.” Stephanie replied.
“We’ll take our leave now. We live very close
to this hostel.”
Collins said.
“Thank you sirs.”
The two men walked out of the room as
Tokunbo saw them off to the
gate. She returned a minute later.
“They are five in total. At least we can be rest
assured of our
safety now.” She said totally convinced.
Episode 43
Men of the Nigerian police force were
positioned at every nook and
crany of the deserted Airport shopping
complex taking note of any
slightest thing that is unusual. The gentlemen
and women of the press
were busy taking pictures, giving interviews
and smiling broadly because
they knew their story will fetch them money
from interested news
medias. The state governor and his etourage
including the concerned
cabinet members, the commisioner for
environment and the commissioner
for health were expressing their displeasure
over the recent attacks in
the state.
Inspector Clement was giving reports and
assuarance to the state
governor and his entourage. He was flanked
on both sides by the
assisting men of the FBI.
“Good people of the state, this is one of the
greatest misfortune
that has ever happened in a peaceful state
such as ours. I can assure
you that the government is not keeping quiet
on this, the police are
working day and night to bring these evil men
to book. And I strongly
believe this is a challenge call on the part of
the federal government.
Even if the state government and the federal
government are oppositions,
this is about our beloved country and not
about political parties.
Lastly I call on the families of the victims, this
is not the end of the
world. They died a hero in our struggle for
peace and they will be
handsomely compesated. Any question you
have for our administration
should be directed to the special adviser to
the governor on media and
publicity. The numbers will be announced
soon. Thank you.” He concluded
and slipped into his car and alongside other
cars in the convoy, they
drove away leaving the police, the pressmen,
healthworkers and the
members of the public.
“Clement, a man here has something to tell
us.” One policeman said
to him.
“Bring him on.” Clement said.
A man dressed in security uniform was led to
Clement.
“Yes. What do yo have for us?” Clement asked.
“I was on duty with my colleagues when they
drove in their van. It
is our duty here to take register of any vehicle
driven into this place.
So we took a picture of the van, the picture of
the driver and the
plate number.” The man explained.
“Can I get those informations now?” Clement
asked.
“Yes. But its inside the post.” He said and
walked towards the
small building beside the gate which serves as
the security house.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
They were driving at a very high speed along
the boarder road chatting
and celebrating their recent success.
“Park the car there.” Kelvin commanded the
driver of the van.
He swerved the car off the road and parked by
the roadside.
“This is the end of the road for you. As we all
know your identity
is known and it is very easy for the police to
find you. I have been
ordered to get you off because you were too
gullible to let them take
your picture at the complex.” Kelvin said.
“No one will find me. I live inside and not in
town. Believe me, I
will be on low key.” The driver protested.
“Fine, get down.” Kelvin said.
He protested a little but seeing the look on
his commander’s face, he
opened the door and alighted from the car.
Kelvin released two quick
shots hitting him randomly in no particular
place.
Just then a blue van parked beside them. The
rest of the team in the
black van moved into the blue van and drove
off leaving the dead driver
and the van by the roadside.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The security man returned with a small
camera device and a big
attendance book.
“Here is it sir.” He said handing the materials
to Clement.
Clement in turn looked at the pictures with
scrutiny, before he
transferred them to his phone and wrote down
the number plate.
“Thank you very much sir. Your contribution
has really been
helpful.” Clement said discharging the man.
After the man left, Clement was forced to
smile because in over thirty
minute that he came here, this is the most
promising development he has
seen.
He picked up his phone and dialled a number.
“Hello Farouk, this is Clement from the police.
Something just came
up and I need you to help me check for this
plate number on your
database if it was registered.” He said to his
friend who worked at the
vehicle registration commission.
“Okay.” Farouk replied.
He then proceeded to call out the plate
number to his friend before hanging up. No
time for pleasantries.
Episode 44
–continuation–
Janet walked into the supermarket and picked
a basket. Then she
started scouting for everything her madam
sent her, most importantly the
fruit juice.
She shopped for the next five minutes with no
significant success.
This being her first time at this particular
supermarket, she had
problem locating sections where there wares
are displayed. Her pride has
been forcing her to stay put and search
everywhere, maybe she’ll be
lucky. But now that she has searched
everywhere without any success, she
succumbed and decided to ask one of the
attendants for help.
“Excuse me.” She said to the lady who had a
hijab on her head.
“Salam alekum sister. How can I help you?”
The attendant asked.
Janet hissed inwardly. “. Because this place
belongs to a muslim
and all the workers are muslim. Does that
mean only muslim must shop
here?” She thought.
“Good afternoon. I have a little problem.”
Janet replied.
The attendant hissed inwardly. silly girl, see
how richly dressed she
is. She even disguised like she has something
to buy. No wonder, she
has been parabulating since. Its not yet end of
the month and I don’t
have money.” She thought.
“Yes. What’s the matter?” The attendant
asked.
“I have a problem locating the fruit juice
section. I’ve been here
for over thirty minutes.”
“Sorry. The food section has been moved
upstairs.” The attendant said
pointing towards the stairs.
“Thank you.” Janet said.
“You are welcome.” She replied.
“Janet.”
“Aisha.”
Janet walked towards the flight of stairs and
ascended upstairs to get
what she want.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sandra just dropped the call of her nemesis.
The man who claimed to
have her pictures and they negotiated a price
which was stopped at eight
million naira which must be paid into a bank
account before the week
runs out. The money is not the problem for
Sandra, she could in fact pay
triple the price but the purpose which the
money will serve is the main
problem, BLACKMAIL. She swore to find out
whoever is behind the curtain
making the calls and the person who was bold
to take her pictures.
This has prompted her to call her most trusted
friend. Nkechi, a wife
to a politician to help her out.
There was a knock on the front door.
“Come in, the door is not locked.” Sandra
said.
The door was pushed open and an elegant
woman, in her mid or late
twenties walked in.
Nkechi was her best friend while they were in
school but things went
sour between them when Nkechi decided to
marry the pot bellied
politician and become the third wife. Nkechi
went on and married her choice and three
years now, she is living good and fine.
Changing cars like clothes, she has a duplex
to her name and has cemented her place with
two kids.
Sandra who has been waiting for the Mr Right
can now see that, marriage is the best
decision Nkechi made. Getting married to her
man is the best thing that has happened to
her.
Sandra took her time explaining to her friend
from the begining to the end.
“Don’t be too sure that Benson knew about it.
He already called you for assistance on this
same matter right?”
“Yes.” She replied.
“About the person that took the pictures.
What about your maid, Janet?”
The front door opened and Janet walked in
with shopping bags.
“Welcome Jane.” Sandra said.
“Yes ma. Good afternoon Madan Nkechi.”
“Janet how are you?”
Janet took the bags inside after taking some
instructions from her boss.
When the two friends had made sure that
Janet was nowhere near them to eavesdrop,
they continued.
“Babe, lets go outside and talk.” Sandra said
as she held her friends hand and they both
walked out of the house where they are sure of
no disturbances or anybody eavesdropping on
them.
Episode 45
The large high definition screens in the
debriefing room added colours
to the white walls. The giant screen stood
against the wall and
conference chairs were arranged before it, an
instructor’s chair was
placed beside the screen for whoever wants to
do the briefing. Clement
was seated in the room alongside, Segeant
Mike, Detective Ngozi and the
three visiting FBI men namely, Ahmed, Paul
and their boss Sylvester.
The information Clement requested from his
vehicle registration
commission friend has been sent alongside
the picture of the car and the
owner who purchased it including his
residential address. And at the
same time they were analysing how best to
approach the terrorists
without them knowing.
“Clement and I will go to Mr Ayo’s(the original
van owner) residence.
Then the rest of you will keep tabs on the
boarder road and any
movement should be watched closely.
“Clement, lets get this done at once.” The
halfcaste man of latvian
mother and a Nigerian father said rising up.
Clement followed suit and
they walked out of the building.
Clement hopped behind the wheel and
Sylvestre beside him and off he
drove off to Dolphin estate where Mr Ayo lived.
With Sylvester’s wealth
of experience internationally, this may be the
easiest nut to crack or
so he thought.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kelvin washed his hands inside the bowl
located strategically inside
the Khal Corp main hall. He already changed
his cloth into something
casual and gentleman.
He proceeded to the medical centre where
injured terrorists and
hostages are being treated.
“Excuse us Doc.” Kelvin said to the sixty two
year old doctor.
The elderly man walked out of the room.
“Hakym, how far? When are you getting out?”
Kelvin asked.
Hakym who has been admitted for a few weeks
since he got shot at the
deputy governor’s lodge suffered a dislocated
arm and gunhit just on his
shoulder.
“In a few days says the doctor.” Hakym
replied.
“A good one for everybody. Has Maleek come
down to check you here?”
Kelvin asked.
“No. He sent his get well message and we had
a live video chat.”
Hakym replied.
“Okay.”
“I heard of your latest hit. Where was that?”
“The Airport shopping complex or what’s it
called.”
“Oh boy! You must have mastered your
homework very well. This is a
remarkable feat to achieve.” Hakym
commended.
“Thanks bro. We have the Haky’s spirit behind
us.” Kelvin replied.
“Then, Kelv spirit was there to do the main
job.” Hakym added and
the two friends bursted into laughter.
“Guy, I came her because of Maleek, he intend
to step down but
wants to take this sudanese as his successor
instead of you, despite
your years of service.”
“Lets talk about this later. We are being
watched.” Hakym said.
Kelvin gave a knowing smile and walked out
of the medical centre.
“Kelv, where are you going?” One of the armed
men on patrol asked on seeing him heading
towards his car.
“My house of course.” Kelvin replied.
“Its dangerous. It won’t take long before the
police get to see the van parked on the road
abd the dead body. Passing that route now
means doom for you.”
“Its me Danger-kelv. You can’t beat that.” He
said and pressed the remote attached to the
car key and the doors gave and unlocking
sound.
He hopped into his car and drove out of the
compound recieving hails from the soldiers
outside the camp.
He was driving at a very top speed, th car
stereo blasting and his eyes roaming about
with his sense of alertness on the high. Just
then he noticed something strange. The van
parked here a some minutes ago is nowhere to
be found, the dead body is also nowhere in
sight.
“Could this boy run away? Hell no, I shot him
dead. Then who drove the van away?” He
thought as he sped away leaving the scene
behind him.
This is sure a mystery to be unravled by his
men and not him or so he thought.
Episode 46
Sandra was seated on her bed deep in
thoughts. Her friend Nkechi left
some few minutes ago and she has been left
pondering on the issues
discussed.
“My friend think, Banson may not be in any
way involved. Keep your
eyes open. Your witchy housemaid may be the
brain behind this.” Nkechi
said.
“But the girl is too gentle to do that. I trust
her.”
“Gentility is like the cover of a book. The title
is gentility, have
you found out why the title is gentility? Read
it.” Nkechi replied.
“So what do you advise?”
“Pay attention to her movements within the
house. Most especially
her phone calls and find time to sneak in on
her, maybe when she is in
the bathroom. Pick her phone and read her
chats.” Nkechi advised.
“You know that’s unlike me. I don’t barge into
someone else’s
privacy.” Sandra said.
“Privacy you call it. Keep paying exhorbitant
amount of money in
the name of privacy.”
Sandra kept quiet for a few second thinking.
“I’ll contact a girl that works for my husband.
Her name is
Victoria Vicky, she is an expert at handling
this.” Nkechi added.
“Just help me. Any amount.” Sandra pleaded.
“Anything for you my friend.”
The conversation she had with her friend came
flashing in her memory
and she smiled bitterly. She never bargained
for this. This is what
being single and scandalous brings about. She
will make sure she doesn’t
loose Kelvin, so they will tie the knot before
the end of the year.
Just then the door into her room opened and
Janet walked in.
“The table is set ma.” She informed.
“I will be there in few minutes.” She replied
dismissing the girl.
Ten minutes later, Janet came calling.
“Madam, the food will get cold and you won’t
like it. Come out and
eat.” She said persuasively.
“I don’t have the appetite.” Sandra blurted
out.
“I know something is bothering you and you
can sure talk to me
about it.” Janet added.
Sandra raised up her face looking at her maid
with scrutiny.
“Thanks for your concern. I’ll be fine.”
“Its okay if you insist.” Janet said and walked
out of the room.
Sandra was again thrown into another deep
thought.
“How could a girl that cares about me this
much be behind my
problem. Nkechi and her wrong theories sha.”
She thought as she fell on
the bed and prayed for the powerful hands of
sleep to sweep her off
feet.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kelvin drove into the gas station to fuel his
car.
“How much sir?” The attendant asked.
“Five thousand.” He replied counting the sum
from inside his
drawer.
He handed it over to the female attendant and
ignited the engine.
“Sir, there is a mistake somewhere. You gave
me six thousand
naira.” She called his attention just before he
zoomed off but he only
waved at her and drove out of the gas station
located by the roadside.
“He brought out his phone and dialled a
number.” He waited for a few
rings and when the person at the other end
refused to pick the call, he
hung up and focused his attention on the
road.
Immediately he got to the dolphin axis, the
road that linked up
dolphin estate and the main road, he saw his
brother’s car drive out of
the estate.
“I pray this guy doesn’t overwork himself. You
work for the
government, even with your car.” He thought
as he took the road that
leads into the estated. If there was one thing
on his dangerous mind, it
was a susprise show up at his girlfriend,
Sandra Oselu’s residence.
His ringing phone brought him back to within
his car. He checked the
screen and discovered the number was
unlisted. He picked the call and
switched on to loudspeaker.
“Hey Kelvin. The danger himself.” The caller
hailed with difficulty
in breathing.
“Who are you?” He asked parking the car
beside the road.
“Your aim was to kill me, but God has
destined me for great things
which I am yet to do. Remember, I will be your
unwanted nemesis and I
won’t stop until I see the end of you.” The
caller said his voice
breaking. The line went dead.
He thought for a few minutes then discovered
the caller was Viktor,
the driver he shot on their way back from the
Airport Shopping Complex.
What a way to end a bright day. He thought
and brought the car back to
life. He needed to strategise, right now he
needs to think of how best
to handle the situation. He drove a little bit
forward and turned back.
Episode 47
A motorcade sped into the city of Lagos at a
very high speed with about
five cars in the convoy and the cars on the
road were made to stop to
allow the motorcade pass.
Inside the third car was the FCT minister and
whe minister for defence
state, both representing the president of the
Nation at a defense
summit in the governor’s office after which
they’ll visit the recent
attacked airport shopping complex.
“Honourable Minister, you are my confidant
and I wish to tell you I
want to flag off for a senatorial seat in the
upcoming election.” The
FCT minister said to the minister for defense.
“That means we are like minded. Am going to
the house of
representatives too, come next year. But the
president wants me fixed in
another appointed position.” The defense
minister said.
“My own support of the party wants me to run
for the house of
representatives but the senate is on my mind.
I have the backing of the
National chairman of the party and my state
governor.” The FCT minister
explained.
“That aside, have you heard about the secret
axeing of some party
members in office?” The minister for defense
asked.
“No.” The FCT minister replied.
“This man who just decamped to our party,
Gulak, you know him,
Chief Obi Patrick’s candidate. He was with the
president last week and
they made plans to axe, the vice president
ahead of the next election.
The deputy governor of Lagos will be dropped,
come next election. The
Gombe state governor will be dropped, come
next election.” The minister
for defense explained.
“The party will sure take a new dimension at
the next election.
But who is behind this plot. I know Gulak’s
membership is not too strong
within the party considering the fact that he
was an opposition before
he cross-carpeted.” The FCT minister asked.
“Am not in a position to tell you that. The
president will let you
know.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Inside the power tower located by the
roadside, some gunmen seemed to
have overtaken the affairs within the tower
and were positioned waiting
for only God knows who.
“Are you sure, they’ll pass this route?” A
masked gunman asked his
fellow gunman.
“I did my assignment to the last extent. I saw
them drive out of
Ibadan some few hours ago. Its only in a
matter of minutes and they’ll
be here.” His partner replied.
A man with the snipper stood very close to the
window of the tower. He
was looking through the binocular attached to
the weapon. Just then,
the motorcade came into view.
“Here they are.” he announced.
“Get it done with.” His partners ordered.
The man with the snipper released sporadic
shots towards the third
vehicle in the convoy causing pandemonium
on the road. The sucurity
attached to the convoy got down and hid
themselves, but their main
problem was locating the direction where the
gunshot was coming from.
“Honourable minister, hope you are not hit?”
one of the policemen
aked.
“Am not hit but find a way to get us out of
here.” The FCT minister
replied.
The security man opened the backdoor to
enable the two ministers
escape into a nearby shop, even though his
body shielding the minister
was hit as a result and he dropped dead.
A policeman shot sporadically upwards
towards the tower and the bullet hit the man
behind the snipper, thereby causing him to fall
down wounded in the process.
His colleagues noticing that they had been
spotted picked up their equipments and ran
towards the stairs, but remembered their
colleague who was down.
“We have to kill this man.” one of them said.
“Yeah. If they mange to find him, they’ll find
us.” His partner replied and released two quick
shots to the man behind the snipper who
breath his last breadth.
They ran towards the counter of the tower.
“You guys are through?” the man controlling
the tower asked.
“Yes. Lets cover our tracks.” They replied and
began bounding him up with ropes.
They escaped into their waiting vehicles
behind the tower.
Episode 48
After a very busy day at work. Clement slipped
into the bathroom to take his bath before he
will retire to bed. His heavily pregnant wife
was sleeping on their kingsize matrimonial
bed.
He entered the bathroom and came out five
minutes later in only his boxers and his towel
hung around his neck. The time was ten
o’clock in the night.
He went into the kitchen to put something in
his mouth. He picked a bottle of fanta and a
homemade pie. He went into the living room
and sat down on a sofa, switching on the
television in the process.
“Now before I go. The president of Nigeria, Dr
Mike Obaya has
experessed his sadness over the most recent
attack on the minister’s convoy. Goodnight.”
The newscaster concluded.
He switched off the television and sat down to
enjoy his meal as he thought about the events
of the day. From the time he left the Airport
shopping complex to when he visited Mr Ayo’s
residence.
“Sweetheart, what are you doing here this
late?” Rachel asked from the doorway.
“I couldn’t sleep in there, so I thought relaxing
here will do the
trick. What about you?”
“The sound of the tv woke me up, I thought we
forgot to switch off every appliances before
going to bed, only to notice your absence.”
She replied sitting down beside him on the
two seater couch.
“You know the doctor said you should do
more sleeping than any
other thing.” He said.
“A few minutes standing here won’t do me or
my baby any harm.” She replied.
“Lets go to bed then.” He advised.
He stood up and helped her up with his two
hands as they made for the room.
A figure ran accross the kitchen window
towards the back of the house.
“Did you see that?” Rachel asked her husband.
“There is no cause for alarm. Go to bed, I’ll
join you in few
seconds.” He said nudging her towards the
doorway.
He walked back into the living room where he
picked up his phone and his pistol from under
one of the cushions and proceeded to the
kitchen
door.
“Hello Akpan, where you dey?” He asked
through the reciever of the phone.
“Oga, I dey toilet.” The security man replied.
“Fine, clean up now. There is an intruder in the
compound. Lay an
ambush around the gate, I’ll chase him into
your waiting hands.” He said and hung up as
he carefully opened the kitchen door and got
outside in the direction where the intruder
went.
He walked towards the backyard carefully
making sure his feet made no sound as they
touch the ground.
“Stop right there.” He said pointing his gun to
the young lady in mask who was almost
breaking the backdoor.
The person in mask turned to face him and
took to her heels taking the other side of the
house where the gate was located. The same
place where Akpan, the security man was
laying ambush.
Clement saw this as a point of duty to follow
the intruder, the lady ran as fast as she could
and suprisingly ran outside through the gate
which was opened by another man in mask.
Akpan was lying down in his own pool of
blood. He has stabbed by the lady’s partner
who was
waiting for Akpan in his house.
Clement knew better not to shoot at the
intruder’s retreating
figure, so as not to disturb the peace within
the estate.
“Akpan, how did this happen?” Clement asked
his dying guard.
“Oga, the man stabbed me from the back just
when I want to shoot the girl running towards
the gate.” Akpan replied.
“How did they gain entrance?” He asked.
“Oga, that’s the mystery o. I don’t know……
Am dying.” Akpan cried.
Clement quickly carried Akpan into his car and
ran into the house to meet the shocker of his
life.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Victoria was lying down on the floor breathing
hard.
“Seriously babe, how did the thing go?” One of
the two guys that sat with her asked.
“Me sef no know o. The man be like policeman
or army. He just came out with his gun and
threatened to shoot me.” Victoria replied.
“There is a mistake somewhere. The
information recieved was that, he is a
businessman.” one of the guys replied.
“The address given misled us.” Victoria vicky
replied.
This was a near death experience for her.
–to be continued–
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