Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 17
The Garri and Groundnut that I bought did
not last for three days! I sold it all off. The
Warder Oga Inside was my middle man; he
ran errands for the inmates as long as he
gets paid his stipend. The news that a
certain Ojo in ATL has Garri and Groundnut
went viral and I ran out of stock by the third
day and I realized three hundred percent
profit after settling my agent, Oga inside!
Inside! He asked if I wanted to replenish my
stock and I said yes so we negotiated and I
paid him his commission and by mid night
on the third day, he smuggled in a fifty
kilogram of Garri and five bottles of ground
nut into our cell for me and this time he
included four packs of Santana water proof
nylon bags into which I measured a cup of
Garri and tied it for easy and handy sale, I
also tore the nylon bags and tied up the
groundnuts for sale. The demand grew and
wallet grew too that by April I could afford a
Lawyer.
A young female Lawyer had come to visit
her client and on her way back, Oga Inside
told her about my need for a legal
representative, she agreed to see me
instantly and Oga Inside arranged our
meeting. I told her my story but she said she
would make up her mind only after hearing
my case and to know the quality of evidence
against me. She said she would represent
me free of charge on April twentieth as
scheduled and only after then can we
discuss business.
On April twentieth we were in court and I
was represented by Barrister Amaka Dike,
the daughter of a senior advocate of Nigeria
and a Magistrate Court Judge in Abuja.
During the hearing of my case which lacked
substantial evidence, she requested for
more time to fully investigate the case and
she requested for the presence of the
prosecutor and the O.C of the case by our
next hearing which was later adjourned till
September sixth.
Barrister Amaka then bombarded me with
barrage of questions, both relevant and
irrelevant questions, she wrote exhaustively
as I answered her questions. She then
agreed to take up my case and we agreed
on her professional consulting fees which I
paid up instantly. I then gave her the story
of my life and told her of my concern for my
mother in the Village, I told her of the money
I have in the Bank and my property in my
house which I believed the Army would
have moved to the Store and reallocate my
house. I told her the key to my house is my
travelling bag that was in the Custody of the
Abakaliki Prisons authority. All said and
done, she drove in her Car to the Prison later
in the day and requested for my keys from
the Warders which they gave it to her with
my authorization.
On her way out she came to bide me fair
well, I knelt down and begged her, I told her
again of how I was born and the travails
that had being lot from birth, I told her every
detail about how my mother survives and
my fear for her health now that she has not
heard from me in almost two years.
Barrister Amaka could not but cry with me
when I became emotional while telling her
my story and my plea for assistance. She left
that day April twentieth and promised to be
at Court on the sixth of September
My confidence level rose in the prison as I
could pull some strings now and I joined the
group of Prisoners that were released from
their Cells at night stretch their legs by
walking about the Prison premises or
converging under shadows to smoke Indian
hemp and drink beer purchased for us by
our errand Boys, the Warders.
Sometimes Girls, especially prostitutes are
sneaked into the Prison Yard on our request
for a quickie or two. I have witnessed a
scenario where nine of us had quickies with
a single Girl in turns. We all paid her as
agreed and at the end of the Fun she
walked out normally chewing gum as if
nothing had happened, but her purse was
fatter than when she came. Of course she
will settle her love-vendor, the Warder that
brought her in and those at the gate too.
Indian hemp was smuggled in and sold to
us by the Warders at twice the price , a
couple of times Oga Inside had helped me to
buy Parcels of Indian hemp which I re
wrapped and sold at fantastic profit, but it
was too risky so I simply focused on my
Garri and Groundnut business. I became a
creditor to many inmates as I lent many of
them money when they are desperately in
need. Would you believe if I tell you that
some prisoners are actually escorted to their
homes at night and returned to Prison
before dawn? It happens so long as cash is
concerned, there was a man that had been
in prison for twelve years and during this
period, his wife had three children for him,
his biological Children I mean!
The Prison medical Doctor visits on Mondays
and Fridays only, the nurses are the ones
readily available to attend to emergencies
and there were always emergencies
especially from the C.C Cell.
The condemned criminal Cell was like a den
of Lions, even the Warders were scared of
the inmates and seldom interfere when they
fight, severally dead bodies had been carried
out of the CC Cell due to strangulation or
bursting someone’s head on the Brick wall.
Many times they rushed a new inmate to the
clinic as a result of tears and bruises to the
anus due to forceful penetration by Rapists
in the C.C cell. The irony of it all is that the
Patients are returned to the same Cell after
treatment only to meet the same treatment
that led them to the Hospital. It was
common to hear screams and cries from the
C.C cell especially in the dead of the night. For
those of on ATL, the fear of the condemned
Criminals Cell was the beginning of wisdom.
I was somehow comfortable now in Prison
because I was making enough money to see
me through, it was just by a stroke of luck
that I decided to buy Garri and groundnut
with the money I realized when we went to
court in February, if I had not bought the
Garri, I would have spent the money
somehow.
I kept the profits realized from my sales with
Oga Inside, though I knew it was risky but
at least it can be traced to him rather than
keeping money in the Cell where not less
than fifty persons inhabit at every point in
time. Whenever I lay hands on my Cheque
book, I would retrieve my account number
from where I wrote it and then transfer my
money from Oga Inside to the bank and
subsequent profits will be sent straight to
the bank through any warder. I wished I
had opened an account for my Mother when
I went to the Village, at least I could transfer
some money into her account from Prison
here, but how was I to know that I would
be here now?
September sixth came very quickly and we
went to Court for my case hearing. My file
was the first to be presented for hearing
because my Lawyer, Barrister Amaka Dike,
the daughter of a SAN was in Court.
The state prosecuting Lawyer was present,
Sergeant Godwin was present but the
Konwea family was not represented; I was
later to know that they refused to honour
the Court summons because they suspected
a foul play and they had vowed to institute a
legal action against the Nigeria Police. They
said the Police had informed the Family that
I had been sentenced to jail for life so how
come they were being invited to Court for
the hearing of a case that was presumed
closed? Even Sergeant Godwin had decline
coming to Abakaliki but for the insistence of
barrister Amaka. The case was further
adjourned to February 1994 to allow for
further investigation. The Judge accused the
Police of gross incompetence and lackluster
attitude in carrying out their duties; the
Judge was impressed with the submissions
of my Lawyer which were
-Mr. Chike is from Ibagwa Nike in Enugu
state and his family house is known
-Mr. Chike’s Wife and three Kids live in his
Village house in Ibagwa
-Mr. Chike has relocated to Yaoundé in
Cameroon and is trading on Motor Spare
parts and accessories
-Mr. Chike still sneaks into Nigeria to do
business and to see his Family
-Mr. Chike is being monitored by the Interpol
of both countries
-the Nigerian Police will make arrest once
Chike steps into the Country.
After the Court session, I was so elated that I
hugged my Lawyer passionately and
thanked her immensely; at last there was a
sign of hope in my seemingly hopeless
situation.
That was not all, she sat me down and gave
me more details of her activities since we
parted ways in April.
She went to the Barracks to meet Colonel
Asemota my Commanding Officer but was
told that he had been transferred to Lagos
and replace by another Colonel Garba. She
had introduced herself and explained her
mission. The quarter master was instructed
to take her to the Store where my properties
were kept as my house had been reallocated
to another Soldier. She searched and found
my Cheque book. I jumped and hugged her
again. She just laughed but her eyes did not
spark as she laughed which means either
she does not me hugging her or she wasn’t
just in the right mood to share my joy so I
cautioned myself to restrain from hugging
her.
How can I pay you for all your efforts? I
asked her you have single handedly done
what the Nigeria Police could not do! How
did you dig up all these facts about Mr.
Chike? How? I demanded.
It’s my job Ojo! It’s my job! She said as she
tried to force a smile, but her eyes betrayed
her. No spark.
Ha! May God almighty bless you my Sister! I
said as she removed my Cheque book from
her Purse and handed to me. My Mother! I
need to send money to her! I said.
Then she quietly said something that
sounded like “I went to Esa-odo”
You say what? I asked aloud
I saw your Mother! She said
Mama! You saw my mother? I asked
nervously searching her face as she tried to
hide her emotions.
Yes! I went to Esa-Odo, I saw your uncle
Baba Miko and I saw your mother. Your
mother is sick, she is very very sick; I
interrupted her.
How do you mean? What do you mean very
very sick? Please talk to me! I begged on my
knees, I was scared.
When your mother waited for one year and
she did not see you or hear from you, she
came to Enugu to look for you in company
of Baba Miko. They went to the Army
barracks and were eventually directed to
your Unit. On getting to your unit, they met a
group of Soldiers discussing under a Mango
tree and they asked about you. The Soldiers
told them different versions of how you
were involved in armed robbery and your
eventual execution by the Police. Your
mother lost her mind instantly! Baba Miko
took her back to the Village and since then
she has not come to her senses. She carries
a Picture of you in Army uniform with her
every where she goes now, she would sit
and stare at the Picture for over one hour
then she would stand up and stare at a
distance smiling and whispering your name
as if she is seeing you. I tried to talk to her, I
told her you were alive and okay, I told her
you sent me to her but she just gaze at me
as I spoke, it was as if I was not there
talking to her. I spent two days in your
Village, I lodged at a Hotel in Ijebu Jesha, a
town close to your Village and the next day
Baba Miko and I took her to Ilesha
Psychiatric hospital.
That was the much I could remember as I
lay on the bed at the teaching Hospital
recuperating, I was on drip. I was told by
the nurses that I was rushed in from the
Court the day before. My Mother had gone
mad.
Leave a Reply