The Angel And The Fugitive – Chapter Nine Part A
THE ANGEL AND THE FUGITIVE – CHAPTER NINE PART A
© Reginald Obetta
Rumours were quickly picked by the ears of the police chief of the state, Abati Isaac about the possibility of abduction of the women that visited the state. Police D. P. O, quickly swung into action by investigating when it was discovered it had been twenty-four hours since they were last sighted after efforts to reach them by several ministries, associates and friends proved abortive. Several Calls had been made to the police command from Women Affairs Ministry and other women NGOs to look into their whereabouts. The latest was the Governor calling the Police Chief ;
“What is the latest on the matter? ”
“Sir, we still don’t have any clue about their whereabouts but we are optimistic”
“No clue yet? It’s been almost twenty-four hours and still you have nothing. They left my house and now they are nowhere. I will be held accountable for their safety, their disappearance, and now, an anarchy may spring up. Don’t you get it ?”
“Sir, we assure you we have it under control”. They only have a few hours before they make a public declaration about their abduction. Few minutes later, the D.P.O rushed in with a man, so nervous that sweats covered his forehead.
“Sir”, he saluted. “A witness at the scene has come to make a statement “. It was the same driver that was driven by Aina and Gamaru at that night of incidence. He was taken to the interrogation room and there, he provided his name.
“What do you have to say?”
“I was there at the scene. I was their driver when we were approaching coyant street”, he narrated the whole story to them.
“Why should we believe you? Your willingness to come to us. Prove to us you were the driver that night”
“I was driving a blue-black SUV, the women all sat at the back and were ignorant of what happened at the front, the blind separated the driver seat from the passengers’. They wore red, Navy blue, white and sky blue gowns respectively. Is it satisfactory”. The Police Chief forwarded a call to the Governor for confirmation and when, he did confirm they wore the stated dresses, and driven in the blue coloured SUV, the chief assumed at once it was them, the terrorist group that had almost everyone under their radar. He decided to call on the Governor before the press.
Political campaigns continued. The defector, Vice President Mallam Bello Salaudeen became the opposition IPPN presidential Aspirant in what was predicted will be a keenly contested election. His supporters gathered at the Lankan square to vouch their support for him. His running mate senator Bode Samson was beside him all the time during the rally which was attended by all and sundry, each of them carrying and flying the green white yellow flag of the party. He mounted the stage and calmed the boisterous supporters by the gesture of his hand.
“It’s a new moment for the country to have a deserved leader, worthy to lead the country out of her perilous situation. What is a country that cannot guarantee the security of the citizens? What is a country without defense? How can we have a booming economy, have investors coming when they know their safety and investment cannot be guaranteed? “he rhetorically questioned them in his native accent, the crowd yelled impossible.
“Security is the first responsibility of any Government and a Government that cannot be responsible should be removed from the Apex”, the boisterous crowd once again yelled his name and continued that way all through the rally.
Chuckling and watching the rally on TV in his home was Alhaji Saheed and Ex-vice president, Obinna Egwim, both seated on a settee in the former’s sitting room.
“Haha, it’s working. The heat is getting hotter and hotter by the day”
“Look at what he just said, throwing a jab at the government he helped to build”
“That is why the people will believe him. They need a man that will put the situation in black and white. The crowd out there is a testimony to that”
Suddenly, the broadcast changed into a breaking news about the abduction of the women in Taglu state in the hour of 8 pm, citing the possibilities that the women may have fallen into the hands of the rampaging terrorist group.
“It’s them. My boys are at it again. Two separate broadcast, run by artistry. Now it is I who run the Government”, he boasted.
“What is next? ”
“We continue to let the boys do their jobs till we all meet at the polls”
The Governor was visited by his security adviser and Police Chief early the next morning at his house. It was nearly thirty-six hours since the disappearance of the four women. The Governor had tried to use unorthodox ways of finding their location but it proved abortive. He panicked under his shivering skin when the two men entered at once.
“Have you anything yet? ”
“No, I carried out my regular street surveillance, no one seemed to know anything”, his security adviser spoke.
“I don’t want to believe this incidence is happening. The first reported case of kidnap in this state and no one has a clue about these women. Why are all these happening? My state is the latest victim of this ongoing peril. It’s far too shameful”
“Sir, we will get to the bottom of it. We just need a little more time”
“There is no time anymore. The blood of these women if dead are in my hands. You don’t understand, do you? ” He kept pacing, once or twice and had been in that mood all through the morning, refusing to take a seat. He got an upcoming call from an unknown I.D and rushed to receive it.
“Governor Tunde Oyim speaking”
“Your Excellency, it’s a honour to speak with the number one person in this state”
“Who are you? ”
“I think you should already know that but if you don’t, it’s my privilege to officially introduce myself in this state. I am Bin-Ahmed, the leader of the most popular terrorist group in the country, Al-hida”
“How did you get me and what do you want? ”
“Welcome, first of all, I am everywhere without letting you know and secondly, those beautiful women, you ransacked everywhere for are in our hands”
“Why should I believe you? ”
“Turn on your TV and you will be live with them”. The governor quickly rushed to switch the TV on, ignoring the questions, thrown at him by the two visiting men. The four women were partially stripped of their dresses, only their undies separated them from their nudity. They were tied to a chair, their mouths enclosed in a cell tape being molested by group of masked men. Unsurprisingly, Tunde Oyim was more relaxed than thought, perhaps, with their location known, a rescue would be possible.
To be continued
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good one