Victims – Episode 32

Victims – Episode 32

A Story By Rosemary Okafor

“O ye who believe! The law of equality is prescribed to you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman…” Quran 2:178

In this case it was a woman for a man. His young wife has killed one of the faithful and she has to be punished for it, the ultimate punishment is death, that is called ‘ Qisas’ in Islam and he must see to it that it was done.

Somehow he felt his young wife didn’t commit the crime, but the fool had decided to keep mute like a dead donkey. His followers await his judgement, they would want him to do the right thing and so he must.

The stubborn girl was the list of his problem now, as he gave a final call to those he needed to contact, he was assured that nothing would go wrong tomorrow. Major Usman was answerable to him and was ready to put his job online for Allah.

Husayn knew this whole game would turn to his advantage. All he needed was to call the right people and they would be ready to die for him. So tomorrow would be the day all would be over, he would get his son and send Yusuf to hell.

“I am a master planner” he said to himself as he stood on his praying. He needed to connect to Allah before embarking on this journey.

By taking Yusuf’s life, he would be proving to Allah and his Prophet that he was worthy to be transformed into glory when he would finally join them in paradise. The death of his son wouldn’t have bothered him, but he needed to raise someone who would continue this jihad against ‘Kafirs ’ (Unbelievers) he needed to keep his bloodline alive.

“The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that ‘I am his Apostle’ cannot be shed except… one who reverts from Islam and leaves the Muslims… ”

Husayn read from ‘Sahih al-Bukari,9:83:32 ’ it was an assurance of his acceptance by Allah, he was doing Allah’s bidding according to the holy-book: Yusuf has betrayed the brotherhood and has turned against him, as far as Husayn was concerned, his nephew has left Islam and has now become a ‘Kafir ’

“He must be killed and I will take pleasure driving a dagger inside him myself”

“Allahu Akubar” he muttered as he faced ‘Makkah ’, raising his hand to his ears and shoulder. He opened the Quran again and read the ‘ Surah Al Fatiah’ .

Husayn needed to concentrate but it seemed to be difficult, his heart was panting heavily and his thoughts were racing, what he had ahead of him weight like a heavy stone around his neck.

Yusuf had called him and had demanded he come to Abuja early enough to prevent his son from blowing up with others in a destination he was yet to disclose till tomorrow. It was supposed to be a race against time, if he would be able to locate the venue and find Umaru before the time, he would be able to save his son and Yusuf would be gone for good.

But Husayn had his own plan which he had already set in motion since morning, the more he thought of it the more it excited him. He was not his weak father, the old Imam would have gone on his knees and beg, but not him.

Tomorrow he would prove once again that he was invincible, and would leave a memory in Abuja as he would leave part of it in ruins.

*

Major Usman knew the Imam was asking for the impossible. He would have done what he was ordering him to do but things have changed and his hands were tied.

“It is time to prove your loyalty to Allah…” Imam husayn had said over the phone.

“I am sending Agents Waziri and Tanko to you, give them all the support they need and make sure they are not followed or traced. Allah needs his message to be delivered in the capital city and you must make it happen, don’t bother about the casualties, they are little sacrifices for the conversion of unbelievers…”

Usman was supposed to deliver the two suicide bombers and the parcels they would carry to two different locations with the military vehicle and some neutral Army men who would not understand what would be going on.

The Idea would be to distract security agents with the chaos while the Iman and some of the other members of the brotherhood would meet Yusuf where ever he said and finish the business.

This would have been a simple task for Major Usman few days ago, but not anymore. He was being monitored by higher authorities.

“We know your affiliation with this secret Islamic sect and the roles you have been playing…” The man had told him

“you will not only lose your position, but we will make sure you witness the gruesome murders of your wives and all your children, even your two sons studying in Ghana…” the Man who had walked into his office like he owed it, said to him calmly

“I am not scared of your threats, if I die…I die for Allah…’ allal ilaha illallah’ ” Usman had shouted

But the man saw through him, he knew that the major’s heart melted in fear at the mention of his family “Shut up!” The man had ordered, reading his fear “We both know you cannot imagine your own death not to talk of that of your family members…so why don’t you sit your a$$, bring that miserable hand of yours down and let us talk how you are going to play by our own rules”

Major Usman was trembling as he looked at his phone, for the first time he was going to betray his master the Imam and would betray the brotherhood. If the plan went wrong, the Imam would ki*ll him without a blink. His third wife was heavily pregnant, his first daughter just got married to the son of the CBN governor, while his first son was about to bag his Doctorate degree. He couldn’t risk all that, his family would not forgive him even in after life.

So to save his family, he has to take side. He dialed the number given to him by the man, he waited for someone to pick up, drumming his fingers on the polished wooden table and looked at the florescent bulb in the office as it flicked off and on

“Yes” came the deep voice

“He just called”

“Good, keep him hoping, do not make him doubt you”

“Okay sir”

“Then set our plans in motion” the line went dead

He would receive his brothers from the brotherhood tomorrow, the would say their prayers to Allah before they set out for the divine assignments, the Military vehicles would be used but not to ki*ll anymore, he would deliver the brothers in cuffs to his own boss.

“You will receive double honor for this and nobody will hear the part we played in it” the man had assured him.

*

“Ka zai mutu… (she will die)”

“Za su kasha ta… (they will ki*ll her)”

“tara da sanda a ta kai (with a rod in her head)”

“Ba wanda zai cece ta (nobody will save her)”

It was like a soft song she sang to herself. One would not understand her words unless one strained the ears. She would sing and rock herself back and forth like a pebble being rolled on a smooth surface.

“Wanda kake Magana game da? (Who are you talking about)” Kafaya had tried to understand the girl but she kept on singing her song with horror in her eyes

“I don’t Understand; she must be referring to someone” Kafaya said to Ukwuoma when they got home that day. Ukwuoma had also tried to persuade Ife to tell more but the girl was in a world of her own.

“I was separated from her for some months, I cannot tell what happened to her all those while”

“She must be referring to someone…but who? Kafaya muttered. In a time like this, she wished that the free mind could be caged to a particular playback where what she sought would be unveiled by the coherency of speech.

To be continued

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