Chapter 32

Woo-ooh…broke the sound of siren that into the serene morning air of Government Boys College, Iddo.

"Is that not too early?’’

In aghast, the security guards asked each other.

"What prompted Police van siren into the college premises this morning?’’

Police siren sound was an uncommon thing to the ears of the inhabitants of GBC because of it was build faraway from town. It was a popular belief in the country that police doesn’t blow their siren in the bushy roods for fear of being ambushed by criminals. They only low their siren in the middle of the town to scare the motorists into giving them way or disturb the ears of the people. So, that made the security guards unable to fathom what a police vehicle could be doing in the college, which was build in the middle of a thick bush that early morning.

When the police vehicle moved closer to the school gate, the siren sound halted. The vehicle’s doors opened and slammed and three policemen alighted briskly. At the vehicle’s front doors, it was inscribed: POLICE ANTI-CRIME PATROL. The Policemen ordered the security men to open the gate so they could see the principal immediately.

"We are on holiday and the principal isn’t living in the staff quarters. Can you please tell us why you want to see him?’’ Okon, the first speaker said, his voice shaking with the fear of the unknown.

Many questions and answers were flipping like the pages of a book in Okon’s mind. Had one of them committed crime? No. He didn’t go anywhere for many days now apart from the college and his home. Perhaps, Garba lives in the box-like little house provided by the college for the security guards as shelter. Then, what would the security men be doing in the college?

"Well, it’s nothing serious,’’ said a tall, dark and slim policeman having three red stripes on the upper arms of his black uniform shirt. He saw the horror in the security men’s face and said that to lessen it.

He was a police sergeant and the leader of the patrol team who had raided the Magic Land Night Club the previous night and arrested Adrian, Richard and Ronald. There were other two policemen with no stripes on their uniforms, standing behind him. They were standing at alert, having stern faces, looking here and there, clenching with their long guns.

"Flease tell us, even though it’s nothing much,’’ said Garba, the second security guard in a panicky tone.

"Your students went to Iddo town to cause mayhem in the Magic Land Night Club yesterday night." The police sergeant said with frowned face suddenly.

"Our students!’’ the two security men shouted in surprise.

"Yes, your boys,’’ said the police sergeant, "they were with their student identity cards. They were prime suspects because we met them at the scene of the crime."

"That is not possible! Our students can’t go out anyhow,’’ Okon said, shaking his head with the fury of an aggressive cow. He turned to his junior colleague, the man who almost killed Martin, Adrian and other boys with his locally made gun mistakenly the previous day. His name was Garba. "Did you allow any student to go out yesterday when I wasn’t on duty, Garba?’’

"Not at all,’’ said Garba, pretending as if he’s just remembering something, "hmmm…hope you remember the stubborn boy called Martin?’’

"Eh…yes,’’ Okon pretended as if he was not accustomed to the name. He was biting his index finger as if trying to remember his name, "do you mean Martin…em… em…Martin Adekola, one of the final year students?’’

"Yes, he came with three of his priends to seek my fermission to go out to town and buy something yesterday evening."

"Oh my God, did you allow them out?’’ Okon’s questions were almost screaming. He rushed so closer to Garba with his mouth wide opened and hands folded across his chest in s daze. It was as if he wanted to swallow the young man.

"No, sir!’’ shouted Garba proudly, smiling, showing his kola-nut-stained-teeth. "They even tried to bribe me but I repused and sent them back immediately!’’

The policemen had started losing their temper with the way the security men were discussing incessantly before them. But they were trying to swallow their anger.

"That’s good job, my boy,’’ hailed Okon as he heaved a loud sigh of relief. "But why didn’t you tell me this morning when I resumed duty? Why keeping such sensitive security issue away from your senior colleague until now? Do you know such thing could land us in big trouble? Have you forgotten the rules the college gave us concerning these students? Do you know the implications of…?’’

"Look here, look here men,’’ in an irritated tone, the sergeant shouted at the security men, halting Okon’s discussion. His speech was full of pride. He could not exercise patient any longer. "We are federal security officers and you’re just ordinary gate men, do you realize that? You can’t be keeping us waiting while you have your after-supper discussions. Are you aware that was a big disrespect to the government who sent us?’’

"Yes sir! We’re sorry, sir!’’ Okon pleaded, giving the sergeant a mock salute, hitting his right leg on the ground with all his might.

"Silly folicemen,’’ Garba cursed in his mind. "What is the dipperence between you and us; is it not the uniporm you are wearing and the gun you’re carrying? Let them hear the sound of a gunshot---boom now, they’ll run por their lipes. Its strong men like us who fossess sufernatural fowers that can stand dangerous criminals with bulletfroof amulets.’’

"Now, come and take a look at the two suspects we have in the trunk of our vehicle,’’ the sergeant said in a calm voice, mocking smiles brighten his very dark face. "They had been wailing along the way, disturbing our peace, so we plastered their lips.

"They can’t be our student, never!’’ Garba said, shaking his head proudly. "We don’t tolerate such indiscifline in this college.’’

"Adrian Adebayo…’’ Okon shouted as he checked inside the police vehicle’s trunk, "…and Richard Abalaka!’’

The policemen exchanged malicious glances, covering their mouths with their palms, chuckling silently.

"I can’t beliep this,’’ said Garba, suddenly, clasping his arms across his chest as he peered his eyes into the trunk of the vehicle and saw the two boys. "So you went and jumfed over the pence and went wild apter I almost shot…’’ He stopped talking abruptly. Mistakenly, he wanted to incriminate himself but stopped to correct himself quickly. "Oh sorry, apter I chased you way you still went to jumf over the fence?’’

"I told you but you were arguing with me. Do you think we would be pointing accusing fingers at your students without first making thorough investigations?’’ the sergeant’s question was meant for the security men but they were too dazed to reply. He continued, "well, since your principal is not around now, if you’ve got a phone in your post, call him at once. Tell him to come and see his students in our station--Iddo police station today, unfailingly. If he takes longer than today and tomorrow, we’ll take them to a maximum prison and remanded, because they’re prime suspects in a capital crime. It’s against the law to keep suspected criminals in our cell longer than 24 hours.’’

"Sorry, officer, what is their actual offence?’’ Okon asked.

"Yes, we want to know because you can’t just arrest someone just because you saw him in a club,’’ Garba argued.

"Around 10 o’clock last night,’’ said the police sergeant, "they allegedly killed a boy in the club by drowning him in the swimming pool!’’

"What!’’ shouted the two security men in horror. It was if the word kill was something they never heard before.

"Oh murder! Wallahi, that’s terrible crime!’’ Garba screamed, folding his arms across his chest.

"That is so bad to hear—O!’’ Okon said, feeling partially happy that Martin and Taj weren’t among the arrested boys.

Many times, Okon had released Martin and Taj to go out, collecting kickbacks in form of money and alcoholic drinks from them. He thanked his stars he wasn’t on duty that previous night. If he’d been on duty, he would have freed Martin and Taj to go out as usual with the two arrested suspects. And the boys might’ve pointed at him as the security guard who freed them to go out. Only that could cost him his job, let alone the bribes he used to collect from them. The bribe could lead to some month’s jail term if he’s sued to court and found guilty.

He had a wife and eight children at home. Who would cater for them he goes to prison? Even though his meager salary wasn’t up to something, the half of a loaf was still better than none. There is hope that better days are still ahead if he continue working hard. But how can someone work hard towards a better future in a jail?

The police had started driving away slowly now in their vehicle. Adrian and Richard saw the security men when they came to check them in the vehicle trunk but couldn’t talk or cry for help because of the plasters on their lips. Their hands and legs were chained together, making them looked like rams taking to a local market to be sold during Eid-el-Kabir festive period.

Before the sun fully shone in the sky that day, the security men had spread the news to the eager ears of the few students in the dormitories. When the students heard the siren, they were wandering in their hostel rooms what could be wrong but didn’t come out to the gate to check. Well, that wasn’t part of their responsibilities. They weren’t the security men. But what will happen to the arrested boys next?