The University Village

Episode 3

Atleast four men attached to the vigilante group had reprimanded them on their way, pointing torchlight to their faces, which brought their journey to a sudden halt.

“Hold it right there, and step down!” One of the men fired.

The okada man obeyed, and parked his bike, he walked towards them while Femi and the mysterious lady followed him slowly at his back.

“Where una dey come from by this time?” He enquired with a straight face.

“Sir, I’m just performing my duty as a bikeman.” The okada man blurted, but before he could speak further, a thunderous slap landed on his face. The sound of the slap sent cold shiver passing through the veins of the lady, as she almost urinated on herself. Femi was shocked, but as a man, he decided to keep cool.

“You no answer my question, you com dey blow grammer for me.. Na you go school pass abi?” The vigilante fired back without expecting a response.

“Agba oo… Agba!!, Abeg I be una pikin, make una no vex, na these two people say make I carry dem from unity square.” He said pointing to Femi and the lady while holding his face using his other hand. The okada man must’ve wooed them with the little igala dialet he had spoken, because immediately he said that, they practically let him be, and then focused on Femi and his counterpart.

“Oya make una two come here!” Another of the vigilante men said with a tone of command. “Wetin be time now?” He added asking none of them in particular.

Femi looked at his wristwatch to check the idea of time, and it was after the hour of ten. It’s a norm in the town for people not to be caught wandering or lurking about at night, otherwise, the person(s) may either be apprehended by the vigilante or another group of security forces dubbed “Enter Bus.” This is as a result of incessant criminal activities and burglary being perpetuated by unsuspecting hoodlums, especially at a region, called the back of NTA. Femi then told them that himself and the Lady were travelling together, before their vehicle got spoilt on the way, still, his lamentations fell on deaf ears.

The first vigilante man who spoke asked the girl, if she knew Femi but she denied him blatantly. She claimed not to know him before, even saying that he had only requested to help her get home as it was getting late, and since they were both heading towards the same direction. On hearing what she had said, Femi was beyond shocked, his good deed had suddenly turned around to haunt him before his very eyes. The vigilante men seemed to have believed what she said, so they asked Femi what her name was, but he couldn’t provide an answer as he never bothered to ask her in the first instance.

Then they told the Bikeman and Lady to go, except Femi who was left behind to explain his initial intention with the lady whom he was only trying to help. One of the vigilante men even claimed that Femi had planned to take her to his Lodge and then Molest her.

Thereafter, they asked him to take off his shirt and roll on the muddy floor, he obeyed and did as he was told; he was also made to frog-jump for about thirty close intervals without taking a break. Femi was sweating profusely while being punished. A thought crossed through his mind to run away, but on a second thought, he changed his mind seeing the local guns which they were carrying, as that would only complicate issues. After completing such heinous task, they requested for his student ‘I.D Card’, and after showing them, they allowed him to go, but not after they warned him never to keep late night again.

Femi could barely walk properly due to several internal pains in his joints. He had to drag his foodstuffs on the floor along with him considering the weight, as he was left to walk alone to his apartment.

He was furious, vexed, and unsatisfied as he wished for someday when he would see the lady who made him go through such pains. She was definitely going to suffer a reprisal payback. He said to himself inwardly as he made a sinister smirk….