Thorns In My Boot

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.