STANDING ALONE
“Sergeant
Okoro!” DSP Ahmed furiously called in a very high tone while standing
in-between his office executive chair and table the moment the said sergeant
hastily stepped into his office.
“Yes sir!”
Sergeant Okoro responded accordingly, facing the boss as the ethics demanded.
He stood seriously right before the DSP, posing not unlike one of the
soldiers that fought the Second World War.
Both were in their uniforms.
DSP
Rasaq Ahmed who was in his early forties was the Divisional Police Officer
(DPO) of one of the notable police stations situated in one of the
South-Western states in Nigeria. He was widely and famously known for his
unrelenting vibrant and dogged approach to issues pertaining to security of
lives and property from the very day he joined the Police Force. To say the
least, he was unarguably a no nonsense police personnel, that, he became the
role model of any police officer that intended to discharge his/her duties or
serve the country selflessly and efficiently without any iota of fear or favour,
as might be the case.
On that day, precisely 13th
August 2002, he had earlier sent for Sergeant Ekene Okoro within a twinkle of
an eye he received a report on one local ‘champion’ in the neighbourhood named
Femi who was accused of rape.
The notorious Femi who hailed
from the locality had been terrorizing the residents of the area and its
environs, and his dastardly acts coupled with other misdeeds were condoned by the
previous DPOs. He was popularly known by his accomplices as ‘Bale’, which
literally implied the Monarch of the territory, based on their native language Yoruba.
DSP Ahmed who was barely one
month old in the Division had vowed to deal ruthlessly with anyone in the area
of any questionable character having been intimated on the unwarranted
anomalies that were on the rampage in the locality. He was actually posted to
head the quarters owing to the ordeal.
“Go and
get me the so called Bale.” DSP Ahmed ordered. “Right now.” He supplemented, stood
still, looking like one who just lost one of his own.
“Yes sir!” replied the serious-looking sergeant
who was already aware of the ugly incident.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” He
warned.
“Yes sir!”
He signalled the sergeant with his left hand
as he frowned, urging him to leave immediately.
The sergeant hurriedly
tendered his last salute positioning his masculine chest forward and dashed out
of the office like a breastfeeding monkey as requested.
“Non….sense!” the DPO exclaimed as soon as the
sergeant departed, quickly resumed his seat, looking pale and anxious.
Considering his physiognomy,
it was obvious he couldn’t wait to behold the accused person.
Within three minutes,
Sergeant Okoro organized a 5-man team comprising no nonsense and well
experienced cops including him, and headed for the consignment with their black
patrol vehicle.
* * * * *
“We have him, sir!” Sergeant
Okoro disclosed in a high tempo the moment he dashed into the DPO’s office,
posing as usual.
This was taking place barely
twenty minutes after his departure with the team having successfully
apprehended the culprit as instructed by the boss.
“Good job.” the DPO
applauded, nodding his big skull. “Where is he?” He added while standing from
his chair.
He was instantly led by the
seeming fearless sergeant to the room where the hooligan was kept in handcuffs.
Femi who could not be confronted by
anyone, not even his King, couldn’t believe he was in the police net.
“So you are the Bale?” said
the DPO in a mean tone within a second he found himself in the room.
The boss stood directly in
front of the suspect who was seated on an Iron back-chair. Among everyone in
the room – including the DPO and his men, he was the only one who had a seat.
As he felt relaxed in the chair, he calmly looked up to the DPO’s face and
remained mute.
The huge, dark-looking and about 5.5-foot tall
Femi, who seemed to be in his mid-forties, was clad in black jeans, blue polo
and dark-blue trainers. The stylishly carved beards on his chins and lower jaw
were enough to form a forest within his skull. By merely taking a glance at his
appearance, you needn’t be told that he was a kingpin.
That was the first time the DPO would set his eyes on him. Prior to that
moment, the former was only familiar with the latter’s names especially his
sobriquet.
Aside DSP Ahmed, there were
other three cops in the room, which was virtually empty. They included Sergeant
Okoro and one female officer.
The DPO, DSP Ahmed who was in
his police uniform alongside his junior colleagues signalled the female cop who
stood adjacent to him to uncuff Femi.
She hastily complied with
the instruction and returned to her initial position.
She was standing by the left
side of the detainee, Sergeant Okoro stood directly at his (Femi’s) back whilst
the other male cop was by his right side. It suffices to say that the hoodlum
was surrounded by the four cops present in the room.
“I learnt you have been
terrorizing the whole town?” the DPO proceeded. “And now, you have diverted to
rape.”
Femi remained speechless, looked
mean.
“Are you dumb?” DSP Ahmed
shouted.
Femi stylishly glanced at him. “I promise,” he said. “You will surely
regret this.”
“What …!” the DPO exclaimed in
a high voice.
The
other male cop rushed to hit him but he was resisted from doing so by the DPO
via a commanding sign.
The cops including the DPO
became preoccupied with extreme rage. They, excluding the boss, kept their
pistols handy; the DPO’s was lying on his belted waist.
“So,” quoth DSP Ahmed. “You are threatening
me?”
The other three cops simultaneously shook their
heads in disappointment.
“Even in my office?” the DPO
added, looking bitter.
To be continued, please.
Comrade Fred Nwaozor
National Coordinator, Right Thinkers
_____________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056Twitter: @mediambassador
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