REALITY IS AN ILLUSION

It was a wet gloomy Friday evening in the metropolitan city of Jos. I drove slowly on the wet road and made a detour to avoid the traffic on Vom road. My destination was the Central city estate my place of residence located along Nagaguta avenue. I took a quick glance at the time on my car dashboard. It was some few minutes after 6pm. My favorite rock band group Coldplay was on the car stereo and I was nodding my head to the beat of Viva la vida.

It had been a hectic day at the office. I was dog tired and my fingers were numb from continuous typing on the keyboard of the office Pc. Typing of articles, emails and proposals were a major part of my job description as the content writer and editor of Bruslink media group; the publishers of the popular Drifts magazine. The day had been further complicated by the sms i received from Amina my girlfriend of three months. She had sent a text saying she was breaking up with me. I wasn’t perturbed because I knew our relationship had been heading towards the cliff. We were not compatible.

I turned into Nagaguta avenue and I could see my estate gate from the distance. Home was indeed where the heart was.

I had barely entered my living room when my phone suddenly rang.
I brought it out from my right pocket, a sleek Techno Phantom A+ device.
Nsima was calling.

“Hello Nsima?”
“Hi Jerry”

Nsima was a friend and a business partner. We were collaborating on a book project.

“Jerry I am with the project consultant in Lewis bar along Hulks street. He wants to see you now.
I let out a sigh.
“I’ll be there in 15 minutes”.

The book project was dear to my heart. I had to go.
I was too tired to drive so I opted to use a taxi.
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The meeting with the consultant was detailed and profitable. When I glanced at my watch it was close to 9pm. We had used over two hours & thirty minutes for our discussion. I was totally fagged out. I walked into a nearby supermarket to buy bread, beverage & few items for dinner.

The moment I entered Kelis supermarket I felt a strong sense of uncertainty. The shop was scanty with few customers probably due to the unpleasant weather. There were only three customers inside; myself, a young lady and a middle-aged man.

I walked to the snacks shelf where biscuits, cookies and other snacks were on display. I picked up two packets of my favorite McVitie’s HobNobs and placed them in the shopping cart. I moved on to the next shelf to pick a tin of Peak milk. I had a strange feeling that someone was following or watching me.

When I got to the shelf I looked around and saw the young lady standing close to me. She was checking something on top of the shelf. The lady was very fair in complexion, for a moment I thought she was a Caucasian. She was wearing a flowing white gown. I could see her long black hair tied into a pony tail. She appeared to be in her early twenties.

I pulled the cart and moved on to a glass shelf where perfumes were on display. I stood there for a few minutes and looked around to confirm if she was following me. I saw her standing behind me.


My suspicion was right. She was indeed following me!

I turned round and faced her.

“Jerry Pam?” She said in a soft melodious voice.
How did she know my name?

I looked straight into her eyes. There was something unearthly about her pale blue eyes and red lips.
“How did you know my name?” I asked her.

“Oh I am a regular reader of your stories in Drifts magazine. I am also friend of yours on Facebook” she replied.
“good to know that” I said with a smile. “It is always my pleasure to meet an online friend offline.”
“So what’s your name?” I probed further.

She kept quiet for some seconds and replied.

“I am a Mermaid and I have come to take you away”
I gave a quick chuckle, she was flirting with me.
“Really? So how is your kingdom?” I asked. I had activated my flirting mood.

She didn’t make any response. She was just looking at me.

“Sorry I have to leave now” I said and made a move to leave.
“Jerry wait…..I need your help”
“What do you need my help for?”

“I want you to listen to my story and help me write it in your magazine. The whole world must know the truth!” She declared.

What truth does she want the world to know? I asked myself.

“Jerry like I said earlier, I am a mermaid”. I heard her say clearly in a serious tone.
“Are you serious? where is your proof”. I inquired as I started backing away from her, she could be a nutcase.

We were the only customers in the shop. The two salesmen were at the front counter, the middle aged man had gone out.
“Look at me!” she said.


I had never seen something like that in my life. The lady held her gown by the hips and slowly pulled it up. I saw with my two eyes the lower half of a fish complete with scales! From her hips down was the body of a fish.
"Jesus Christ! I screamed. I pulled the cart and ran to the two salesmen at the counter. She made no effort to stop me.

“Sir what is the problem? We have heard you shouting”. One of them asked me.
“Have you seen the lady in a white gown standing over there? I inquired, pointing my fingers in her direction.
“Yes one lady in a white gown came in 15 minutes ago. She bought hair cream and left here two minutes ago” the salesman informed me.
“She is a mermaid, she is still here!”

They both exchanged quizzical looks and burst into laughter.
“Oga you are seeing things o” That young woman left this shop few minutes ago. Look around you are the only customer here.
I had to leave. I hastily paid for the two items in the cart and took my leave.

Was I seeing things? Could this be an illusion? I wondered as I stood by the pavement waiting to flag down a taxi. As a Christian I believed in the existence of the supernatural world but I never believed that mermaids were real. I only used to watch them in movies and read about them in novels.


I regretted not taking my car with me earlier on. I would have simply zoomed off in the car. The taxis were few and far in between.

“Why did you run?” A feminine voice queried me.
I turned round in fright. The young lady in white was standing behind me.
Goose pimples appeared on my body.

“Wh….what do you want with me?!” I stuttered.


I tried looking into her eyes and I could only see darkness. She was nowhere to be found. I looked right, left & turned around, the lady had disappeared!

I instantly threw away the shopping bag with the items and took to my heels. The streets were deserted as few people were on the road because of the cold weather.

“I cover myself with the blood of Jesus! The lord is my shepherd I shall not want” I began declaring as I ran. My heart was racing.

I ran down five blocks away from the supermarket and got to the intersection of the road. Fortunately a cab drove down from the opposite direction. I hailed the driver and jumped in.

Two passengers were in the taxi, one seated at the front and the other at the back. I was desperate to leave that part of town.

We drove along the busy Tema street and I felt a sense of relief and security when I saw the sizeable crowd of commuters along old airport road.
Was she a ghost? Was this a reality or an illusion? I saw her clearly, she spoke to me, the mermaid was real. I couldn’t doubt what I saw with my eyes.

The two passengers highlighted along the way and I became the sole passenger in the cab. The driver drove on expecting me to drop along the way but when he approached the end of the old airport road he turned round and asked me…

“Oga where you wan drop?”
“Take me to City Central estate by Nagaguta avenue, I’ll pay you for the drop”.

We drove in silence and turned into Apollo crescent express road. Apollo crescent is a lonely & long stretch highway. The road was dark as the street lights were not powered on.

The driver turned back and looked at me. I frowned at him because I wanted privacy but to my surprise, he suddenly smiled. The smiling face was the face of the young lady on a white gown! I sat speechless and watched in horror as the face and body features of the driver transform right before my eyes into that of the mermaid.

I was rooted to the spot, my head swelled up to thrice its size. I made efforts to speak but the words couldn’t come out, my mouth was closed by a power I couldn’t control. I could hear the hysterical and loud ringing laughter of the mermaid as she drove on at fast speed!

Out of nowhere I found strength gradually returning to me.

“The blood of Jesus!!!!“ I screamed and kicked at the car door. “Let me out!!” The door had been fastened.
I kept on hitting the door until a slight opening vent appeared on the side. The door got loosened. I jumped out of the vehicle and landed on the tarmac. The speed at which I landed made me roll on the sloppy road. My body tumbled over and rolled like a ball several times. I stretched out my hands looking for something to hold on to stop my cascading fall.
I finally landed besides a tree and laid there with a peeling skin and blood flowing from my body injuries. I fainted.
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A good Samaritan passing by took me to the Red cross clinic close to my residence.

Its been one month after the incidence. I have read many pages of scientific material and manuscripts on Mermaids. I have still not found any evidence that they exist. My friends are of the opinion that I was hallucinating or was under the influence of a mind altering substance. One of them even brought up the ridiculous suggestion that I should undergo treatment for schizophrenia. I don’t have an idea why a mermaid will decide to contact me in such a dramatic manner. I have been mulling over the matter for the past one month and I think that maybe I should have kept calm and listen to the story of the mermaid.

I have come to the conclusion that my adventure that night was real. The scars on my hand are there to verify my claim. It wasn’t an illusion, it was reality but I have been told that sometimes reality is an illusion.



The end.

ALL THAT I WANT IS IN JESUS

Don't think for a moment
I never felt the pain
You can't imagine
The hurt and the shame
They put the nails through my hands
Pierced my side, please understandIt wasn't easy, but it was worth it!


Vivian sang into the microphone alternating her rich alto voice as the tempo of the worship session increased. She was the lead vocalist of the choir. The choir members looked splendid in their black and white outfit with a touch of blue. A medium sized choir with good backup singers and a rich variety of musical instruments.

It was a Good Friday evening service at Hallway Bible church Uyo. The Altar was decorated in line with the somber mood of the Easter season. Two portraits depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was hung on both sides of the church. The church members were on their feet with outstretched hands worshipping in the spiritually charged atmosphere.

Vivian looked out into the crowd, her eyes settled on a man sitting in the middle pew. He was focusing all his attention on her. The lyrics and message of the Cece winan’s song was a sharp knife that pierced into his soul. His face looked agitated. It was as if the song was sung just for him. He sat with his hands griping the arm rest of the plastic chair. A small King James version bible was lying on top of his laps. The three days Easter program invitation flyer was in the middle section of his bible alongside a blue biro.


I didn't have to do it
But I did it anyway
'cause I really love you
So much I took your place

I died for your sins
Yes I'm the one

Don't take it lightly
What I've done
It wasn't easy, but it was worth it…..

Vivian always felt a sense of fulfillment whenever she was leading a worship session in church. Her face always glowed with inner joy. The presence of the Holy Spirit in this session was intense. She could see people with tears in their eyes pouring out their souls to God as the worship songs rolled out from her lips.
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“Sister Vivian that was a wonderful worship session, the hands of the Lord is really upon your life!”. Pastor Mike the choir director said to her. The service had ended of the service and worshippers were trooping out. Vivian was walking out of the church premises with sister Judith a fellow chorister.
“Thank you sir, I give God all the glory!

Everyone at one time or the other had told her that she had a singing ministry. She herself knew that she had a higher calling from God to evangelize with her voice. She didn’t belong in this small church located on the outskirts of Uyo.

Vivian was used to feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit come down mightily whenever she ministered in church and other Christian gatherings. Her calling was to be an international gospel artist ministering live in gospel concerts around the world and releasing gospel albums. Her constraint was funds to achieve this goal. There was no sponsor. Breaking into the Nigerian gospel music industry required money and she had none.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to onto thee”. That was the word of the Lord in Matthew 6:33 and she held strongly to it. God will make her a music star in his own time.

Vivian was 26 years old, an OND holder from Uyo city polytechnic. She wasn’t from an affluent family. Her parents lived were in the village. Bobby her three years old son lived with them.

Bobby was a product of a love-hate relationship she had with Eshiet an handsome young man who took advantage of her and disappeared when she got pregnant. He had not appeared ever since then. She had put him behind her, he was in her past and the word of the lord in 2 corinthians 5:17 said that” if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things has passed away, behold all things have become new”.

Vivian’s heart skipped a beat when she saw her landlord standing at her front door with a determined look on his face. He was obviously waiting for her.

“Good evening sir” she greeted him”
He muttered some incoherent words and raised his voice.

“I came to remind you about my rent” You are defaulting by three months. This is the last time I”ll be reminding you. Get ready to pack your things out next weekend!”

“Please sir give me more time” she pleaded. Her spirit that was raised up in church had been instantly deflated.

“Sorry Vivian. I can’t exercise patience any longer”. He shook his head and walked away.


It was a shame, her house rent had expired three months ago. The landlord has been gracious to let her stay in the house so far.
The apartment was a low cost block of one bedroom flats with shared facilities. She had been living in the house right from her school days.

Where was the money to pay for the apartment?

She had sent the small savings she got from her petite tailoring work to the village the previous week to care of Bobby who was ill. If not for lack of funds she would have visited him this easter week. Being unemployed was a curse. There were no jobs around and no one will employ an Ond graduate when Bsc and masters degree holders were milling around like ants.

“Look for one of these Uyo politicians and become his mistress, you will have money splashed on you like these other young girls were doing in the city”.

That was the practical advice mama Patience gave her when she narrated her plight to her. Vivian couldn’t do that. Her body was the sanctuary of the Lord and she couldn’t defile the temple of God.


Vivian got inside the room and sat down on the bed moody. She needed a miracle soon. Vivian began humming one of her favourite worship songs by Michael Smith.

Open the floodgates of heaven, let it rain, let it rain
Open the floodgates of heaven, let it rain, let it rain"
In a short while she began to pray……

"Oh lord I want to see your glory! You said in your word that you shall not suffer the seed of Jacob to seek you in vain. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the lord shall not lack any good thing! Jesus meet me at the point of my need. All that I want is in you lord! You died on the cross at Calvary to take away my shame, my reproach, you became poor so that through your poverty i might become rich. Jesus let your word be fulfilled in my life this weekend! Lord rain down your blessings upon me……”
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Seats in the sanctuary were filled to the brim on the second day of the Easter program. Word had gone round the environment about the glorious service held the previous day so people trooped in to experience the power of God in a new dimension.
A hymn was being rendered by the choir. Vivian as usual was the lead singer. She sang with her whole heart, she was in the heavenly realm where she didn’t have to worry about house rent, a job or financial problems.

“Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder/Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder/Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul/My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art/ How great Thou art!"

The man sat in the second row his eyes fixed on the lead singer. He had come once again on the second day. He was on a striped Louis vuitton longsleeved shirt and a black trouser.


And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul/My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art/ How great Thou art!


Pastor Davies Akpan preached a stirring message on the love of Christ. Shortly the altar call was made. The man hesitated for some seconds then went out to surrender his life to Christ.
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“Sister Vivian somebody wants to see you!” An usher tapped Vivian on her back. The service was over.

“Who is the person?” Vivian asked her choir note book was in her hands and she was skimming through the songs.

“He is a man, he is waiting outside. He say it is important he sees you”.
Vivian reluctantly got up to her feet and walked down the three tier steps of the exit door of the church.

“Look at him there, he is the one leaning on that black car!” The usher pointed in the direction of the man & left.

It was the man she saw on the good Friday service.

He was leaning on one of the doors of a black Suv. Vivian approached him cautiously.

“Hello young lady” he hailed her.

“Hello sir”

“I am Engr Tunji Olawole. I work with Sahara oil group. I came to this town with my wife to visit my in-laws and somewhere along the line someone invited to this church.So I decided to visit. I must admit i like your voice, it moved me when you sang yesterday. You sing so well, you should be a gospel artist!

“Thanks you sir”

“What’s your name?’

“Vivian”

“Vivian I feel disturbed in my spirit to help you. I have been having this push to meet you since yesterday. What can I do to help you? Are you a graduate?” he asked.

Vivian couldn’t believe her ears, this was like an open cheque thrown at her!

“Sir I need a job, I have an OND in business management. Sir I am in a fix right now. I am defaulting on my rent and my landlord has threatened to throw me out on Friday next week.”

“How much is your rent?
Its N35,000 for a year.

Let me have your account number. Bring your cv tomorrow I’ll be attending the service with my wife.
“Thank you sir! God bless you sir!!

“You are welcome. You should meet my wife, her brother owns with a music record label in Lagos. Let me have your number.

Vivian gave him her account number and phone number. He left promising to keep in touch.

It was just too good to be true.

Later that evening a bank alert hit her phone. N150,0000 had been transferred into her account via a Gtb bank internet banking platform. Engr Tunji had kept to his word.

Vivian was speechless. God had finally visited her. She had never received such sum of money as a gift throughout her entire life. It was an Easter miracle!

She could only shed tears of joy while singing along to Frank Edwards track…



Na wetin I do
Wey make you love me so
You shed your blood
Just because of me 
You are bigger than
What people say 
And forever you will be my God

You too dey bless me Ooh
Na so you love me Ooh
You too dey bless me



The end.

JUSTICE IN THE JUNGLE 2

Damn!!! Ayo must have come looking for me only to be cornered by this mad crowd.

I turned around in search of a friendly face for help. I spotted the man who ran with those items in the crowd…watching, waiting. Our eyes met briefly, he saw me and moved back slowly…the man was disappearing into the crowd.

The police! How do I get the police involved? I had left my phone behind in my car for fear of theft in the market. I didn’t even have the police emergency numbers. Rushing back all the way to the car wasn’t going to help. They might even kill Ayo before I could reach the car.

“Police! Somebody call the police! This is an innocent man!” i yelled.

I found myself at the front of the crowd. Ayo was sitting on the dirty ground, bare-chested, his cloth shredded into strips and muddied by dirt. He was bleeding from the many lacerations on his body. This fine educated innocent gentleman had been reduced to an object of ridicule and scorn.

I bent over him and I could hear him groaning from the pains inflicted on him.

He recognized me. I saw the pain and fear of death in his eyes, he had been weeping profusely from the beatings. He weakly stretched his bleeding hands to mine.

“Help me…..please get me out of here” he muttered.

Rough hands suddenly seized me from behind and I found myself being dragged backwards. A fiery slap from landed on my face and momentarily I saw darkness as I fell down dazed.

The darkness quickly cleared from my eyes & I found myself staring into the sunken eyes of a man with a sadistic face. A dirty looking black fez cap was perching on top of his flat shaped head while his thick ugly lips were drawn in a snarl. A long wooden club dangled from his right hand. He was undoubtedly the ringleader of the mob and i wanted to bury my fists in his ugly mug.

“Na so una dey tif tif for this market, God don catch una today! If you no wan stay for one place I go vex kill you join!” he shouted as he glared down on me.

“Na im broda be dat” “Kill dem, na dem dey worri us for dis market”. Murderous voices sounded from the crowd.

I struggled and got up to my feet and moved back the menacing crowd could seize me up in an instant.

An old frail woman moved forward and struck Ayo with all her strength screaming invectives at him, she received cheers and applause from the crowd.

Was this a horrible nightmare or for real? I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A bottle of petrol and match box was brought and I heard Ayo say with his last strength.

”Why me father? Why me?”.

An elderly man tried to push forward to tell them you have the wrong man, but the stares he was given were enough to say” back away old man, or you join him”.

The fate of my friend was sealed.

The fire was set and I couldn’t stay to watch my friend burn to death. 

An innocent man had been sacrificed. The fire sprang up in the air.

I took to my heels and away from the scene. I was delirious muttering incoherent words. I had failed Ayo. The look of helplessness on his face will forever be emblazoned in my mind. As I ran, hot stinging tears streamed down my face. I got to the pavement where my car was parked. My wobbling knees gave way and I fell on the ground and passed out.

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I woke up in a hospital bed. An elderly looking doctor stood over me examining me.

“Where am i?! I asked him.

He informed me that good Samaritans found me lying on the ground close to my car. They bundled me inside and drove me to the clinic.

“Where is Ayo! Is he okay?” I hollered as I raised myself from the bed.

“Calm down son, you can’t leave now….you need to rest” he gently said.

My heart was heavy with guilt. I felt I was the cause of Ayo’s death in the hands of the mob. If I had not informed him about my intention of visiting the market he wouldn’t have turned up to meet his painful death.

I was discharged from the hospital after two days of being placed on sedatives and psychoactive drugs.

The firm had hired a team of police detectives to investigate the incidence. I narrated the harrowing experience to them. I was informed by Dr Joseph that police officers later arrived at the scene but they were too late. Ayo had already been burnt alive by the barbaric crowd. They arrested some of the market leaders and bystanders.  The case was in court.

The firm and I were determined to see that justice was done for the memory of our colleague Ayo David.

The police investigations revealed that when the thief ran round the corner, Ayo was on his way from a store holding lace materials he had purchased. The thief in order to divert attention from himself yelled “ole!” and pointed in Ayo’s direction and bolted.

When the crowd turned to see the trader shouting “ole” too, they just grabbed Ayo without thinking or asking questions. They saw laces in his hands as the trader was raising alarm of the theft of her lace. Before the woman could recollect and match the face of the thief, the crowd had taken over the situation. It was a fatal case of mistaken identity. The ugly incidence was widely reported in the media.

Six days after this incidence the charred remains of my friend was buried amidst tears and deep grief, his family and fiancee were inconsolable.

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“Jungle justice is a common place occurrence in this country, the people on the streets kill at the slightest excuse, no one is safe! All what it takes is for someone to point at you and shout Ole in the marketplace  or on the streets and you are a goner!” The voice of Barrister Etukudo rose angrily in my sitting room. Barrister Etukudo was the prosecuting attorney for the case and also a human rights activist. We were reviewing Ayo’s sad case.

“You are right, human life is not valuable in this country” I responded.

“Look at it this way, the thieving elite class and leaders steal billions of naira and stash their loots overseas. These are the people that should be lynched! rather they are worshipped and respected by the masses. He said and continued…

“People take laws into their hands because they have no trust or confidence in the justice system or law enforcement agents. The wheels of justice grind very slowly in this country, people choose to dispense justice themselves!

“I don’t see things changing anytime soon!” I replied. “Do you think we can get justice for Ayo? Can we win this case? I inquired”

The attorney turned his face away and said “To be honest with you Ubong, this case can be stalled for a long time by the other side. The defendants can get their lawyers to strike out this case. Our country is like a jungle and there’s no guarantee for justice in the jungle……”

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I needed a break and a change of environment. The psychological effect of Ayo’s lynching was taking its toll on me and on my productivity at work. I figured out a vacation would do me a lot of good, make me refreshed and re-energized. The MD Dr Joseph was understanding and approved a one month leave allowance for me. Sun city in South Africa was my chosen vacation spot. Firstly i needed to visit Rowland, a close friend in Onitsha and then proceed to check up on my sister in Makurdi before jetting out of the country.

I stayed in Onitsha for two days before heading to Markurdi. There was no direct air flight from Onitsha to Markurdi so i boarded Kumi kumi motors a popular mass transit company.

I sat close to the window in the second row of the luxurious bus. My music earpiece was firmly stuck in my ears keeping me company for the duration of the four hours journey. The driver of the vehicle was a jovial fellow throwing banters with the passengers.

We got to the outskirts of Onitsha when robbers suddenly sprang out from both sides of the bush. A warning shot was fired and our vehicle was intercepted and surrounded.

The robbers were all masked and dangerously armed. Some got inside the vehicle while others remained outside.

The leader of the robbery team was a gigantic fellow with long arms. He waved his gun at us while announcing in a loud voice.

”Place your money on the floor! All of it because we will search everybody! You either make this operation easy for us or pay for it with your life! He declared.

We all had no qualms that he meant every word he said.

It was a well coordinated operation. A section of the robbers were offloading all the passengers bags into their van, rummaging through the bags while three robbers went by collecting money seat by seat. They also searched everyone down to the pants.

“Jeez! what kind of country is this?” I asked myself, I will probably never return from my vacation in South Africa.

I placed all the money I had on me on the floor.

There was a young woman in her 20’s seated in front of me next to another older woman. She was dressed in an all black outfit. She was holding a baby boy in her arms.

The young lady quickly split her money into two parts. She hid part in her baby’s pampers and dropped the last on the floor.

The older woman, myself and a few others saw her do this.

It was my turn to be searched. They came to my seat, took my money, roughly frisked me and went away with my Samsung S7 tab. Two of the robbers got to the young lady. They told her to drop the baby and stand up for a search. She did that and they found nothing on her. They looked at her baby and asked her to sit down.

As the robbery came to its tail end, the thieves had secured their loot and were about leaving. Suddenly, the woman seated next to the nursing mother screamed….

"THIS WOMAN HID MONEY IN HER BABY'S PAMPERS".

It was like a scene from a horror movie as the robbers turned and walked towards the lady who was shaking like a leaf. They took her baby from her and lifted it up. The head of the gang tore the pampers, removed the money and said…

"as you small so, you don sabi tif abi?".

In a split second, he shot the baby pointblank in the head and flung the corpse into the bush. He ordered the driver to kick start the bus and leave or he was going to kill everybody.

There was absolute silence and terror. I was extremely horrified. No one uttered a word as the bereaved mother went blank. She was in shock, she didn't cry, didn't talk and didn't move. She just sat there still like a stone. The driver didn’t say anything as he drove in silence. The tension in the vehicle was palpable.

We drove for hours till we got to river Benue. The driver stopped the bus at the edge of the bridge and came down with his assistant. They opened the door and asked the woman who reported the hidden money to the robbers to step out. She started crying, wondering what they wanted to do with her. She refused to step out and denied that she was the one who made the report. The driver and his assistant forcefully pulled her out and to our consternation threw her into the river. The last thing we all heard was her high pitched piercing scream as she clawed at the air and plunged into the river below.

The driver turned to us and said

"Anybody wan follow am?”

No one made any sound as he shut the door. In a short while we had entered Makurdi, the driver drove to the park and we all highlighted from the vehicle.

I had witnessed another Jungle justice case.

Was the driver and his assistant justified in taking the life of the woman? Couldn’t they have allowed her to live with her conscience haunting her for the rest of her life? Couldn’t they have reported her to the police as an accessory to murder? These questions puzzled my mind as I tossed and turned over in my bed that night. I knew for sure that definitely the market mob wasn’t justified in taking the life of my friend Ayo.

The next morning I took a flight to Lagos and in a short while got out of the country.

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I am presently basking in the warmth of Busia hotel in Sun city South Africa. I am sitting in the hotel lobby sharing a drink with Lerato a beautiful lady I met in my first week in this tourist resort. I am yet to recover from the trauma of the two jungle justice events. I still see Ayo in my dreams stretching out his bloodied hands to me for help. The piercing cry of the woman thrown from the bus still sounds in my mind at night.

I have drafted a resignation letter to Dr Joseph. It is lying in my email draft box. I intend sending it in three days time unless I can come up with a valid reason not to. I have applied for an extension of my tourist visa. Deep within my heart i don’t intend returning to Nigeria the Land of jungle justice anytime soon.

THE END.

Shoutout to the amiable and beautiful lawyer/blogger Emeh Achanga for providing the leads to the jungle justice scenes.

JUSTICE IN THE JUNGLE

Life is rosy when you are the Head of Operations unit in a big corporate firm like Tunnix Resources group an information and communication technology firm. Being a senior staff in this firm has its perks, one of which includes working in a magnificent office specially designed to your taste.

My office is a large and expansive room. My workspace consists of a rectangular and stylish workstation desk with a nice swivel chair, a couple of art works hang on the wall. Wreath decorations are tastefully arranged in different sections in the office. Well labeled files are stacked inside the compartments of a shiny wall shelf. There’s a coat rack to hang suits, there’s 24 hours internet broadband and wifi connectivity.  A split unit Ac cools the room and an intercom is on hand for communication with the rest of the firm.

I am Ubong Akai, a young man in my early thirties. I am presently the operations manager of this company based in Lagos. My office is on the second floor of the corporate headquarters and it comes with a good view of the ever busy William grange street. I sometime walk to the window and pull aside the blue patterned curtains to gaze at the traffic jams that is a frequent occurrence in the street. I watch the heated arguments that ensue when impatient drivers obstruct each other with their vehicles. I see hawkers selling their wares in the traffic under the blazing sun. I always shake my head and look away because these scenes often reminds me of a phase in my life that I always try to forget.

I was once a street hustler doing all kinds of menial jobs to keep body and soul together. I searched for a job for over five years after my graduation from the University of Port harcourt. During this period i had to hit the streets to hustle until providence smiled on me one day and I got a job with this top level ICT firm. Now I am a secured man with a six digits salary middle class job. I have cut all links with my past, i don’t associate with people in the lower class, you may call me a snob if you want but that’s the way I have chosen to live my life.

Whenever I get tired of staring at the computer screen on my desk, i remove my suit, loosen my tie and walk to the refrigerator where there’s always a cold drink waiting for me. I grab it and lie down on the couch and turn on the plasma television hanging on the wall. I love the privacy this office confers on me but sometimes it becomes boring, yes sometimes you need someone to have a little conversation with.

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One Monday morning I received a short call from the Managing director to meet him in his office immediately.

“Hey Ubong grab a seat and meet Ayo our new graduate intern”. Dr Joseph Turner  said in his brisk and businesslike voice as soon as I stepped inside his office.

Dr Joseph was an expatriate from UK.  We all called him Old Joe because of his age and his old fashioned way of doing things. He was however a pleasant man if you adhered strictly to his rules.

I looked at the new guy sitting next to me. He was smartly dressed in a fitted suit. He had a clean shaven face with slightly curled hair, a dark complexioned guy with a good body built. His looks showed he was in his late 20’s.

“New graduate intern?” I thought to myself. I hoped he wasn’t one of those fresh from the university smart assess who arrogated all knowledge to themselves.

“Good morning sir good to meet you” Ayo greeted me.

“Nice to meet you too” I replied extending my hand for a handshake.

“Ayo has a Masters degree from Obafemi Awolowo university. He graduated top of his class this year. I snapped him up before Vesco utilities could take him” Dr Joseph said triumphantly.

Vesco utilities was a rival Ict firm located on the same street with us. Everybody working in Tunnix resources hated Vesco utilities because they were in fierce competition with us and always used all sorts of sharp practices and underground means to steal away our clients.

“That’s good sir” I replied. I had confidence in the MD, he always went for the best hands/brains when hiring.

“Ayo will serve as a trainee under you for one month. He is a bit of a green horn. In line with our policy he will learn the ropes for a month before we adopt him as a full time staff “.

“That is alright with me sir”. I responded.

“Just one more thing, you will be sharing your office with Ayo until we put together an office for him on the ground floor.

I assured Dr Joseph that I didn’t mind sharing my office. It was more than adequate for two people and besides it will facilitate ease of communication between us.

A small work station was set up for Ayo and he moved into my office.

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Ayo was a good natured fellow and a great team player. The work went on smoothly in a cordial environment. I was impressed with his ability to learn on the job fast. Within two weeks I was already assigning some of my duties to him and he was up to the task. He didn’t have the smugness and superior airs i always assumed all graduates of OAU had. I was sending weekly assessment reports of his work to the MD and at the end of the third week I had recommended him for full absorption into the firm.

I am a laid back person by nature and tend to take things at my pace. Ayo in contrast had an extroverted and outgoing personality. Despite these personality differences we bonded quite well.

During lunch breaks we sometimes skipped going to the staff canteen because we were engrossed in political arguments. Ayo proclaimed himself to be a revolutionary and a progressive with sympathies for the opposition party while on the other hand I was a conservative leaning towards the ruling party. Our political discussions were often heated. 

The English premier league was also another hot subject as our views often differed on which team was better placed to win the league and which player(s) should be bought or sold in the next transfer window.

Due to the nature of our interaction, it didn’t take him long to find out that I was single and wasn’t in any serious relationship. He offered to set up a blind date for me with a female friend of his. I always laughed at his attempts and brushed it off. Marriage wasn’t a serious item on my agenda. Making money and advancing my education were my immediate priorities.

Ayo had a fiancée, her pictures were splashed all over his laptop. Her name was Ifeoluwa. She was a beautiful young lady studying at American university of Nigeria (AUN).

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“Boss can you cook?” Ayo suddenly asked me one cool friday afternoon.

“Cook?” I asked with raised eyebrows.

I was a rich bachelor and didn’t see the need for cooking. I ate all my meals at fancy restaurants, my pay was sufficient to sustain this lifestyle. The last time I cooked a full meal was two years ago. I had wanted to impress a girl I was dating. I got the idea to cook a romantic dinner from a silly dating book. I had invited her over to my place and presented my specially cooked dish to her. The romantic dinner night ended in disaster as she almost choked on the salty dish I set before her. Within a week the death knell sounded on the relationship.

“Yes I can cook but mehn its been long while!”

“You should try it soon” Ayo suggested, “I cook all my meals! You know it will reduce the amount of money you are spending on eating outside”.

“You are right but wetin man go do? the stress of running around the house putting the different food ingredients together is just too much” I complained.

“You can start by buying raw food items at the market, then you can get someone to help you with the cooking” he suggested once again.

 “Ayo i can’t recall the last time I went to a market. I do all my shopping in Shoprite and highbrow supermarkets in Lekki. A market to me is a place for low class folks!” I declared.

“Boss you can’t be serious! Markets are for everybody. You should just give it a try”.

“Yes,  I will……sometime in the future” I said and turned away. The thought of rubbing shoulders with the low income earners crowd and standing to bargain and haggle over the prices of food items wasn’t appealing to me.

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When an intern is absorbed as a full time staff in our firm, a little surprise party is organized for him/her. Ayo’s case wasn’t an exception. His appointment letter came on a Thursday morning approximately five weeks since he got into the firm. Ayo was summoned for an urgent meeting with the MD in the conference room. He walked in and was surprised to see the MD and all the top management staff sitting around the table all of them wearing stern looks. He stood in front and looked at us all in confusion.

“After a detailed assessment and review of your work for the past one month, the firm has decided to retain you! Congratulations and welcome onboard to Tunnix resources!” Dr Joseph announced in a booming voice to Ayo.

We all clapped, smiled and shook hands with him.

Bottles of Bertrand white wine ordered for the occasion were popped open and glasses were filled up.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity given to me to work in this firm. I promise not to let any of you down, thank you all!”

Ayo said with appreciation and happiness written all over his face. 

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Ayo was assigned to the operations unit. This meant he was still under my supervision. His office, a small replica of my office was on the same floor with mine. I was glad to have him close by. He often dropped in to check up on me and to receive directives.

Within the space of two months Ayo’s feet was firmly established in the firm. He piled up unrelenting pressure on me until I agreed to meet with and started dating Alexandra a young lady he introduced to me in a restaurant.

One Friday evening at the close of work I was driving out of the firm’s car park when I sighted Ayo and pulled over.

 “Ayo I think I will follow your advice this weekend. I will be going to the market to pick up a few items” I said to him.

“Wow o wow, so the aristocratic gentleman now wants to mingle with the low class market goers?  He responded grinning.

“ I am serious. I want to stock the refrigerator with some items this weekend and besides Alexandra is coming over on Saturday evening, i want to surprise her with a home cooked dish”.

“I knew it! you are doing this for love huh? What time do u want to hit the market boss? I could come with you” he inquired.

“Around …err…10 am Saturday, I wouldn’t stay for more than an hour”.

“Which market?

“Oba Akoto market. You know it is close to my residence” I replied.

“Okay I’ll meet you there boss”.

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I drove slowly down Ozumba Avenue on my way to Oba Akoto market. Traffic was free flowing because it was a Saturday morning. As I came close to the market i sighted the sea of heads at the entrance and almost turned back when a passerby informed me that it was the main market day hence the large crowd at the gate.

I parked by a pavement in front of a residential building, a safe distance from the gate and walked in cautiously into the market. I had no idea if Ayo would come as he promised. I had dialed his number but got no reply.

The arena was bustling with sellers and buyers. Music blared from record shops. Traders stood in their stalls hailing customers and enticing them to buy their goods, a truck stacked with bags of garri stood nearby and men were offloading the bags into a store carrying the heavy bags on their heads. I walked deep inside surveying the goods on display. I didn’t have a list of things to buy. I just wanted to get the experience and maybe purchase one or two items to justify my foray into the market.

On getting close to a section where furniture items were being sold, a young man suddenly ran past me carrying a bundle of lace materials. He roughly pushed me and the other people on his path aside. We turned round and shouted on him. A few obscenities and abuses were hurled on him. A chubby looking trader ran out of her shop shouting at the top of her voice….

“Ole, Ole, Ole!”.

We didn't need a soothsayer to know she was referring to the guy who just ran past us. Just for the fun of a having a little morning adventure and to satisfy my curiosity i followed in hot pursuit alongside many other men and women.

We hadn't gone far when we saw a mob gathered around a young man, beating him with sticks and chains. Something was wrong; he wasn't the man who ran out of the store with those laces! I I looked straight at him, the resemblance was unmistakable.

The young man was Ayo my friend and colleague! I stood there stunned.

 What the hell happened? How did Ayo manage to show up and get himself entrapped in this mess?

I saw the female trader screaming at the top of her voice.

“No be am o, no be im tif my cloth!”.

Roused into action I shouted at the top of my voice waving my arms around in a desperate attempt to disperse the crowd.

“It is not him! He is my friend!!!!! He is not the thief!!! Leave him alone!!! No be am!!"

The noise of the blood thirsty citizens drowned out my voice as we watched a man bring a tire and throw around Ayo’s neck. A little pool of blood was forming on the ground, Ayo was in terrible pain.

I furiously shoved and pushed people aside in a bit to get to his side. The crowd was swelling and thickening at every passing minute.

SCHOOL LIFE AND GRADUATION

The final year exams brings anxiety and apprehension to even the most brilliant student. Those were the words of Professor Richard Akpan in his last lecture with 400 level students of the department of pure and applied chemistry, University of Calabar.


I am rushing down the departmental block to meet up with my colleagues in the chemistry laboratory for the last practical session of the semester and of my life as a university undergraduate. It is one week to our final year exams and we are all prepped up, everybody wants to leave this school system.

“Immanuella okon! Where have you been these days? I have not been seeing you” Dr Udoji says as he bumps into me at the hallway.

“I have been around sir, been preparing for final exams”

“Oh I trust you to squash it as always!” he said with a beaming smile.

“I hope so too sir!”

“Immanuella come here I need your help on this project” Dr mrs Davidson my year 2 industrial chemistry lecturer calls out to me as i walk pass her office.

“Sorry ma, I am on my way to a practical right now. I’ll see you when I am through” I responded.

“Hello Immanuella! Two female students standing at the entrance of the hall wave at me. I wave back at them. They are the Year 3 students I helped out with an assignment last week.

I am used to getting attention from everyone but sometimes it unnerves me.

There is no hiding place for a goldfish in a bowl. You are on a first name basis with everybody when you are the best student both in your class and in the whole faculty. Everybody wants to identify with you; lecturers, students etc. I am a good natured girl and I am free with everybody. My Cgpa for last semester was 4.82 points. Everybody knows that I will be graduating with a first class degree. I have even heard hushed talks about the Dean of the faculty of science wanting to retain me as a lecturer in the faculty. I have not given serious thoughts to it yet. Those are mere distractions.

Finally I have entered the laboratory. I can see my colleagues waiting for the lecturer to turn up. They are all in their lab coats this reminds me to remove mine from the big bag hanging on my shoulder.

”Immanuella thank God you are here now. I have reserved a seat for you, come over here!” Lanre cajoles me.
“Thank you Lanre but I am still angry with you over yesterday. Let my anger simmer down. Where the heck is Susan? I want to sit with her.

Susan is waving at me. She is on the second row and there’s an empty seat besides her. I rush to her side.

A female student turns around and looks at me as I take the seat. She frowns at me, i frown back and she looks away. She is a dark complexioned girl with a round face. She is wearing a purple chiffon top, her short shirt has a small slit at the back. Her ears are decorated with long striped earrings. Her lab coat is on top of the desk.

The girl is Njideka Victor Okoro. Njideka is my rival. We have been in stern competition for the top spot right from year one. Njideka is brilliant no doubt, she is presently on a cgpa of 4.5 and she is next in line to me. We are barely on talking terms.

Njideka envies me. I am more beautiful than her and she knows it. I am the one that gets all the attention from guys in this faculty. Who wouldn’t be attracted to me with my dark curly hair, light skinned complexion, small aquiline nose, seductive blue eyes, lips that curve into a warm smile, a slender curvy body with long legs. I am not self obsessed or proud. I am only appreciating myself because I know the truth about myself. Njideka has a selfish and manipulative character which makes her a turn off to everybody no wonder she has very few friends in this school.


The genesis of our rivalry can be traced to our very first titration practical in the old science laboratory in year one. All the students were grouped into groups of 10 members. Njideka and i found ourselves in the same group. We discovered out that we were the only ones who knew what the whole titration experiment was about. The other eight members of the group were just there to make up the numbers and to copy the final results. We had a disagreement over the formula of finding the Titre value.

My calculation was right; Volume of titrant divided by weight of sample. Her calculation was wrong. The other members of the group went along with my value while she stuck to her guns. When our scripts were marked and returned she found out that she was indeed wrong. From that day she turned herself into my enemy. I have tried mending fences with her all to no avail.

Mr Luke Eyo the lecturer has arrived and we are about to begin the Briggs Rauscher catalyzation reaction experiment.

Mr Luke is a good friend of mine. He has been with the department of chemistry for just one year and he is currently studying for his doctorate degree in this school. Luke is a handsome young bachelor. All the girls in this class have at one point in time or the other had crushes on him. Even myself I have not being an exception. I like him because he is a professional. He does not abuse his position as a lecturer by having illicit affairs with his female students. Mr Luke sometimes shows signs of affection for me. This has further fuelled Njideka’s jealousy. She has tried everything to get his attention.

Njideka claims to be a born again Christian but I know she is a hypocrite. I have caught her once smooching a guy under the almond tree during Miss Chemistry pageant night in year three.

The practical is over! It has been hugely successful and we are streaming out of the laboratory.

I am walking with Susan and we are heading to her room to eat and to relax.
Susan is my best friend and I love her to pieces! She is the one that fights all my battles on this campus, she protects my interests. She is the only one person in this Unical that understands me. Yes she is not on good terms with Njideka either. We read and study together and I coach her on grey areas. I help her out with our assignments and term papers. Over the past three years that we have been friends she has really improved in academically. She will be graduating with a good second class lower degree. Susan’s dad is a wealthy business tycoon and I know for sure we have offices waiting for us after graduation in his several companies!

The exams timetable has been released and there is a huge crowd in front of the notice board. The Final exams are finally here.

It has been two weeks of reading like a jackass, enduring sleepless nights trying to maintain the straight A’s in all my seven courses just to make that first class degree and topple all opposition on the way. God has been faithful! We are now graduates now awaiting our results.

It is clear that the department and faculty want to retain me as a lecturer after my youth service. The school will sponsor my post graduate degree. I have had a long talk with the Hod and I have asked him to let me speak to my parents to get their consent. I have seen Njideka all over the place lobbying lecturers. She wants to be retained too and I know she stands a good chance of being retained. Her result is excellent; a 4.5 Cgpa.
I can’t see myself working in the same office with Njideka. She might even harm me out of her envy. Susan’s dad has offered me a managerial position in his manufacturing company. Susan has been pestering me to take it.

Our convocation is one week away. The convocation ceremony will be conducted for three batches and we are lucky to have finished just in time to make it to the list.

Finally i have been given a notice that I will give the valedictory speech as the best graduating student in the 2013/2014 session. My cgpa of 4.82 has been unrivaled!

It is graduation eve, we are here in the store house to take delivery of our convocation gowns. We are in a boisterous mood, everybody is beaming with smiles. Who wouldn’t smile after successfully passing through the stress of University of Calabar?
I am surprised to see Njideka moving towards my direction brimming with smiles. What is she up to?


“Hi immanuella, what’s up? How are you doing? She says to me. I turned and to Susan and we exchange suspicious looks.

“I am fine, it is good to see you here” I replied cautiously.
“I heard you are the Valedictorian, Congrats babe! I can’t wait to hear you read your valedictory speech tomorrow” she says.

“Im a bit nervous Njideka”
“Don’t worry girl, it is going to be alright” she pats me on the back and moves on to greet a group of fellow students.



“Susan why is Njideka acting so friendly all of a sudden? What is she planning?”.

“Nuella I think she has realized that you’ve beaten her fair and square. She has seen that there is no point in carrying grudges from school to the outside world”.
“I guess so too, I am happy for her”.



It is graduation day and we are all sitting under the various canopies on the convocation ground decked in our navy blue graduation gowns. Photographers are having a field day snapping photos, musical groups are performing in the background, I have never seen such large crowd in my life. Dignitaries from all over the country are present in this ceremony.

I sit in the front row waiting for that joyous moment to give the valedictory speech. My parents and two brothers are sitting somewhere in the canopy reserved for guests. They are very proud of me.

“Let me see your speech” Njideka whispers to me. 
I think she has turn over a new leaf, her recent behavior is a sharp departure from her past.

I hand over the black file I was holding to her. The speech was inside the file, three A4 pages. I intend to keep it short and simple.

“Wow this is a lovely speech Immanuella” Njideka said as she pores over the writeup.

Ladies and gentlemen let us welcome the best graduating student for the session with a Gpa of 4.82 to give her valedictory speech. Put your hands together for Miss Imanuella Okon! The Master of ceremony announced in his baritone voice.



The applause is rapturous. My colleagues are all up on their feet giving me a standing ovation. The sound of the clapping of hands resounds round the venue.

Njideka quickly hands the file over to me and I gingerly stand up and take some swaggerlicious steps to the podium. This is the best day of my life.
I wait for the applause to die down as I open the file.



The file is empty! My speech has just been removed. I am totally shocked. Everywhere is quiet as everybody is waiting to listen to the voice of this brilliant 23 years old girl.



The devious Njideka has removed the speech. This is the ultimate embarrassment. I have to come up with an impromptu speech as soon as possible.



“Your excellency President Goodluck Jonathan the visitor of the university ably represented by the minister of Education Dr Princewill Ekpon.…………….please permit me to stand on existing protocol.....l”



I gaze into the crowd I can see Njideka with a mocking smile on her face, her eyes are glistening. She is laughing at my embarrassment. I should have known better. I should have kept her at arm lengths. Susan is sitting all tensed up, she knows something is amiss!

“I want to thank the management of the school for finding us worthy to graduate today both in character and in learning”….Few hands are clapping.

My anger is rising, I raise up my voice.



“But unfortunately some of us here are not worthy to graduate based on our character attributes!" A pin drop silence envelops the venue, this is an unconventional speech.

“Ladies and gentlemen I prepared a good speech for this occasion but someone, a colleague of mine just stole it few minutes before I got to this podium”.

The guests, dignitaries and students are all looking at me in bewilderment. I am past caring, this is the final and epic battle with Njideka. There is no room for diplomacy.

“Njideka Victor Okoro took away the script from this file!” I lift the file up for them to see. I point in her direction.
“She is the third person sitting from the left on the front row of Chemistry graduates. Yes that is Njideka the scheming and devious graduate!”



Someone is tapping me.
“Immanuella wake up! Immanuella wake up!

I jolt up and lift up my head from the table. I look around the room while I rub my eyes with the back of my palms. The room is in semi darkness and is illuminated by a blue rechargeable light.

Everything had been a dream.

“Nuella who is Njideka Victor Okoro and why are you shouting her name in your sleep?” My mom’s worried face looks down on me.

“I told you to go to bed when you get tired of reading, look at you shouting in your dream! She hissed and walked away.

I sit erect and look at the table. My Jamb past questions and answers brochure is on the table. 
I had fallen asleep while reading. My biro had slipped from my hands and was lying on the floor. 



Damn it! I was back to reality as a bloody jambite. This was going to be my third attempt at passing Jamb: the university entrance examination. I have been dreaming of university school life and graduation. As the harsh reality sinks in, I bit my lower lip in a futile effort to stop the tears that are streaming down my eyes. The prayer point I wrote on the piece of paper when I began reading is still lying on the desk.



“Oh Lord please help me! let this be the last time I will ever write Jamb. Help me get the required cutoff point to gain admission into the university this year in Jesus name Amen".



The end.