Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

PS: At several points of this story, you might be tempted to question the ranks I give to the military characters. The reason is, I write this story on-the-go, without prior knowledge of future scenes. If I had my way (or perhaps if I’m to publish), I’ll make the necessary corrections. So I seek your understanding and forgiveness as I proceed. The damage has already been done from the beginning.
What you’re about to read in this brief update is just a crude and distorted attempt by me in rewriting reported events of the past as it best suits my story. So please don’t ask for my head.


****Continued*****


7:45 am, the Nigerian Head of State, General Rabiu Ahmed, sat ay the backseat of his Mercedes Benz official car on his way to work. His ADC Lt. Akin sat in front with the driver on a routine office trip without escorts. His reforms in just under six months of power has placed Nigeria once again on the list of countries to be taken seriously.
The driver had just slowed down at the junction in front of the Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos, when a hit team led by one Lt. Rise and others, casually strolled up and riddled it with bullets, killing its occupants including the Head of State.



Upon confirmation of Ahmed’s death, Lt. Col.


Dunga of the Army Physical Training Corps, who (along with some others) had been up for most of the night drinking champagne, then made a quick trip to the British High Commission at about 8 am where he demanded to be put in touch with Gen Goro in Britain. Not able to reach him, he left a message saying Goro should proceed to Niger republic and await further instructions. Gen.



Goro had been overthrown by Gen Ahmed in bloodless coup some six months ago.


From there, Lt. Col Dunga accompanied by some officers proceeded to Ikoyi to seize the Radio Station where he would alter make a broadcast. At the same time, other hit teams simultaneously went after other key functionaries of the regime’s trioka, namely the Chief of Staff, SHQ, Lt. Gen. Baba and the Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Taraba, including some military governors.


*****


8:30 am morning, a few days after Gen Sal had gone through pictures of the two lovers, Ima was driving to her PPA, the military hospital.



Due to a flat tyre which she noticed only when she was about leaving the house, she was already running late. Not that it mattered even if she didn’t go to the office at all, but she had made it a habit to always keep to time in every sphere of her life. The mallam in her hood was called to change the tyre. Leaving it with him to take to the vulcanizer, she had left with the spare.



Entering Ikoyi through Falomo, she noticed the road was curiously empty, save for a few cars moving at neck breaking speed in both directions. Wondering what was happening as she began her onward journey up Awolowo road, a funny tune that had been playing on the radio suddenly stopped, and was followed by a broadcast
“Good morning fellow Nigerians,
This is Lt. Col Dunga of the Nigerian Army calling. I bring you good tidings. The head of state, Rabiu Ahmed’s deficiency has been detected and his government is now overthrown by the young revolutionaries.



All the 19 military governors have no powers over the states they now govern. The states affairs will be run by military brigade commanders until further notice.



All commissioners are sacked, except for the armed forces and police commissioners who will be redeployed.



All senior military officers should remain calm in their respective spots. No divisional commanders will issue orders or instructions until further notice.



Any attempt to foil these plans from any quarters will be met with death. You are warned, it is all over the 19 states. Any acts of looting or raids will be death.



Everyone should be calm.



Please stay by your radio for further announcements. All borders, air and sea ports are closed until further notice.



Curfew is imposed from 6am to 6pm.



Thank you. We are all together.”


It was at this point Ima knew how it felt to be a spouse of a (senior) military officer in times of war. Without being told, she immediately turned in the middle of what was an empty road and headed back home in the direction she had come from. Shops and offices could be seen locking up as people heard the news.


Ima’s heart began to race faster than her car at the thought of Jama and Gen Sal. Yea, she loved the General the General too.



****


Meanwhile, when the Army Chief, Lt. Gen.



Taraba got to the office and heard the radio broadcast, he immediately moved to Bonny military camp to coordinate a resistance to confront the ongoing revolt. The hit team designated to take care of him missed him by the whiskers. At Bonny camp, Gen Taraba began to rally some loyal forces with which he planned on using to confront the coupist.



On their part, Col Sule the base commander, Major Yakubu and Lt Jama had not heard from General Sal and were all bothered if he had been taken down like the Head of State, Gen Ahmed. So they and all the troops at the camp quickly rallied round the Army Chief, General Taraba, pledging their loyalty to the government of Gen Ahmed.



With the help of Col Sule, Gen Taraba quickly put together an “A” team, lead by Lt. Jama, to be assisted by Lt David. He was asked to lead the team because id his familiarity with Lt Dunga and was then asked to quickly proceed to Ikeja Cantonment to get armoured vehicles.



But on his way out, Gen Taraba asked him to use an “Okada” and should be in mufti so he could easily avoid the military check points loyal to the coupist.



Meanwhile defying the curfew, as efforts were being made within the military to crush the revolt, University students in Lagos and Ibadan (among others) took to the streets to protest the coup. Later, when it became known that Dunga had visited the British High Commission on the day of the coup, some students attacked British and American facilities in Lagos alleging their complicity.


The students’ protest created the much needed distraction for Jama to gain unhindered access to Ikeja cantonment. After identifying himself and the loyal troops got confirmation from Gen Taraba, he was given the logistics he had come for. Supported by these vehicles he proceeded to Radio Nigeria, where he had a conversation with his close friend Dunga.



Upon sighting his friend with several armored vehicles in the background, Dunga asked Jama to withdraw them. But unfortunately for him, Jama’s orders had not been to negotiate a surrender or other outcome, but to stop the broadcast – by any means necessary – including destruction by shelling.



Jama then made contact with Bonny Camp to report his activities at the radio station. And the same order was reiterated to him by General Taraba who got pissed that Jama was even having a conversation with Dunga, while the radio station kept repeating Dunga”s earlier broadcast.



Without further delay, Lt David opened fire leading to a small battle between the loyal troop and the coupist. Before long, the coupist were dislodged from the station. Dunga managed to escape. Hours later, the coup was stopped and became a failure


******


Amidst the tense atmosphere as the Nation mourned it’s leader, Jama created time to check up on Ima briefly the next day. He told her he was alright and alive and had come to make sure she was ok. Miss Osaro had traveled out again earlier in the week. Though she was glad to see him, she was worried about General Sal with him assuring he was okay.


****


The Chief of Staff, SHQ, Lt. Gen Baba who was lucky to survive the coup by being at the wrong place at the right time became the new Head of State.


In the following days, the casualties had been counted with Gen Ahmed buried. Certain arrest werealsl made as investigations began.



This was when Gen Sal got arrested for his participation in what was a carefully and secretly planned coup by mostly mid-ranking officers. Dunga on his part was arrested in the Eastern part of the country where he fled to.



About a month later after trials and investigations, the major actors of the failed coup including Gen Sal were executed by firing squad in front of thousands of civilians at the Bar beach. Others were given lengthy jail terms.



It took Ima close to a week to stop crying.



Though she was now free with her true love Jama, she knew her being alive and free was mostly due to the General. She had become so fond of him and felt safe around him. Miss Osaro returned and took her out of the country for close to three weeks to recover from the trauma and constant thought she was being followed by someone who wanted to hurt her.



Though she was now with a white man in Europe, she still joined Ima ion mourning their friend.



Though Jama was celebrated as a Hero for leading the force which stopped the coup, he and Ima never found out that the General knew about them and was going to deal with them if the coup had succeeded. His special squad remained minimally active, carrying out hit for several clients he had come to do business with.



Ima completed her service and resumed the other business full time with Miss Osaro who was now based in Europe. Before long, it became a partnership between the two of them as Osaro couldn’t afford to visit Nigeria too often and wanted to retire. Ima supplied her the girls from Nigeria and she provided Ima contacts for drugs also. Ima and Jama would go on to be partners, with Jama ordering her hits for her and providing her cover.



Though they remained small players as groups like the “GreenHorns” began to make wave in the illicit drug and human trafficking trade.



During this period, as Ima diverted into the drug trade fully, she realized that it was a case of kill or be killed if you want to be successful.



She couldn’t buy respect, but she could be feared if she was mean enough. Though they weren’t the biggest in the trade like she wanted, they both were very successful in the business due to their high level of secrecy. She still lacked close friends.