Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

7 years ago

Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Now during the course of my journey to Abuja, I met several police and army check points, but none had kept me for more than a minute or two. I felt it was either because my car was mostly used for commercial purposes or that I was travelling alone and I had been very confident when stopped. Since most part of my onward trip was done in the night, the usual discussion at the check point was something like this when I’m stopped.

[I’ll turn on my inner lights before I’m asked to do so]
Officer: (Possibly directing his torchlight’s beam on my face)
Me: Officer good evening/morning sir
Officer: Good evening/morning. Where you dey go? Or where you from?
Me: I dey go (I’ll call the next town or the previous town), and then proceed to ask “them “Oga how the work na?”
Officer: We dey o. or we thank God. We dey keep the road safe for una etc.
Me: (Without waiting for them to ask or say sometime else, would reach for some cash) Make make una use this one buy battery for torchlight.

This always worked and besides since my papers were complete, I never showed any signs of nervousness. As a rule, if you must transport or use your vehicle for something illegal, the least you could do was to ensure you had valid documents and other necessary requirements.

But my return journey would be done during the day and this time I had illicit drugs in my trunk making it very challenging. More of the police check points and those that gave me concern were between Akwanga in Nassarawa state and Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

So before I left Abuja, I stopped by the roadside to pick a family of four and another passenger returning to Benue after the Easter.

At the check points, I just offered the normal roadblock bribes to the officer. This prevented what would have been an “Oya clear from road, wetin you carry?” Question.

But the downside to this strategy of beating a possible search by the cops was that I couldn’t accelerate past 120km without being reminded to “Take it easy driver” by my passengers.
***********
I left Makurdi by about 3:10pm and by 5pm, I had arrived Abakpa junction in Ogoja. I was now alone in the car and accelerated past what I had done when traveling to Abuja. All the while, I had switched off my mobile phone as I knew it would be all over the place that Vivian had been kidnapped and it was possible people (Jane and the police) would be looking for me also.

I got to Ugep by 8pm and by 9:30 I arrived Akampka town. I had already given up hope as not only was I short on the drugs, I was more than 1hr30mins late. I switched on my phone and dialed Coco’s number and it was switched off. I tried for about 5 times and was already at the point of tears when it rang.
“You’re late Fury!” She said picking the call
“No no no..I can explain. But I have the drugs.

Please” I begged

She then cut me short, instructed me to drive to a particular quarry site (on the outskirt of the town between Udukpani junction), get out of the car and enter the trunk and wait there.

Some 10 minutes later, I located the site and did as I was told by getting into the trunk of my car and closing it. Within a minute of getting into the trunk, a car drove by and parked next to mine. Someone got out and entered my car (which was left running) and both cars drove off.

Another 15 minutes of driving, we arrived the compound and the trunk of my car was opened and I got out. Even though it was dark, I realized the compound was fenced partly in front and all around were several tress.

We were just in a village somewhere in Akampka.

Coco was already waiting with two other guys and just as I realized the same huge guy was the one who drove my car. The luggage (drugs) were offloaded and heaped together and then before my eyes, dosed with fuel and lit.
“It isn’t about the drugs Fury, it was about you keeping to the time. But I’m sorry you failed and Vivian had to pay for you nonchalance” Coco said. “Tie him up” She then added as two of the guys quickly seized me.
“Instructions from my superiors says no loose ends, I’m sorry Fury, but you have to go too” She said just as I began to scream and struggle. The muscled guy sealed my mouth with his hand quickly, just as another one brought a rag and gagged me. My hands were then tied behind me and I was taken to the back of the house which I presume was my slaughter house. Coco, the muscled guy and the other driver
But surprisingly at the back of the building, we walked for about five minutes in the dark before we got to a point and stopped. I had been crying all through the short trip. Coco then pointed her torchlight on a heap of sand saying “You comrade, the guy I told you about who was being tortured is buried here”

Then she pointed the torchlight to another point and revealed an open shallow grave and said “That’s you final resting place Fury and I’m afraid we’ve been instructed to bury you alive”

Before I could plead for mercy or say jack, the muscled guy swept me off my feet, held me firmly in place on the ground as the other guy quickly began to tie my feet. The two guy backing her, me facing her with my mouth gagged, I struggled with the guys while looking up pleadingly at her for mercy only to see her pointing a gun down at us.
“I’m sorry guys” She said and I heard two gun shots, but I wasn’t hit.