Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

***continued***

“Put down the gun or I shoot you!!! I repeat put down now” The officer thundered at the top of his voice while immediately corking and pointing his rifle at Ima. He saw his boss lying motionless on the couch while the girl held a pistol pointing down with both hands. She was leaning against the desk and was crying while looking at the body of the DPO. His heart was racing at the probability of him getting to shoot the girl if she dared to lift the pistol up.
Ima in her part after shooting the DPO couldn’t bring herself to end her own life. While she was still scared and crying, an officer had ran in and was barking orders to her. When she eventually dropped the pistol on the floor she didn’t know, but she was certain it wasn’t because the officer told her to do so. Rather it was because she couldn’t take her own life. She had missed the first shot because her hands were shaking but had gotten the second shot when he immediately tried to charge at her.
Almost immediately she dropped the gun, two other officers on duty ran in. By then the first officer had moved closer to her while pushing the pistol away with his right foot. One of the officer immediately checked the DPO,and discovered he was still breathing. Upon closer examination he discovered the bullet met his right collar bone while the other missed its mark by entering the couch.
Just then 5 other officers including the first officer who brought her ran in. It was at this point one of the officers charged at her and was about to physically assault her but was quickly stopped by the first officer. “Leave her.. Nobody should touch her again to avoid trouble. You, take her back to her cell. You get the pickup ready.. You, apply pressure on the wound…” He began to give out orders as per the most senior officer present.


**


She was literally dragged back to her cell as she could barely walk properly. They two Unilag girls looked worried when she was pushed in with the cuffs still on her hands. They were both surprised at the fact that she was putting on a different gown. Saying nothing to either of them, she lay on the floor and slept off while the noise and occasional call by other police officers to their cell door went on.
It was the next morning the girls who from the gossip from the officer had picked up the news that she shot the DPO were able to properly see the bruises on her body and the blood stains on her gown. She had been beating and raped the inferred. But how did she get a gun?
She was eventually woken up that morning when one officer came shouting down the hall “Where she dey? Where that Calabar girl dey?”
Getting to their cell door, he began to shout and curse “You don die you hear me so ba?.. You get mind wan kill my oga after you already don kill person husband.. Your life don finish..”
He kept on shouting until the DCO of the station came and ordered him out of the cell area. The while cell area including the ever full and noisy male section remained quiet as everyone wondered what really happened and how the girl was able to pull that off. Some minutes later, Ima sat silently staring at her outstretched legs when she heard the voice of one of the girls being directed at her. She looked up slowly with a blank stare.
“Hi.. Hi.. Are you ok?” The girl asked her to which she nodded affirmatively before resuming her blank stare at her feet.
Next she felt the girl move and sat next to her. “What did they do to you last night?” The girl then asked.



Without looking away from her legs, she replied calmly “They beat me and raped me. I saw his gun and I shot him”.
Somehow the girl remained next to her. The next thing she felt was the girl passing an arm over her shoulders and pulling her head to her chest while saying “It will be okay my dear..”.
Ima herself was surprised by the fact that she wasn’t already crying as she usually did. Instead she jus told the girl “I’m hungry and tired”.


****


Mrs Margaret later in the day came to the station to check on the Ima again. Probably to mock and torment her but was refused the chance to see the girl. She was told what happened and immediately began to beg to be allowed to see her.. After much plea, the officers at the counter allowed her passage. And when he eyes fell on Ima’s sleeping body, she began to cry. Her crying woke the girl up who just starred blankly at her. Guilt and pity overwhelmed her and she quietly left the station because the girl kept on looking at her like she never knew her.
She would later instruct Uduak to bring food for the girl. But by then Unilag girls had been bailed and had gotten food and water for her.
They both continued visiting her daily for the next month and would go on to get her a lawyer.


By the third week of her arrest, Ima,was down with fever and threw up once. She realized she was pregnant for Micheal.
****


Mrs. Margaret after learning of the fact that Ima had a lawyer and realizing the police really wanted to pin her with murder and attempted murder, decided to leave Lagos. Using Michael’s funeral as alibi, she had travelled with Faith and Emem. She realized the lawyer might want to ask how she met Ima and the events leading up to Ima moving in with the late Michael. This she feared, might pin her son, so she stayed back in her village after the funeral.
***
5 weeks later, Trial day..


A doctor from the hospital Micheal died was on hand to give his report which claimed he died of multiple organ failure after probably consuming a poisoned food item or drink.
The DPO (in bandages), inspector Onoriode, the officer who rushed in, where they to give their prearranged testimony.
And the Judge who was a personal friend of they DPO delivered his judgment.
“After listened to both the defense and prosecuting counsels, and having examined the evidences tabled before me, I find you guilty of murder and attempted murder. By the powers vested upon me by the FGN, I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment for murder and 10 years imprisonment for attempted murder with hard labor.” After which he hit the gravel..
While the Unilag girls and a few of their friends who had come broke down in tears, Ima starred blankly as she was led out of the courtroom to begin life at the cell.
As much as the girls wanted to appeal, they could not afford to pay for a defense counsel again.
****