When We Made Men
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It was exactly 10:26 pm when Dr Agbabiaka drove into the UI premises and he drove straight to the faculty of arts where he expected to meet the colleagues he was directed to. He didn’t expect to encounter anybody else within the building at such a late hour on a Saturday night, not to talk of someone he knew could easily recognize and identify him. He stayed in his car and watched the faculty entrance carefully before stepping out of his car. A couple of students giggled somewhere nearby but he couldn’t see them. He placed a quick call across to his wife and told her he was still in Ibadan. She sounded apprehensive as he told her he was safe. Thankfully, the children were asleep and then he broke the news to her.
Darling, Chief Gbolabo will send men to kidnap you and the children tonight. They should come in a few minutes but don’t worry I’m monitoring everything closely and I assure you that you’ll not be maltreated in any way. He just wants to get at me so I still can’t tell anybody my exact location. He’ll also get some of my co-workers too. I’ll find a way to see you and the kids tomorrow. The woman broke down in tears as the phone went dead. She could hear shuffling feet outside the door already.
Agbabiaka, the young doctor, just about 35 years of age buried his head in his hands for a couple of minutes before making straight for the faculty entrance. He was dazed and could barely see beyond the droplet that formed a pool in his eyes. As he entered the faculty door, there was a university security detail who requested his identification. Obviously, he was not recognized so he simply told the man he wasn’t with his ID but he was a lecturer and he had some work to attend to. The detail believed him and allowed him through but not before the giggling students he had heard earlier managed to pass by and they obviously recognized him since they greeted him on their knees. Two of the ladies were medical students whom he had taught in the last semester and he still recognized them very well.
He knocked on Prof. Sanmi Aluko’s door. He had never been here to see the man before but the door was easily recognizable in the building. It had been described for him as the only door without a name tag on it because the occupant was popular enough to detest the extra publicity. As the door opened, he saw the three individuals inside including the little boy who had just been awoken by his entrance. He looked more like a teenager now, probably twelve or thirteen.
After the brief introductions, the elderly man called Prof had said things are moving fast and there’s no time to delay. I think we already have recordings that tell us what Chief Gbolabo is up to with your research and we also believe you did well not to turn in the full details of your work. These politicians are just the wrong set of people for us to put our trust in.
Government is better when trusted to a group of people who can put checks on each other’s activities, not on one single individual.
At least it doesn’t work that way in our society. We also have some other videos we didn’t actually plan to have. The new entrant into the presidential race, Alhaji Kosoko obviously has some dirty underwear too which his secretary has seen; the old man said winking and nodding slightly at the dozing child beside them. The other two men nodded understandingly, so he continued, it is Kosoko who ordered the kidnap of the Ondo chief who was kidnapped earlier this evening. Kosoko will be having a meeting with his new party leaders in a few minutes but there’s no way we can get details of their discussions. We also know that Gbolabo has ordered your arrest and kidnap of two of your research partners, your wife and kids. It’s all on our computer here he gestured at the computer system on the table. There’s enough evidence of bribery involving major traditional Chiefs across the land and elder statesmen. However, there’s one more video we require and that is the one which covers your work and research program. By the time we release these to the press in the morning, we believe everybody in this room will be hunted and possibly killed but our works, our stories and our bravery should live beyond us. We’re not publicizing your work. Is there a way you can get to all the documents surrounding your work and the research videos? I removed it from the faculty. It’s in a bag in my car. I carry it about now.
“Let’s get it then” Uncle Jimi said moving towards the door.
As he opened the door of the office, Papa said, I’ll advise you find another way out of the faculty because Jimi is easy to recognize and you two will be seen together. Also, carrying a bag past security at this hour will arouse some interest. ‘Then we’ll take the hole, it has a door that leads outside’, Uncle Jimi replied, leaving young Dr Agbabiaka in confusion. It was understandable because there were truly some lecturers within the University of Ibadan who never knew the griots’ hole existed.
I will make extra copies of our recordings before you’re back; Prof Sanmi called after the men as they departed.
The two men departed and Prof. Sanmi Aluko started the process of copying the audio and video recordings.
Meanwhile, Chief Gbolabo had just received a phone call from his aide, Major Badoo, stating that the people he needed had been kidnapped and transferred to a safe location and were being interrogated. None of the kidnapped lecturers seemed to have any real important details or information about the final chemical details. They were simply younger doctors who carried out procedures they were asked. However, there were hints that Gbolabo had travelled out of Yorubaland. His wife also had no clue of his work or whereabouts.
Gbolabo had broken down as it seemed everything was falling apart in this short time. Sleep evaded him. His secretary and media representative had called him to ask for his comments on the issues at hand. That meant only one thing, the news people had called. He was caring less now for the research and more for Agbabiaka’s life.
At the same time, Alhaji Kosoko had seen the paper from Gbolabo’shouse. It truly contained valuable information about a real research work by one Dr Agbabiaka of UI. However the paper was just a summary, not the real thing. Agbabiaka could have the master key after all as he claimed but the best thing to do now was to play his cards as he had planned it, get men to find Dr Agbabiaka and possibly search Gbolabo’s office. However, Alhaji Kosoko was getting apprehensive because the fight was getting dirtier and he had already kidnapped the wrong person once. He had to call Cobral to release Baba Ondo before the police get them but that would be after this meeting with the party chairman of the PA. Avery picked up the piece of paper and kept it. As she did, the party members filed in.