“From
Oproama to Degema, from Degema to Krakrama, from Krakrama to Angulama,
from Angulama to Abalama, Abalama to Buguma, still Rivers state refuses
to pay NYSC state Allowee.”
The above is the slogan we corpers in
Rivers state use in consolidating ourselves. Many corpers expected
goldmine when posted to the oil filled rich state. But were so
disappointed that the N10,000 monthly state allowance paid to corp
members serving in Rivers state had been stopped for over 2 years. And
things in Rivers state are so expensive that corpers have resulted in
looking for alternative ways to make more money as back up. But getting
that reasonable job for corpers is somewhat difficult with any stringent
terms attached to it. Even me sef, I wasn’t left out. My eyes were wide
open, seeking for good tutorial work that is convenient for me to earn
more money.
I was posted to Asari Toru local Government Area. An
island of its own, surrounded by water with few job opportunities. I
just braced myself to love the place. Though I envied my friends posted
to Portharcourt main towns and most especially Onelga LGA were my very
good friend Barry is. Barry had been giving me convincing gists about
Onelga LGA where he’s serving. He said they have too many Oil wells in
the community. At the back of their corpers lodge was an oil well.
Infact barry even said they gave N10,000 each to corpers in Omoku
community when 2016 Batch A first came. Na so my adrenalin rise when he
tell me that. I was jealous and wished I was posted there. I wished for
relocation so I will move to Onelga. All those things propelled me. My
eyes come dey shook. Any were wey i see opportunity to make more money, I
just want to dive in. Na there spirit of lack of contentment come
inside me oo. Greediness, even when I saw that corpers had been
relocated out of that community due to the fighting’s and restiveness.
Me sef they envy.
On the 10th of January 2016, my friend Barry
called me that one of the popular politicians in their area would be
visiting on the 15th. And they will be sharing money. He said the last
time some politicians visited in Egi and Ogba community, each corper
collected N10,000. “chaiii see money,” I thought to myself. But this
time, it will be happening in Omoku. I just imagined it, “If a corper
can collect just N10,000 then, what about now when election is around
the corner in Rivers state. Na like N20,000 to N30,000 them go give.”
When I told some of my friends in my lodge in Buguma, everyone was
interested in following me to Omoku. “Na how many people I wan com
carry?” I thought to myself.
On the 15th of January, early in the
morning, I took only Patricia with me as we sneaked out of the lodge.
At first was skeptical about taking a female with me, but due to her
pleas I had to take her along. We were only having the NYSC cap on us.
Barry had already told me that he would be waiting for us in Omoku. From
Buguma we boarded a car going to Choba. We were not familiar with the
routes. From there we come enter road to Ogba. When we got to Ogba, we
saw a Keke man that said he was going to Omoku. We asked him how much
and he said since we are corpers he won’t charge us, it’s free. Na so we
enter come thank the man oooo.
As the Keke was moving, I
noticed that it was moving too slow, and the driver was making a call.
From the conversation, he was telling the caller that he was on his way
to deliver something a package to Omoku and he would be conveying money
that they will be going to be giving to the community his boss(the
politician coming) will be sharing. “As I overheard that from the keke
driver, na so my body begin pop up like pop -corn.” “Obviously my going
to Omoku won’t be in vein. I must come back with something,” I thought
to myself. After the keke man had finished making call, Patricia was
just gentle and wasn’t saying anything. I began asking the Keke man
about Omoku and the politician. He began telling us that he was on his
way to put some arrangements in place. “Shebi una be corpers,” he asked.
We told him “yes” that we are corpers. “No worry, una go chop money
tire. They will give una N50,000 for one corper,” he said again. “Is
this man really serious or he’s joking,” I thought to myself. But he was
still talking and saying that he will even help us to be part of the
corpers to participate in the Rivers state election Re-run. And we will
make plenty money. I was so happy as I heard all those things. I and
Patricia were so engrossed in what the Keke man was saying that we lost
concentration on where we were going. Not until the keke stopped in the
middle of nowhere. Na so the driver begin complain say the engine has
stopped working. And the road was just a lonely road. I was just
surprised that no car was going or coming. The keke man began working on
the engine. Na so we come down oo. He began talking about dollars he
kept at the back of the passenger’s seat. Immediately I heard “Dollars,”
my mind just went to “Scam, 419.” Before I knew what was happening, the
keke driver went to the back of the seat and brought out a
ghana-must-go bag full of Dollar notes. Immediately I saw it, na so my
eye big. “Yay,” Patricia shouted. I became confused. My greediness
increased that I forgot that I was formally thinking what was going o
was a scam. It just looked as if I had been hypnotized. The keke man
started complaining that he doesn’t know how to get the money across to
them in Omoku. I encouraged him that I will help him so he repair the
keke so we could move fast to Omoku to drop the money. The keke driver
said he had an idea. That we should take the money to the bush and share
it. But he said before we can share the money we have to remove a charm
that had been used to protect it, because the money had already been
dedicated to idol and we can’t just use it until a pastor prays on it. I
told the keke man that he doesn’t need any pastor to pray into it. That
I can just do the prayers and every evil thing will go out. Na so the
keke man talk say he doesn’t trust us. And that our prayers were not
powerful. I thought I was the only one that was greedy, Patricia too
greedy. She was even telling the Keke man if we can find a man of God
around that will pray into the money. Before we knew what was happening a
car drove to where we were packed. The car stopped and two men in suit
came out of the car. One was carrying a Bible in his hand. As they were
coming towards our direction, the keke driver immediately locked the
Ghana must go bag so they will not know the content. The two men started
asking what was happening. As the keke man was trying to carry the
money back into the keke, one of the men asked him what the content of
the bag was. The keke man told him it was clothes.
“Let me see
them,” the man said. The keke driver refused. They began arguing and the
man said he will call the police and tell them that we are arm robbers.
Later on the keke driver showed them the contents. Na so them open
mouth come shout. “Where did you people get this money?” one of the men
asked. He brought out his phone that he was going to call the police. Na
so the keke driver begin beg oo. I and Patricia began begging that we
were just corpers oo.
The keke driver began telling them that
he needed pastor that will pray for the money so the charm in it will
disappear. That we all will share the money equally if the charm is
nullified. The men said they were pastors that they can do it. Na so the
keke man say make them pray into the money. The men said they will not
do it there.
They said they will take the money to their church
which is not far from the place. At that time, I didn’t know what came
over me. I became scared and tired of the journey and adventure. I told
the men and the keke driver that I and patricia are no longer
interested, that we are going back. Patricia sef refused, she said she
would follow the men. The men refused. They said I must follow them
since I was part of the keke driver. I was so afraid. I finally followed
them. The keke man left his keke. Patricia was not afraid at all.
The
way she spoke and interacted with the men seems as if they had known
themselves for a long time. I began feeling uneasy. It was all dawned on
me that it was 419. Patricia was seating close to me at the back seat
of the car. I was trying to whisper and call her attention about the
scam but she was far from her normal sef. I guessed the charm was
working heavily on her.
The more I try to whisper into her ears,
she would shout at me. We were taking to one bush part that only GOD
knows were. They took us to a house inside a bush. I told them I was no
longer interested, but they still refused. As we came out of the car, I
dragged Patricia so we leave. She was proving so stubborn.
Immediately
I remembered something. I had once heard something that when one of my
cousin was hypnotized by a 419ner, it was his friend that gave him a
dirty slap. The slapped made him regain himself from the charm they used
on him before he could sell all his properties. Immediately I
remembered that, I felt it will work. I loaded Patricia a hot slap on
his right cheek. But nothing happened. Infact, the men began quarrelling
for me why I slapped her. Patricia slapped me back sef. It was glaring
that the slap didn’t work. I tried to see if I can just grab her so I
could take her out of that place. She no come gree. She was shouting and
hitting me. I began suspecting all of them were working together. The
two pastors asked me to leave her or else they will kill me. Na so I
come run commot for that place.
They began chasing me. I ran so
fast. I thought I would see traces of human being but I didn’t. I was
getting tired and weak. As I turned back, it seemed they were no longer
chasing me. I got to a place and saw a guy wearing an NYSC uniform and
another wearing a police uniform walking towards me. I was just running
towards them. I was so happy that I and Patricia will be safe since it
was a police. When they saw me running towards their direction, they
moved faster to where I was. The police man began asking me what was
going. I told him. The corper asked me to calm down. Felt safe that I
was in the hand of a security and a corper. The police man brought out
his phone and began making calls. I laid on the ground because I was
tired. After the call, the police man told me to stand up. He said I
shouldn’t worry that his team was coming and they will rescue Patricia.
Before I knew what was happening, a Jeep rode to the place. And it was
the keke driver, the pastors and an old man that was inside the car.
Patricia was not with them. Before I knew what was happening, the police
man gave me a dirty slap on my left cheek and asked me to jump into the
jeep. I began begging him.
The corper, the policeman and keke
driver dragged me into the jeep. It was now dawned on me that all of
them were working together. Another car rode into the place carrying
patricia and some other men and a woman inside it. Patricia was crying.
Na so them carry us commot for that place. I was pleading for them to
let me go. One of the men inside the my car slapped me and that I shut
up. The police man hit me on my waist. They took us to another thick
bushy place. I was just praying in my mind. I thought it was the end as I
prayed for God to forgive my sins and accept my soul in his bosom.
Inside the bush they took us to, there was a hut there were we met about
6 people Unclad and tied to a tree. One of the people tied to the tree,
blood was gushing out his eyes. They asked us to remove our clothes.
Patricia was crying. On my mind, I was regretting embarking on the
journey.
The worst part of it was that our phones, bags and
wallets had been collected from us. So no communication to the outside
world. The police man brought out two guns and said that if we don’t
remove our clothes, he will kill us. Immediately one of them received a
call, after the call, he told others that they should take us out of the
place that he had been asked to bring us somewhere. I was already
removing my clothes when he told me to wear them back. They pushed us
back into the car and drove off. I began feeling feverish. I come begin
vomit. Na so the police begin slap me as he opened the car and brought
me out. I was just throwing up. I felt weak.
Others came out of
the car because it seemed it was taking time. Suddenly we heard, “What
is that? What’s going on there?” As the policeman wanted to rush back to
his car to get his gun. An army man came out of the bush with a gun and
asked that no one should move or he will deal with us. It seemed the
Army man went to poo because his trouser was not properly zipped and was
below waist. One of the men said that I was ill and they were taking us
somewhere. Patricia began shouting and said it was a lie that they were
kidnappers.
I struggled to say it was true. The men began
saying it was a lie. Immediately the Army man said all of us should
raise our hands up. He blew a whistle. Before we knew what was
happening, about 5 Army guys arrived. They requested for our ID cards. I
told them that the 419ners collected it from us. My ID card was inside
my wallet that they collected. They told the three of us wearing NYSC
uniform to move to come closer. The soldiers asked that our ID card be
given to us. Na so them give us our phones and ID cards. But the other
guy wearing corpers uniform was not able to provide a valid ID card. It
was dawned on them that it was all planned and the guy was a fake corper
including the Police man.
They began begging that they would
settle the soldiers so they could let them go. Na so the soldiers used
their guns to begin to hit. They beat the fake corper and police men so
hard. I and Patricia was taking out of the place. I came to realize that
we were taken to Ahoada East local Government In that Rivers state. The
kidnappers, 419ners were arrested. Another Army car came and took us
back to Buguma. That was how we escaped from being used for rituals.
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