• BOOK TITLE: BOYS AT THE BORDER

• AUTHOR: WALE OKEDIRAN

• PUBLISHER: SPECTRUM BOOKS LIMITED

• YEAR OF PUBLICATION: FIRST PUBLISHED 1991

• ISBN: 978-978-029-304-8

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The book, “the boys at the border” by Wale Okediran kicks off its chapter one with an emergency scenery. Samuel Adigwe, one of the superintendent of customs at the Western border, who also happened to be the brother-in-law of the director of customs nationwide had been shot. The patrol based driver, Aliyu who was there at the time of incident rushed him to the hospital and there after Bayo Adeli, the assistant to the senior superintendent rushed to the apartment of the senior superintendent, Peter Ikoku to report the unfortunate event. They both in turn came back to the hospital to find out more on Samuel’s condition from Aliyu and while they were waiting for the doctors update, Peter the senior superintendent used that chance to find out to the full extent, what had happened. Bayo stated that he suspected Lati Baba, a cocoa smuggler who had the custom officials in his pocket. Lati Baba had paid for the safe passage of his cocoa trucks across the border to Peter the senior superintendent, ten trucks to be precise. Bayo said they had just passed Lati’s convoy when they heard the sound of another set of trucks taking off nearby. He then asked Samuel and Aliyu to go investigate. Peter then asked Aliyu about his own side of events and he replied that after Bayo sent them, they drove the jeep towards the sound of trucks they heard and soon enough they found a truck loaded with cocoa, its engine idling under a mango tree. He continued, stating that the occupants of the truck were changing a tyre and did not try to hide even after they saw them (the custom officials). Aliyu drove and blocked the truck, acting on Superintendent Samuel’s orders while Samuel got down to dialogue with the men. Aliyu continued, stating that the men started shouting at the superintendent and at this stage the superintendent brought out his pistol and asked the men to get into the jeep. He said the driver bent down as if to adjust his shoes but as he got up, he was holding a sub-machine gun. The driver then asked the superintendent to drop his gun but instead of complying, he shot at the driver and missed, then the driver shot at the superintendent as he fell to the ground. It was after the men had left that he carried Samuel into the jeep and headed for the hospital. A doctor later came out of the theatre and declared Samuel dead. It was at this point that peter remembered that the director had called and complained that he wanted Samuel out of the western zone and back to Lagos due to how dangerous the zone was.

In the next scene we see Emeka Emodi, the director of the Nigerian customs and excise department who was waiting in the state house to see the president and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces. He however did not know why he was invited and wished the former civilian regime was still in power as he would have had an idea of why he was summoned, as compared to the present military regime. Soon he was called into the president’s office and to his surprise, the president seemed sincere and soft. The president spoke about the poor state of the country’s dependent economy, and that the country could earn a sizeable foreign exchange from agricultural products. He then pointed out how much the country could be making yearly from cocoa alone, but it is not feasible due to the activities of the smugglers in the western zone. The director then assured the president he would get on top of the matter but the president gave the director three months to fix it or he finds a new director. When the director gets back to his own office, he asks his secretary to organise a meeting with his deputy directors, after which she tells him that the senior superintendent had called. When she calls him back and links him to the director’s office, peter disclosed to the director that his brother-in-law is dead.

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CHAPTER TWO

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Chapter two starts off with the list of the major routes the smugglers usually use to transport their cocoa merchandise. Other items being smuggled were kerosene, petrol, alcoholic drinks etc. The next day after peter broke the news of Samuel’s death to the director, he, Bayo, and two other custom officers went to Lati Baba’s house to find out who killed Samuel. Lati Baba was shocked and denied knowing about the shooting and claimed none of his boys were involved but peter did not believe him for a second knowing he was a smuggler and also the president of the traders association. Peter emphasized on the fact that if Lati does not produce the culprit, investigators from Lagos would, and he (Lati) wouldn’t like what they would do to get whoever killed Samuel. Immediately peter and the other custom officers left his house, he called his head driver and right-hand man, Muri and explained what had happened with a worried face. It was after this they both came to a conclusion that someone else used their route as a cover to smuggle goods without paying the custom officers.

The next scene was at the meeting the director of customs had organised, which involved his deputy, Alhaji Jibo, another deputy in charge of revenue, Mallam Hanayo, deputy director for inspectorate, Alhaji Shamir, deputy for economic relations and planning, Felix Chukuka, and deputy director in charge of investigations, Oladele Adepeju. Alhaji Jibo who had always disliked the director, along with some other deputies did not like the fact that the director allowed the president to harass him into taking up a case he knew he couldn’t handle just because he was afraid of being replaced and he openly voiced it, supported by Mallam Hanayo and Alhaji Shamir. It was with the intervention of Oladele Adepeju and Felix Chukuka who made points supporting the director’s choices that the director could finally take a breath of peace. The director then told them about Samuel’s death and they all felt sorry, knowing he was the brother-in-law to the director. After another short meeting the director had with Alhaji Jibo and Oladele Adepeju, he was not ecstatic about going home because he had not told his wife yet. When he finally told her, she was heartbroken and blamed him for not transferring Samuel when she demanded.

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CHAPTER THREE

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Chapter three kicks off with the gathering of the smugglers Lati Baba had organised which was focused on exposing the culprit. Lati Baba came prepared as he brought a powerful witch-doctor called Agadagidi with him, who seemed scary enough from his looks. Lati warned the men that the witch-doctor had the power to fish out the perpetrator but that would mean the madness of that person within forty-eight hours. After much waiting, Lati gave a go ahead for Agadagidi the witch-doctor to do his thing and as he was about to start, Atere one of the smugglers rushed outside, fell down in front of the witch doctor and confessed to having killed Samuel. When he was asked why? , he replied that he was about to take a third wife and really needed money so he decided to smuggle three trucks without paying the customs officials, so on that day, one of his trucks developed a bad tyre and they had to change and it was while they were doing that that Samuel came and he offered Samuel two thousand naira that he didn’t have enough money but Samuel refused and asked him to pay six thousand naira for the three trucks. It was at this point Samuel asked him (Atere) to get into the customs jeep and because he had to do something, he shot Samuel. After much debate, the members of the association decided not to hand Atere over to the customs but instead protect him from them so they wouldn’t be able to have any concrete evidence against him. This protection also came from Agadagidi who made some incisions on Ateres chest and other traditional things. Lati in an attempt to punish Atere asked him to pay six thousand naira to the association as a warning to others who might decide to be greedy in his stead. After they were done with the meeting, majority of the smugglers then patronised Agadagidi after seeing what he can do. Some of the services he offered them includes Awise for commanding people to do your bidding, dehi for warding off accidents during journeys, amongst others. The department of customs tried to no avail to get the murderer of Samuel, even the so called specially trained x-squad could not come up with anything tangible after two weeks of which they were called back to Lagos. Peter the superior superintendent with Bayo his assistant decided to pay an un-announced visit to Lati at his home of residence in a last attempt to uncover the whole ordeal and they were welcomed by one of Lati’s children. Lati was busy at his office so they had to wait for him, and while they were waiting, they overheard Lati’s conversation with Atere in his office, calling Atere a murderer and that he must pay the six thousand naira fine. When Lati came out with Atere, they were both surprised and couldn’t have imagined how much the custom officers had heard. In an attempt to cover their secret, Lati and Atere experimented one of the charms they purchased from agadagidi to make people forget and it actually worked as peter and Bayo forgot why they were in Lati’s house to begin with.

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CHAPTER FOUR

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Chapter four kicks off with the president having a bad day, as students, bakers etc. were rioting over the countrys decisions in their affairs, causing a social unrest. As if this was not bad enough, there were also rumours of an impending coup, so all this got the president agitated. As it so happens, it was on that same day that the director of customs was scheduled to meet with the president again. When the president asked him for updates concerning their last discussion, the director replied that he was still collecting information. The president did not take this answer likely as he expected that the director should have been making arrests instead of collecting information. The director in an attempt to defend himself went too far with his emotions by saying a lot than was expected, putting the blame on lack of properly trained staffs, low number of employed staff, he even went as far as blaming the military too that they are involved in the smuggling activities, with his sources being his deputies. The president asked him if he was sure and he said yes, so he was asked to put it in writing and his deputies were called to defend what their director had said. Oladele Adepeju was the first to be called into the chambers where the president and his chief of staff amongst others were seated including the director of customs. Adepeju denied the statement as mere rumours that were never confirmed and stated that the director had the final say in the information he gave out. All the other deputys that were called all denied having made any such statements, especially Alhaji Jibo who made sure he crucified Emeka Ebodi his boss in his own testimony. Jibo said anyone who made such statement was an enemy of the state and should be charged with treason. He further stated that the problem of the customs organisation was bad leadership etc. At the end, the director was at a loss with the president and regretted allowing his emotions come in when he spoke. The end of this chapter suggests the president was ready to appoint a new customs director in place of Emeka Emodi.

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CHAPTER FIVE

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Chapter five happens to be the most interesting chapter yet as it rolls out with Oladele Adepeju pacing restlessly in his house, due to the events that happened at the state house. He felt sorry for his boss and wondered what would happen to him himself. Soon enough he drives to the house of the director and apologises for denying him in the events that occurred that afternoon that he had his five children to consider. The director later fogave him as Adepeju said relieving words to the director that everything would be alright. They both ate and drank and as Adepeju was about to leave, the director told him he had to join him in watching the news as the president told him to do so. On the news, it was announced that the director had been sacked and Alhaji Jibo to take his place as the new director. Emeka Emodi stood up to leave and soon enough he collapses as his wife screams and Adepeju came to the rescue.

Scenery changes as peter the superior superintendent of customs also screams in his room which ended up attracting his neighbours including Bayo his assistant. Peter had discovered a blood soaked object under his pillow before he laid down on his bed. Being cautious, they invited an herbalist who neutralised the effects of the charm and disclosed its content which included the placenta of a new born. The man then goes on to identify who made the charm after much persuasion as Agadagidi who was majorly working for Lati and his crew. The herbalist shook his head and when asked why, he disclosed that the child from which the placenta came would die in seven days. It was even up to seven days when pandemonium broke out in Latis house over his last born child who was convulsing. They took the child everywhere they thought they could get a solution but the child died eventually to the devastation of the mother.

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CHAPTER SIX

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In chapter six, we see Lati Baba and some of his aides arrive at the Nigerian/Benin border town of jabata with twelve Mercedes Benz trucks of cocoa to sell. This of course threw the normally quiet town into a fever of activities. Lati and his men successfully sold their cocoa to an agent who would in turn export it abroad at a larger price. This smuggling activity done by Lati and other smugglers enabled the Benin republic to be one of the world’s biggest exporter of cocoa even though they did not grow it in their fields. Lati and his friends from the proceeds of their cocoa sale decided to half the money and use the rest to buy goods to take back with them to Nigeria for resale. After they were done, they set off on their journey back to Nigeria, their convoys filled with assorted goods. They pass a couple of police blocks, immigration, the army etc. without any difficulties as they already informed them (all these law enforcement bodies) they (Lati and his friends) would be passing with their goods, including the custom officers too who they had even set aside some money to give to them. On getting to the custom base, they were greeted by a human roadblock and Lati couldn’t believe his eyes, Peter was still alive. Peter knowing this would come as a shock to Lati laughed in his face and asked Lati and his friends to get down from their trucks. They were all arrested and taken to the station despite the fact that Lati offered peter a lump sum of twenty-five thousand naira.

Scenery changes as we now see Emeka Emodi on a theatre table in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, unconscious, head shaved and body prepared for operation. A group of medical students were in the room also, ready to learn from the operation. Soon after, professor Baki and his Assistant Dr Lawal come into the operating room. The operation was carried out successfully not forgetting the medical student Chi Chi who also assisted and just as professor Baki was about leaving, he was called back that that the patient he just operated upon had stopped breathing.

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CHAPTER SEVEN

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Chapter seven speeds in with a view of the headquarters of the department of customs and excise in Ibadan, Oyo state capital. This was where Peter Ikoku brought Lati Baba and his friends with their trucks of goods. Officers came out of their offices to watch the spectacle as Lati and his friends were taken to the basement room used as guardroom to await interrogation. Peter had to report the arrest to his immediate senior who in turn reported to his senior and so on until the news reached the controller, Controller C. K. Arobo who was in charge of that division. Peter was called in by the controller and given a brief congratulation with no smile from the controllers face on the arrest of the smugglers, he was thereafter asked to return to his base until further command. Although peter ikoku by now had heard of Emeka Emodi’s dismissal and the appointment of Alhaji Jibo, he was certain that justice would be served. Lati who had promised peter he would not sleep in jail by then was cracking jokes with some of his lieutenants, and still assured peter that he was not careful, he would lose his job. As soon as Peter Ikoku and his team left the headquarters, controller C. K. Arobo with authority from the new director, director Jibo, called for Lati Baba and they both negotiated in his office on what price Lati had to pay. They both agreed to terms and also agreed that peter Ikoku be transferred to another zone since he was a problem for them.

Scenery dissolves as we now enter into professor Baki’s office, the one who operated on Emeka Emodi. He was visited by Emeka Emodi’s wife as she was concerned her husband was not able to talk or move after he regained his consciousness from the operation. The professor assured her that all hope was not totally lost, that after two more days of observation and there was no improvement, she could take him to the National Orthopaedic Hospital where he can learn to regain use of his muscles. When she got home, she was visited by Alhaji Shamir and Mallam Hanayo who expressed their sympathy’s and regretted the role they played in Emeka Emodi’s dismissal although they made sure to state clearly that it was Alhaji Jibo who ruined Emeka Emodi’s career. She appreciated their efforts and soon after they left, she received a letter from the customs office of the director demanding that she evacuated the premises in two weeks. Reminiscing on how the smuggler, Lati Baba had killed her brother and how Alhaji Jibo who was responsible for her husband’s condition never for once visited her or called, she left the house and headed for the office of the director of customs and excise.

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CHAPTER EIGHT

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Chapter eight continues from where chapter seven stopped as we watch Gladys, Emeka Emodi’s wife arrive at the office of the director of customs. She was greeted by Maria, Emeka Emodi’s former secretary now Alhaji Jibo’s secretary. She offered her own well wishes and told Gladys that the director was busy, but Gladys being in a hurry knocked once on the door and stormed inside to find a young lady sitting on Alhaji Jibo’s laps. She apologised for the intrusion and stated her purpose for coming but Alhaji Jibo wouldn’t reason with her, as he still stuck to his gun that she must leave the house as it belonged to the government. Angry and annoyed that Alhaji Jibo showed no remorse for her husband’s situation, she stormed out of his office and threatened him that if he wasn’t careful, he would lose his job before she was evicted from her house. A few hours after Gladys received her letter, Peter Ikoku also received his own letter of re-assignment to a desk job in the personnel section at the custom area headquarters in Ibadan. Peter also heard that Lati Baba and his boys had been freed and that he had worked an arrangement with the customs on how to share the proceedings of his goods. Peter Ikoku was really depressed because instead of getting a promotion, he was assigned to a desk job. In light of this, he decided to go to the market to buy provisions when he ran into a drunken Lati Baba who used the opportunity to laugh and boast more in the face of Peter and even admitted to having a hand in Peters transfer. In an attempt to gloat, Lati Baba disclosed the date, time and location at which he was to collect his proceedings from the customs auctioning of his goods that were seized. All this made peter lose hope in the government that he decided to resign.

The next scene cuts to Gladys, Emeka Emodi’s wife arriving at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos. On arrival, she hoped that she would meet her husband now able to talk or at least on his feet or probably he would be able to recognise her now but all these were cut short as she found him still in the same condition she has brought him in, and she started crying as the nurses begged her to stop that she would offend her husband. Soon after peter Ikoku arrives and offers his sympathy to her as she recognised him because he visited a lot whenever he came to work in Lagos. She told him of her plan of getting back at both Lati Baba and Alhaji Jibo and Peter advised her to be careful as they were vicious. He later came on board with her plans and agreed to help her. They started plotting against Alhaji Jibo first and Peter remembered how Lati Baba had disclosed he was to collect his share of the money from the director’s office. They both planned to plant a recording device in Alhaji Jibo’s office through his secretary, Maria.

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CHAPTER NINE

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Chapter nine fades in on Maria Fernandez the secretary of the director feeling nervous although she rarely did. She proved to have her own connections which was why in all the turmoil of the office, she still had her job. It was a Thursday morning which was the day Lati Baba was to come in to see the director to collect his own share from the auctioning of his goods. Maria was nervous because she was expecting Glady’s, Emeka Emodi’s wife and time was not on their side. Soon after, Glady’s shows up at the office, they exchange a few words and Glady’s storms into the director’s office yet again and demands for her husband’s gratuity and pension. Alhaji Jibo once again told her off that her husband was not entitled to anything as he was dismissed not retired. After exchanging a few other words with him, she left his office giving his secretary, Maria the tape recorder. Maria brings tea into her boss’s office and hides the tape recorder on his desk, and when she was leaving he announces that he would be expecting Lati Baba and that he doesn’t want to be disturbed until he’s done with the meeting. Lati Baba came as expected to collect his money and they exchanged a few words also. After he left, Maria once again comes in to remove the tea while carefully removing the tape recorder also. Then Glady’s for the second time in a day comes in to the director’s office to ask him for trucks to carry her load as she was ready to move out of the house. After she left the director’s office, she collected the tape recorder from Maria and promised her her own cut. When Glady’s got home, she made a copy of the tape and made a phone call to Alhaji Jibo telling him of her evidence and even played it for proof, as she demanded twenty-thousand naira from him. After much reluctance, he agreed to pay although giving her counterfeit money he had seized from a trader. Soon after he leaves her house, she calls Peter Ikoku who now works in a media house to tell him she was sending a copy of the tape as promised, so that he can publish it in the papers as soon as possible.

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CHAPTER TEN

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Chapter ten fades out as chapter ten fades in with Alhaji jibo making the headline of most Nigerian newspapers in a bribery scandal. It was first published on Saturday evening but the news did not fully circulate till Sunday morning. Alhaji Jibo heard the news from a phone call he got from Alhaji Shamir asking him whether he had seen the morning papers, about his scandal with Lati Baba. Soon after Mallam Hanayo came to visit him at home to advise him on what to do but Alhaji Jibo took it as an attempt to dethrone him from the directors seat and sent Mallam Hanayo out of his house. It wasn’t long that he got a phone call from the state house saying that the president required his attention immediately. When he got to the state house, he was led to meet the president in his office instead of his private quarters and this made him trouble greatly. When he was asked by the president on what happened, he dismissed the headlines as a hoax from the southerners to make them (both he and the president) look incompetent. The president however dismissed his reasons and told him his case would be adequately investigated upon.

Scenery then changes to Gladys who had taken Peter Ikoku and his wife out to a hotel just to thank them. They had a few bottles of champagne and it wasn’t until after she had paid her bill that it was discovered that she had been given counterfeit money by Alhaji Jibo but at this stage, the police had already been called.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

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Chapter eleven begins with time having passed since the release of Alhaji Jibo’s scandal to the public and still yet nothing had been done about the matter. The various news media did not relent either as they kept on publicizing the news in one form or the other. Soon Jibo’s case was brought before the Supreme Military Council’s meeting. The members agreed that the news was not good for the image of the government and he was invited to face the panel in which he was found guilty and immediately asked to resign office or face dismissal if he refuses.

At Emeka Emodi’s house, his wife Glady’s was in the company of Peter who proved useful during the time at which the hotel manager called the police to arrest her. They both discussed on how they could still recover the money by depositing it in the bank and then withdrawing it at a later time, althrough through a bank official. It wasn’t long when they received the news of Alhaji Jibo’s resignation and they were both joyed because she had almost lost all hope that anything would be done about the case. Although she wished he was dismissed. Now they could face Lati Baba’s matter and plot how to bring him down.

Scenery changes again, this time we see bayo who was promoted to superior superintendent of customs after Peter Ikoku his former boss resigned. Bayo was summoned to Ibadan late at night by the controller of customs in Ibadan, C. K. Arobo. On getting to Arobo’s house, he told Bayo he wanted him to tell Lati Baba to go underground and that federal detectives from Lagos were after him. Bayo suggested they allow the authorities catch him but Controller C. K. Arobo wouldn’t allow because he actively participated in collecting money from Lati Baba so if Lati were to be arrested, that would mean problem for him too. Bayo agreed and left but not until after Arobo had made sure Bayo collected a small envelope containing money.

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CHAPTER TWELVE

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Chapter twelve starts off with Gladys, Emeka Emodi’s wife visiting him at the hospital only to find out his condition had improved. Mr Emeka Emodi could now talk and move his face, and this made his wife very happy. She then narrated the events of the past weeks to him and the role she played. This made Emeka Emodi very happy and surprised at the same time as he didn’t think his wife was up to the task. When she told him she was going for Lati Baba next, he was initially worried and advised against it but she convinced him she would be alright and he let her go on with her plans.

In the next scene, we see Gladys assisted by Peter and some other workmen moving in furnitures and the rest into a storey building she had paid six months’ rent in advance for. Peter assured her that he would get his former custom men to tell others to patronise the place which she cslled cross roads hotels.

Again scenery changes as we see Lati Baba and his men having a meeting where they delegated some men amongst themselves to go to Lagos to meet the new director of customs. After their meeting they drink their usual beers before moving as a convoy to the opening of the new hotel as they had received invitation prior to that day. On getting there, Lati recognised Bayo the new superior superintendent and hailed him. And according to plan, Bayo introduced Lati Baba to the owner of the establishment who happened to be Gladys. She took good care of them and hoped they would patronise her more often.

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

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Chapter thirteen continued as Lati demanded for prostitutes after having satisfied his belly and luckily, peter had advised Gladys to get such girls ready as it was propaganda in such parts. Gladys had spoken with one of the girls, Ajo who was the most beautiful amongst all the girls to personally attend to Lati and she was to put a yellow pill in his drink. She explained to the girl that the pill would only make him sleep but in actual sense, it was poison. Lati and Ajo danced and soon headed for a room where he had sex with her for about thirty minutes before sleeping off. When she woke up and remembered the pill, Lati also woke up and once again pummelled the girl sexually for an hour before getting ready to leave. Once the girl saw he was leaving, she persuaded him to take a last drink with her and he agreed and used this opportunity to slip the pill in his drink but Lati did not drink it.

Next we see Emeka Ebodi in Lagos on his hospital bed attending to Peter who came to visit him. Emeka then addresses his wifes issue with Lati and concluded that it was too dangerous, so be begged Peter to tell her to abandon the project and come back to Lagos. Peter went to Abata the next day only to find out that Gladys had gone to the hospital as one of the girls, Ajo had fallen ill. Soon Gladys arrived with Ajo from the hospital and Peter finds out that Gladys already tried to poison Lati on the first night even though he warned her to wait a few days or weeks before doing so. Peter then suspects that Lati must have found out through his local charms and the rest but Gladys dismissed the idea as she did not believe in such.

Not far from the hotel, in Lati’s house was Agadagidi who was invited by Lati because he suspected someone was trying to kill him. After agadagidi was done with his ceremonial charades, he concluded that in seven days, the person trying to kill him (Lati) will fall ill, vomiting and thereafter meet their death. It wasn’t long that Lati’s driver and right hand man, Muri came in and after some conversation, Lati discovered that Atere was ill and vomiting and Lati was left thinking if it was Atere or not.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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Chapter fourteen starts by letting us know that Emeka Emodi was discharged from the hospital and was taken home. Although he still couldn’t walk or move his hands, he was now in a wheel chair. After much convincing, he finally allowed his wife to continue with her plans of getting rid of Lati. One afternoon while she was in the hotel, Lati and some friends came by un-announced and he asked if the girl Ajo still worked with her and Gladys replied yes. He then went on to lament on how someone had tried to poison him and wondered if the girl knew about it. After eating and drinking, Lati told Gladys he would be back at night for Ajo. She immediately organised for the hired assassin to be around and planned with Ajo on the room to stay with Lati. Soon after Ajo and Lati started having sex, the assassin lunched at Lati but missed because Lati’s ring warned him. The both wrestled hard and Lati came out victorious while Ajo fainted. After the residents of the building were alerted, the police were called and the residents and customers all gave their own side of the story. Gladys being smart already had an alibi as to how the man got in the room. Ajo was rushed to the hospital and a policeman asked Gladys and Lati to come along but the nurse on duty won’t let them in to see Ajo. They therefore decided to that the next day. Lati was not convinced it was all a coincidence so he decided to go back to the hospital as the nurse on duty was related to one of his wives. On getting to Ajo’s room, she was sleeping and when he tapped her, she screamed.

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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Chapter fifteen which is the last chapter of this text swirls to an end rather too quick as we see Lati interrogating Ajo on why she wanted to kill him. Ajo then confesses that it was the wish of her madam, Gladys due to the fact that Lati killed her brother. After much thinking, Lati goes back to the hotel to confront Gladys who was shaken to see him and also drunk. Lati was calm in asking her why she wanted him dead, and when she told him, he cleared the air that he wasn’t the one who killed her brother but a rather greedy associate of his, and that he had been punished. Gladys asked how and he told her of how Atere had died, of natural causes. After much conversation, Lati told Gladys he forgave her and also Lati ended up buying the crossroads hotel from Gladys. Emeka Ebodi former director of customs and excise was given a free medical treatment pass to go abroad and also his dismissal was changed to retired.

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IN CONCLUSION

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My overall view of the book is that it is based and believes majorly in the old religion as we see some display of cultural magic to its full extent as the main role player for this was Agadagidi himself amongst others, although not all characters in the book believed in this black magic until they at one point or another almost fell victims to it. Another observation I made was the currency declared in the book which seemed to be confusing or constantly changing, an example being when Lati Baba and his friends went to Benin to sell their Cocoa, they sold it at six thousand per truck and they came with twelve trucks, they still bought goods with half the money and on their way back the amount they prepared for the custom officers did not tally with the amount they made that day. Another observation is how they were so enchanted in their traditional ways as to ignore the important side of the western ways e.g. the hospital. When Lati’s child fell ill, instead of taking the child to the hospital, they preferred to do home or self-treatment first, even started burning the poor boy with hot wood from fire. Another was when Atere fell sick, if he had been taken to the hospital he wouldn’t have died.

In conclusion, the book depicts situations that are still happening in the country, even though it was written a long time ago we can still see some of the books content in our daily living such as corrupt government officials, bribery, favouritism due to connections in high places, greediness, lack of cooperation amongst top members of an organisation, smugglers still exist, the evil traditions still exist, bad government, injustice in government offices and so on. The book is one to read, and read again as it has elements like tension, suspension, comedy, horror etc.

_{THE END}

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Dee-y cares ®