Frank still in shock after witnessing bombs been planted on the pillars beneath the third mainland bridge, He was still shivering in his boat, the highness in his body was quick to leave him, his heart in his mouth as he witnessed the scariest \u00a0hours of his life.<\/p>\n
The guys never came back to where he was which was strange, he only looked up when he couldn\u2019t hear the sound of their speed-boats\u00a0any more.<\/p>\n
Frank walked through the deserted shore to his home with the daylight\u00a0approaching. \u00a0He knocked and his\u00a0mother opened the door for him. He went into the room, saw his father\u00a0sleeping, took his corner and slept off.<\/p>\n
The noise was unbearable for Frank, the wailing of the children, the\u00a0adults screaming, the movement getting busier and busier, he was in the middle of the madness that seemed outdoor, the sun was shining directly into his face, his mind was playing tricks on him, people were holding onto the iron beams, trying to save their kids, their friends as explosions rocked the bridge in the middle with cars falling into the water and BRT buses with people jumping out of the windows as the buses nose-dive into the\u00a0bridge. Cars were running into each other as cars behind who saw the\u00a0explosions tried to turn back.<\/p>\n
Frank woke up as the sun rays tore past the flimsy material they used as a curtain, disturbing him. The sound of little children getting prepared for school as they rushed down the passage of the \u201cFace-me-I-face-you\u201d house.<\/p>\n
The sounds of explosion he heard were nothing but the knocks on his door\u00a0from an impatient guest. Frank stood up as he used his hand to shield his\u00a0face from the rays of the sun coming through his window. \u00a0The\u00a0noises he thought were that of people wailing on the bridge was that of\u00a0people screaming at each other at the passage of the\u00a0dilapidated\u00a0house.<\/p>\n
Still dressed in the attire he wore the night before, Frank sat straight on\u00a0the worn-out mattress, the whole event of last night playing in his head, from his fight with his father to how he took the boat into the water, smoked a blunt and how the big boats approached the pillars underneath the bridge.<\/p>\n
To him, it was purely a case of being at wrong place at the wrong time. He\u00a0knew he had no business been there at that time but there was no way he could get that out of his head. He remembered also seeing an abandoned vehicle on the bridge that night but it didn’t look like there was\u00a0anyone in the car. The impatient person at the door continued to knock aggressively, Frank got up angrily wondering who was there that could be so annoying.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
__<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
BK knew calling Seye would lead to other complicated things but he couldn\u2019t resist the urge not to tell someone about what he saw last night especially his security operative brother. Since the revelation of Seye, BK hardly believed anything anymore unless he
\nsaw beyond reasonable doubt about such thing.<\/p>\n
Just as BK suspected, Seye\u00a0told him to come straight to his house that he needed to explain everything\u00a0he saw. The phone call to Seye didn’t last long but the last sentence was for BK to head to Seye\u2019s house immediately at Surulere. BK wanted to go but just needed to relax a bit before heading out again, since it was already morning. He managed for a little over 4 hours only to be awoken by loud knocks on his door.<\/p>\n
\u201dShit!”, he said, as he remembered he was supposed to see Seye at home.<\/p>\n
His guess was\u00a0right as he peeped Seye from the keyhole.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeye, I swear to you, I just wanted to take a quick nap for about 15\u00a0minutes before coming over\u201d, BK explained<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 15 minutes became 4 hours, right?\u201d Seye replied as he continued searching all BK\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI slept off, Seye…believe me\u201d BK pleaded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet your shoes and let\u2019s go\u201d Seye replied<\/p>\n
BK pulled out his shoes from underneath the sofa where he kept it before he lapsed into the mini-coma.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d BK asked<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going back to the HQ, we need to debrief you\u201d Seye replied<\/p>\n
\u201cDebrief?\u201d BK asked<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need you to tell us everything you saw last night as it happened,\u00a0everything you can remember about that incident\u201d Seye explained<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a team under the bridge right now, we have confirmed your intel. There is indeed something under that bridge, C4 assembled with a trigger and some firewall of some sort. Our bomb experts are trying to defuse the bomb but we need to know what you saw last night\u201d Seye continued<\/p>\n
BK took a deep breath; it looked like it was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, how about people on the bridge?\u201d BK asked<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bridge has been sealed off since you gave me that intel, we moved swiftly,\u00a0blocking them at all entry and exit points.\u201d Seye replied<\/p>\n
They went in Seye\u2019s car and zoomed off. BK stared out of the window at the busy Lagos that wasnt aware of the eminent threat of a bomb on the third mainland bridge.<\/p>\n
_____<\/p>\n
Nnamdi stared blankly at the tattered roof of the warehouse, staring into\u00a0oblivion, he couldn\u2019t understand how he became a villain after being\u00a0celebrated as an hero.<\/p>\n
He monitored the arming of the bombs on 3rd mainland bridge which was set to explode \u00a0in a few hours. After serving his father land dutifully for\u00a0over a decade, he was to become the most\u00a0wanted man in the country just as soon as he made a call.\u00a0He also prayed silently that whoever was in that boat that night report it to the appropriate authorities in time.<\/p>\n
He felt lost and deeply sad as he stared at the phone, his action, a dial away. The phone vibrated and it was a text;<\/p>\n
\u201cHonour our agreement and make the call, Its too late to play hero\u201d.<\/p>\n
Nnamdi stood up from his seat, trying to psych himself up to make the call\u00a0that would probably end his career and eventually his life but he was far\u00a0gone to back down now.<\/p>\n
Nnamdi dialled the number from the encrypted phone, Nnamdi knew nothing is really encrypted, it\u2019ll just take a couple of hours to crack where the call\u00a0was made from depending on the technology in use.<\/p>\n
The phone began to ring, and then the receiver picked the call;<\/p>\n
The receiver looked at the phone, saw the number was hidden and probably\u00a0thought it was one of his girlfriends playing prank with him but the voice\u00a0he heard changed his mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, good morning\u201d The receiver said<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, Mr. Commissioner, I don\u2019t need to introduce myself, I just have some information to give you, it’s free but I would like a little\u00a0compensation for it,\u00a0that’s\u00a0all\u201d Nnamdi said<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this some sort of joke?\u201d The Commissioner asked<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it sound funny to you? Now listen and listen good. There are bombs strapped to the pillars of the 3rd mainland bridge at the middle,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0done our calculations correctly and\u00a0we’ve\u00a0got the right amount of C4 to take out each and we have put them in multiple places.<\/p>\n
We might not be able to take out the entire bridge but we have enough\u00a0fire-power\u00a0to break it in the middle which actually is what we want.\u201d\u00a0Nnamdi said<\/p>\n
A sweat broke from the forehead of the Commissioner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know you\u2019ll try all sort of funny business with the bomb, whatever you\u00a0try, we\u2019re in control\u201d Nnamdi continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d The commissioner asked<\/p>\n
\u201cDont worry, I\u2019ll call back with our request.\u201d Nnamdi said<\/p>\n
The phone line went dead.<\/p>\n
__
\nMeanwhile, Frank went to get the door and it was his bestfriend, Akeem.\u00a0Akeem was furious at Frank for not opening the day earlier complaining of\u00a0how he had to wait for him to open up.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh boy, na wa for you o, i don dey knock there for more than 30 minutes\u201d
\nAkeem vexed<\/p>\n
\u201cNo vex, Akoko, na sleep jare\u201d Frank apologized<\/p>\n
\u201cI see your mama, she talk say you and your papa get gbege\u201d Akeem said<\/p>\n
\u201cNo mind that man jare, the man slap me since i too tey to come back home\u00a0and say na bad company i dey keep\u201d Frank told his friend<\/p>\n
\u201cYour papa sabi para sha \u201d Akeem joked<\/p>\n
\u201cNo mind am, as him wooze me slap; na him\u00a0I\u00a0take that one escape \u00a0go\u00a0bridge go drag\u201d Frank responded<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, na you carry the weed wey remain abi\u201d Akeem joked<\/p>\n
\u201cNa me o,\u00a0I\u00a0need am die\u201d Frank responded<\/p>\n
\u201cOmo, you no go believe wetin i see last night o\u201d Frank said to his slender\u00a0framed friend, Akeem<\/p>\n
\u201cWetin happen, yan me\u201d Akeem said as he settled into the rickety foam Frank slept on<\/p>\n
\u201cI see some guys under the bridge, i no fit even reach there, i no fit turn\u00a0back sef, no be small thing. All the guys dey wear something to cover their faces but the thing wey dem put for the bridge be like bomb sha\u201d Frank said<\/p>\n
\u201chow you take know say na bomb, what if na Julius Berger nko? Sebi dem dey repair the bridge\u201d Akeem responded<\/p>\n
\u201cJulius Berger go dey wear mask for face, you be monkey jo, enough\u00a0American films to know those things were dey explode jare\u201d Frank said<\/p>\n
\u201cYou tell your mama or papa when you reach house?\u201d Akeem asked<\/p>\n
\u201cDem dey talk that kin thing\u201d Frank said<\/p>\n
\u201cThose guys bin see you at all? \u201d Akeem asked<\/p>\n
\u201cDem no see me but one boat nearly reach me but e turn back\u201d Frank explained<\/p>\n
\u201cListen well o, you go come pack small load, na your papa and mama head dey your back na him no allow dem come kill you for there.\u201d Akeem said<\/p>\n
Frank listened attentively.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou go come pack small shirts and trouser, you dey go trip be that\u201d Akeem said<\/p>\n
\u201cFor wetin na?\u201d Frank queried<\/p>\n
\u201cIf them catch you, whether na Police or those guys, na die be that\u201d Akeem said<\/p>\n
\u201cOya now now, begin dey pack, we go dey talk for phone\u201d Akeem continued<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don dey tey, come dey go\u201d Akeem rushed Frank<\/p>\n
\u201cWetin i go tell my mama and papa?\u201d Frank asked<\/p>\n
\u201cYou go call them say work dey for Berger and you don go, say you go call
\nthem\u201d Akeem adviced.<\/p>\n
Looking through his wristwatch, it was 15 minutes after 3pm.<\/p>\n
__<\/p>\n
At the foot of the bridge, bomb experts, Police, The Navy, The Army and every other form of National Security agency was present trying to battle out how best to resolve this.<\/p>\n
Someone from the army suggested<\/p>\n
\u201cThe detonation of this bomb has to be remotely,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0got everywhere\u00a0around here surrounded, I don\u2019t think anyone will want to be around to\u00a0detonate this. It will be done via a mobile phone; there are receivers on\u00a0some of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
A naval officer suggested<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to call Telecom guys if they can switch off their radio devices\u00a0around this area so we can isolate this bomb and defuse it\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood idea\u201d Abu, the head of the teams said<\/p>\n
\u201cCall NCC and have them do that immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
The green light came that network was out, the bomb experts got to work,\u00a0studying the wiring of the detonator, carefully\u00a0analysing\u00a0how to disarm the\u00a0bomb and detach the C4 from the triggering device. After agonizing several hours, one bomb expert was able to successfully disarm the bomb, the process was replicated for other bombs.<\/p>\n
The operation to detonate the bomb had withdrawn virtually half of the\u00a0police force from Obalende area of the Lagos Island.<\/p>\n
A call was put through to the commissioner of Police that the bomb has been disarmed and sent to the Force Headquarters in Lagos.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile BK and Seye had gotten back to JTF HQ in Lagos, \u00a0BK was kept in a room with just a table and a seat chained into the ground, almost close to interrogation rooms he had seen in the movies.<\/p>\n
After an agonizing couple of hours, Seye came back with 2 other guys and they took their seats infront of him.<\/p>\n
One of the guys broke the silence and said;<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Idris, On behalf of all Lagosians, I\u2019d like to thank you,\u00a0Bukunmi for coming forward with this very vital information. You\u2019ve helped\u00a0us a great deal.\u00a0We have\u00a0got agents as we speak at the foot of the bridge\u00a0accessing the bomb and hopefully we will be able to disarm it before it\u00a0causes any damage\u201d Idris said<\/p>\n
BK was feeling proud of himself for a bit there, thinking this might be\u00a0easier than he thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would like you to take us through the events of that night, one step at\u00a0a time, how you got to where you saw the whole event unfold\u201d Idris said<\/p>\n
BK adjusted in his seat and began<\/p>\n
\u201cI was clubbing with friends on the mainland when they moved base to the island\u201d BK said<\/p>\n
The second guy interjected him and asked Bukunmi<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are the they\u201d The second agent, Lawrence asked<\/p>\n
\u201cHmmm, Jide, his chic and two of my own female friends. We initially were\u00a0clubbing on the mainland at Club Rumourz in Ikeja. Jide and his chic\u00a0changed locations without informing me, they called and told me they\u2019d moved\u00a0to the Island.<\/p>\n
I abandoned my friends since they met their friends there and left for the\u00a0Island, I noticed that my front tyre, driver\u2019s side was deflated but not\u00a0completely flat.<\/p>\n
I made a mental note to pump it in the morning then zoomed off to the island,\u00a0on my way to the island,\u00a0I\u00a0fell into a large pothole that destroyed my tyre.<\/p>\n
I stopped the car, somewhere after Unilag and went to check the tyre, it\u00a0was almost flat,as\u00a0I\u00a0moved to check the boot for my spare tyre. I saw a\u00a0horde of speed boats speeding towards the bridge, they must have been 10-15\u00a0boats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Idris interjected him \u201cCan you be specific?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was in the middle of the night, I dint have the liberty of counting how\u00a0many they were plus\u00a0I\u00a0was scared out of my mind, the boats couldn\u2019t have\u00a0been more than 15.\u201d Bukunmi replied<\/p>\n
\u201cOk\u201d Idris said<\/p>\n
\u201cWait! Wait!! \u201d Bukunmi said, brightening up like a light bulb.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Seye said<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a fishing boat that night\u201d BK said, sitting up, resting his\u00a0elbow on the table<\/p>\n
\u201cHow are you sure there was anyone in that boat?\u201d Idris inquired<\/p>\n
\u201cI think\u00a0I\u00a0saw someone hiding inside the boat\u201d BK replied<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you describe what the person looked like\u201d Lawrence cut in<\/p>\n
\u201cI can’t, it was too dark but there\u00a0wasn’t\u00a0any other boat that night, I\u00a0remember\u201d BK replied<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to send someone down there immediately to find out who was out\u00a0there at that time of the night\u201d Idris said to Lawrence and Seye.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else did you see Bukunmi?\u201d Seye asked<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0couldn’t\u00a0see much,\u00a0I\u00a0tried running to the other side of the bridge to\u00a0see what they were doing but I\u00a0couldn’t\u00a0see very well. I could only see a boat a bit far from the pillars, some kind of leader, he is tall, huge, he had a mask on, his boat went around overseeing the operation\u201d BK narrated<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best bet is that guy down there, he must have seen the whole thing\u00a0play out\u201d BK concluded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat time did all this happen?\u201d Idris asked<\/p>\n
\u201cNot so sure, but i think it\u2019s between 2 and 2:30 in the morning\u201d Bukunmi\u00a0replied<\/p>\n
Lawrence checked his time and it was almost 4pm.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet a team down to Ilaje now, find out whoever that was in that boat last\u00a0night. Bring him in ASAP\u201d<\/p>\n
__<\/p>\n
Nnamdi was still in a sad state when the private call came in<\/p>\n
\u201cHello Nnamdi, any update for me?\u201d The voice asked<\/p>\n
\u201cI have called the commissioner, am sure all security agencies are there as\u00a0we speak\u201d Nnamdi replied<\/p>\n
\u201cHow come it’s not on the news? \u201d The voice asked,<\/p>\n
\u201cAre they putting me on a back burner? \u201d The voice continued<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government is saying it’s the maintenance work been done\u201d Nnamdi said<\/p>\n
\u201cDont worry, this will soon be over and you\u2019ll be re-united with your
\nfamily\u201d The voice said<\/p>\n
\u201cPhase II is already is progress\u201d The voice said<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat’s Phase II? \u201d Nnamdi asked<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re strictly on a need to know basis, this is all you\u2019re allowed to\u00a0know for now\u201d The voice bellowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should be dis-arming the bomb right about now…\u201d The voice continued<\/p>\n
\u201cDisarming??? What did I do all that for then? \u201d Nnamdi protested<\/p>\n
\u201cPatience Nnamdi …Patience …. \u201d The voice said and cut the phone<\/p>\n
Phase II! \u00a0disarming the bomb!! A lot of things were going on in Nnamdi\u2019s\u00a0head, something doesn\u2019t feel right, he told himself.<\/p>\n
__<\/p>\n
Today is the last day of a powerful crusade at TBS, the Police and most of\u00a0the security agencies on the island have been deployed to the waterway\u00a0to\u00a0monitor the disarming.<\/p>\n
A lot of traffic on the Lagos Island as worshippers are trooping in for the last day\u00a0revival, the man of God had promised it would be explosive, the blind would see, the cripple would walk, miracles were expected to take place. Some worshippers were in BRT buses singing to the destination of the crusade, some were walking in groups, in one of those group was Frank’s parents.<\/p>\n
Amongst the crowd of worshippers were six men wearing suicide vest…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Frank still in shock after witnessing bombs been planted on the pillars beneath the third mainland bridge, He was still shivering in his boat, the highness in his body was quick to leave him, his heart in his mouth as he witnessed the scariest \u00a0hours of his life. The guys never came back to where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[789],"tags":[3999,790,877,874,875,876,873],"class_list":["post-2963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-17-awosika-season-2","tag-17-awosika","tag-bukunmi","tag-nigerian-fiction","tag-season-2","tag-short-story-on-deolububble-com","tag-speed-boats","tag-suicide-bombers"],"yoast_head":"\n