To the Amororo police station where Baba Lekki was locked in an epic legal duel to secure an order of mandamus for the release of Okon after being detained for contempt of court in a case of bigamy. The whole place was like an open camp of miscreants with hardened ex-convicts, pre-convicts and post-convicts all smoking hemp and lambasting the authorities.
Baba Lekki walked in with his usual jaunty confidence. But as he brought out the rumpled legal instrument from a left pocket bristling with all kinds of fireworks including a primitive lighter known in ancient local parlance as monrasana, he was to meet more than his match in the alert and no-nonsense desk sergeant who eyed him with quiet disdain.
“I have an order of mandamus to secure the release of Okon Francis Okon”, the old contrarian announced with a fiery scowl. But to his surprise, the desk sergeant ignored him and continued to pore over a huge file with utmost concentration. After the crushing humiliation of being ignored, Baba Lekki broke into a tempest.
“Officer, I put it to you that you are a blockhead”, the old man screamed. The desk sergeant calmly closed the file he was treating and looked directly at the ancient agitator.
“Sir, abuse is not legal argument. The order of mandamus does not preclude the mundanity of the order itself”, the sergeant repulsed. Baba Lekki was stunned by the sheer intelligence and calm sophistication of the response. He was not dealing with an ordinary cop. A man with a wolfish visage of extreme intelligence, Hannibal Mukoro was not a police officer to toy or tangle with.
Three decades earlier, Sergeant Mukoro was touted and hailed as one of the rising stars of the police force. His forensic brilliance and thoroughness attracted the attention of his superiors and he was promoted inspector ahead of his course mates and pencilled down for a course which would make him a superior officer.
But envy and ill-will intervened. One thing led to the other and he was framed for tampering with evidence. Promoted ex-inspector, he was to spend the next five years in that non-rank until he was restored as Sergeant after much pleading and petitions. He thereafter sank into quiet oblivion while watching lesser mortals climb over him. He had quietly accepted his fate and taken to pools betting and big game hunting.
“What do you mean?” Baba Lekki asked rather belatedly but without much conviction.
“Sir, I am surprised that despite your years in London, you still don’t know that mandamus means we demand. But that is where it ends. We are asked to produce the detainee. It doesn’t say he must be alive. Your man could have succumbed to covid in detention. All we need to do is to produce evidence of body as part of the body of evidence” the sergeant calmly declaimed.
“Not on your life, I say not on your life. I know where you are going. The boy must not die”, Baba Lekki screamed now realising that he was dealing with a satanic state enforcer.
“Calm down, calm down,” the sergeant ordered the old man. “I will release your man if he is alive. But he must give an undertaking to leave Lagos immediately”.
“Na today today I go leave. I no be Nigerian. I be from Ambazonia”, a distraught Okon whined from one of the cells.
“Shut up, you idiot or I will rescind the order”, the sergeant screamed.
“Ngbo Okon no talk at all oo. Madman come pass madman for Lagos oooo!!” the old man moaned as he crashed on the floor completely exhausted.
The Nation
