In Ayede area of Odomeje, the State Police Command
arrested two men for allegedly kidnapping and raping a girl. The two drunken
and remorseless drug addicts shattered the life of the ten-year-old beautiful
girl. It was alleged that within a few days of upload, the nude photographs
went viral on social media, exposing the girl (Name withheld) to ridicule and
shame. The prosecutor said the offences were contrary to and punishable under
Section 409, 269, 144(1), 258, 135(2), 150(1)(2), 228, 56(a) of the Criminal
Laws of the Odomeje Region 2011. It was reported that the one of the defendant
gave written confession and the other said he was not guilty. The magistrate
Mrs. B. F Mabayeje, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N300,000 with
two sureties each in like sum. The mostly Yoruba town reacted with shock and
horror at the inhuman crime perpetrated by those men. Until the old non-indigenous
Biafia war veteran father of the girl acquired an hunter gun and a machete and
he took justices into his hand in a broad day light.
In the midst of his criminal trial, which was
branded the biggest criminal trial in the town, as there was a life on the
line? Pressure was so thick you could see it in the air. Courtroom was packed
and security was tight. Half of the people hated the defendant and his young
but brilliant lawyer. The other half prayed he get off because he is one of
their own. It was a trial of all trials. The tribal implications are enormous.
A non-indigene father killed two indigenes that raped and left her daughter to
die. This trial was different.
The side street leading into the village square
became congested as cars from all directions inched towards the high court. Hundreds
of non-indigenes left their vehicles in the street and walk solemnly towards
the square. The Inspector of police and his men directed traffic until the
highway and streets leading to the high court were hopelessly gridlocked.
Danbam and every full-time, part time, retired
and prospective members of ACF (Araokeoya Consultative Front) in the entire
state found their way down to the town. Thousands of their fellow non-indigenes
were there with waving their placard and yelling their lung out. They had vowed
to walk around the court until their man was acquitted and allow to go home as a
free man. All the policemen in the village were now at the court and the
governor had requested the presence of the military men armed to the teeth.
The OPC (Odomeje Peoples Confederate) had
earlier added another dimension to the trial. They had intimidated all that
were directly or indirectly involved in the case. The lawyers house; one of the
landmark of the town had been burnt down. It was reduced to smoldering
wreckage. His secretary and her husband were seriously beaten and the poor man
did not survive it. The beautiful and brilliant law clerk was harassed and left
to die in the forest but for the help of a good Samaritan. Even the judge who
had earlier proven to be strong hearted was showing hints of frustration at
that point. The tension increased when the OPC leader in the town was killed by
an unknown man, after his historic address at the front of the court. A
firebomb was thrown at him. The OPC proved ready for the assault, within
seconds, the front of the high court was a great battlefield. The police
officers had to form dividing line between the non-indigenes and the indigenes
while the military men were surrounded the court. Some bystanders were thankful
for the truce.
After the closing argument of the two lawyers,
the judge decided to break for the lunch. The court was crowded by with the
curious, the press, and small army of jealous lawyers. Seat in the court was so
precious that none of the spectators, law students, law clerks, reporters and
other were willing to leave for the lunch. They were ready to suffer in the
course of the lunch rather than let the seat go. The people of town were at
that courthouse and were willing to forgo their lunch; tough decision but
quintessential one for that matter.
Olaiya could smell the opportunity. He could
sensed people in need. He felt their willingness of the people to stay in the
court and still have their lunch. We all like to eat our cake and have it. Olaiya
ran out of the court, navigate through the crown, he returned in few minutes with
a shopping cart filled with a wide assortment of sandwiches, meat pie, eggroll,
and disposable plastic plate filled with fast food from the closest sweet
sensation. He began yelling towards the far end of the court, he pass the food
to his customers. He worked his way slowly to the front of the row. A sandwich,
meat pie and eggroll went for 150naira each in the court, their cost 100naira.
Lacaera, VijuMilk and teem and other
drinks went for 200naira, their cost 100. A plate of the packed fast food went
for a thousand naira, it cost 750naira. He sold out before within two rows. He
began taking order from the rest of the courtroom. Olaiya was the man of the
moment.
With a fistful of orders, he raced from the
courthouse across the square….he ran to the nearby fastfood kitchen and return
with the order. At the end Olaiya was jubilant not for the judgement passed but
for the enormous profit he has made within the 2 hours recess of that trial of
all trials.
Entrepreneurs have
unique characteristics that separates them from others; their ability to easily
see business opportunities. Some of them have uncanny ability to see a business
opportunity in everything around them. It is as if they have a special radar
device built into their senses.
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