21st of July

It was his only chance to get out alive.

He jumped out the window, knowing the entrance to the flat was surrounded.

….And he ran like he had never run before!

The memories of the event populated his thoughts, confusing his steps as he ran along the streets: destination unknown!

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They had ransacked the whole place, collected all that was collectable and tied the couple together in the centre of the room

“ONLY N50,000? OH BOY THIS NA BAD JOB. SOLO, MAKE YOURSELF A MAN! WHEN LIFE GRABS YOUR BALLS, YOU BURST THE BALLS OF THE NEXT MAN. NA YOU GO EX THESE PEOPLE!!!” was the instruction of Emmanuel.

Solomon's shaking hands aimed and shot at the head a begging man. As the man stumbled, his wife screamed and he shot her too.

The whole thing took about 10 seconds, but that moment, felt like eternity…

The bullet left the barrel with a loud noise “bang” shooting through the air, heading for the target….

He remembered the words of Emmanuel as they planned the attack “the guy is like 32 sha. He lives around Igando. We know commandant for that area, so no be big issue. Tona na your car we go use”

The man had a look of plea in his face, as he witnessed his own death…..

“ No wahala. I suppose take the car go Cotonou go sell after. They say the maga na oil worker. Dem boys gats kishi. If that guy no prepare, he fit get N500,000 for house. Na small job. We fit carry Solo come” Tona added  

The bullet pierced into his skull, tearing open the flesh and blood vessels, lifting up the man from his feet….

“Yeae paripa… I don kill person. Na so person dey die?  Oh Boy I don become murderer! Solo, concentrate na him business jo, I gats to chop! Na these people get money pass, na dem spoil country for us! I gats to chop” he thought to himself

Bang! Bang! Bang! Was the sound of his gun as three bullets were squeezed from the barrel of his gun into the neck of the wife, permanently silencing her

“Solo, our elders say the one that befriends the Cobra and makes him play dead, is the one town crier would call the hero.” Was his dad last statement to him as he departed for Lagos

She slumped on to the body of her husband with no care of her nudity…her body….lifeless

“Solomon, you can’t do this forever! How those babes go dey look us? You no fit dey dey do mechanic work anymore. You pass that one well” was Samson’s luring line to Solo in every effort to entice his younger brother

A visibly shaken Solomon dropped the gun as his thoughts were interrupted by a gun shot, “RATATATATATATA!!!!”

…was the next thing he heard as the glass door (that covered the stairways) scattered next to him

“OPC PEOPLE DON LAND!!” Emmanuel screamed

Even as Emmanuel beckoned on him to wait, Solomon ran straight to the next room, which was a toilet and locked the door; his heart beating like it was about burse.

 He climbed out from the window’s toilet and jumped two storeys down on to the bonnet of a black sedan parked in the drive way.

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They hadn’t thought OPC vigilante members would respond quickly,

they hadn’t thought the man would have only N50,000 in the house,

they…in fact they hadn’t thought about a lot of thing.

And Solomon was now an outlaw. He broke entry into a guarded property. He had the blood of two innocent people on his hands!!! 
This is not the life he every planned for!!

He ran aimlessly on the street hoping that he would see someone or something that he recognizes …..

  “BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!!”

Immediately he heard that sound, all the lights went out...........