THE DIVISIONAL CRIME BRANCH 3

THE DIVISIONAL CRIME BRANCH PART 3

The time was 3pm. I was pacing around the bus stop at Orhuworun junction, checking out all the taxis that were coming from the Warri end of the road. I was not the only one laying seize in that area. Cpl. Wangyo was sitting with a shoe repairer across the road, also checking out the movement of the people at the junction.

Cpl. Itoro and Cpl. Ibekwe were trying without success in chatting up a lady selling oranges. We were all maintaining eye contact with each other to know when anything would come up.

We have been here about an hour now, expecting my contact to come with at least one of the boys.

In retrospect, the 80s were a primitive era in Nigeria police work. There were no telephone services for anyone to make a quick call. Every action taken must be human effort expended.

After the morning meeting in the DPO’s office, I have taken a bike to Ovwian and had a meeting with Kevwe. I explained to him what he should know. I practically persuaded him to book a meeting with the leader of the gang to give him the details of an operation he was privileged to have over-heard.

Acting on that, he left to make that arrangement. I loitered around for more than an hour within the town till he returned. He gave me an assurance that the boy has agreed to come for an inspection of the supposed site between 2-3 pm.

Since there was to be no actual inspection to be done, our arrangement was to stop the duo at Orhuworun junction on their way to the phantom site. We were to slam some bogus allegation against them, and take them to the station for questioning.

I had immediately hurried back to the station and assembled this team for the interception. And since there were no phones available, all we could do was to maintain close eye contact while remaining as vigilant as possible.

About twenty minutes after the hour, Kevwe came alone to the junction on a bike. I walked up to him to inquire about the boy.

“Well, I was in the house and waited for him to come back. I was informed that he went out with a certain lady and would return soon. That was why I waited for this long time,” he explained. He looked around as the others converged on us, “Ah! Oga Bara, you came with a whole battalion,” he smirked.

They got the hint, and eased back a little.

“What is the next time to meet with them,” I asked flatly.

“I will go back and wait for him. If he returns before night fall, we may still come around, otherwise it will be tomorrow,” he assured me.

“That is alright,” I heaved a sigh. “I will hang around here to wait for you.”

With that, he crossed the road to take a bike back to town. We gathered ourselves to re-strategize. They all should go back to the station while I will hang around to see what else we may have today. With that, we dispersed.

After the others have left for the station, I went into a small cafeteria to have a little bite of something. I sat at a side table by the window where I will be able to keep an eye on the road. I sat there brooding through the events of the past two days. The activities were just fleeting through my mind hazily. I cannot imagine that in just a period of two days of action, we were right behind the tiger’s tail.

Once again I looked around at all the faces of the people in the restaurant. There is none here that anyone would associate to masking an evil intent on his face. Everyone seems busy doing what they intent doing. There is none here to say, ‘officer I have information to share with you.”

I am in a crowd and yet alone. At that moment, I felt the weight of the pistol tucked behind my belt, a reassuring comfort to get you out of troubled waters, I presumed. Am I in any troubled water? I asked myself. I paid for my meal and went out to the road.

As if on cue, a bike with two passengers pulled up at the Junction. The passengers were Kevwe and another boy. I passed close to them so that they would notice my presence. As they turned to look in my direction, I recognized the other boy. I have seen him in several places in town, and sometimes in Kevwe’s place. I think his name is George. Yeah George, I am very sure of that. A short bulky fellow with bulging arms as a wrestler. They both waved to me in recognition. I threw a greeting at Kevwe as someone I have not seen for a very long time.

He responded agreeably to suggest they are going to his house. That was the hint. They went their way, and I took the next available bike back to the station. The die is cast. It is now action time.

There was no patrol car at the station to take us for the operation. Sgt. Adamu volunteered to convey us with his car to a bush part that I knew would lead us to Kevwe’s house. I have walked this rubber plantation severally and know it like the back of my hand.

Adamu let us off at the point and went back to the station. We were four on this mission; Cpl. Ibekwe John, Daniel Wangyo, Itoro Akporaro and me.

We snaked our way through the rubber trees till we got to the house. To our dismay, there was nobody in the house. Itoro looked at me with alarm.

“Why are you looking at me that way,” I protested jovially. “Let us hide ourselves in some place here. I believe they will soon be here.”

Looking around we saw some plantain trees within the compound. We quickly concealed ourselves amongst them.

We have hardly done that when the two of them sauntered up from behind a building. Kevwe brought out a key from his pocket, opened the door and went in, while George, well, he just flopped down at the veranda. He brought out a wrapped paper from his pocket and started fumbling with it. I think he was trying to roll himself hemp.

We stormed out from our hidden places behind the plantain tress, with our pistol drawn.

“Raise your hands up,” Itoro snarled as he went beside the surprised George.

Wangyo went into the room roaring, and dragged Kevwe out. He was looking perplex at this intrusion.

For a minute, the compound was a cacophony of sound as everyone was marshaling orders. “What have we done officers,” Kevwe was sounding very desperate, searching for answer from one face to the order, his hands hanging by his side.

Itoro roughly forced George hands down and clamped an iron chain on one hand and the other on Kevwe.

“I have not done anything wrong,” George kept on protesting.

“Well, we found hemp in your hand,” Wangyo reminded him gently.

“But how am I going to wear these bracelet and walk with you along the street,” George raised the chained hand to make his point.

“Well, if that is what you are ashamed about,” Itoro reasoned with him. “I will put them on my wrist and go with you. He collected a second pair of cuff from Ibekwe and slammed it on his left wrist and the other end on George free hand.

“I hope this makes three of us on chain,” he sneered.

“You still have not told us why you are arresting us,” he was glancing at our faces to regain some sort of confidence.

We all gazed back at him without any expression. Ibekwe read their rights to them before we left the house. “You are not obliged to say anything. For whatsoever you say will be taken down in writing, and will be used in evidence against you.” That seemed to calm him down a little.

Kevwe begged to lock his door as we left the house. As there was no car to take us to the station, we walked all the way to the road to get a taxi, with the people coming out from their houses to have a look at us as we passed by.

There was no funfair at the station as we arrived. I immediately sent for Mr. Ovie to come with a car to the station. We asked the Desk Sergeant to detain the suspect in the cell with no visitor to see them.

“In which case should I take their detention entry from,” he asked as he made to take the particulars of the two men.

“For unlawful possession of hemp,” I told him. Looking at the men behind the counter, I have made a general remark, and hoped that Kevwe would be able to grasp my meaning, I will be back soon, and then we will be able to take your statement.” And I was out of the station.

It was Kevwe who is the hero of today’s operation, I mused. It is just unfortunate that he cannot come out to take credit in the circumstance. Why would he agree to take this punishment for helping the police? I hope I will have what it takes to reward him.

Mr. Ovie came to the station after about an hour of waiting. The officers in the station did not know that the suspect we brought in was high stake, and we prefer to let be so for now.

“Hello Mr. Ovie,” I greeted him cheerfully as I went out to meet him where he has just parked his car.

“Hey! Mr. Bara,” he greeted me expansively. I did not say that Mr. Ovie is a very jovial person, dark and huge; about 6 feet tall, and bulging in at the waist. His hands enveloped my palm as he shook me warmly. Also, I did not mention that Kevwe is his distance cousin. I think that was one of the reasons he is taken this awful risk to assist us.

I have no intention of informing him that we have his cousin in custody. He may not understand the intrigue in the process, and may jeopardize our investigation.

“Please Mr. Ovie, I want you to take us to Warri town,” I told him, and led him into the DCB office after he has greeted the officers at the counter.

“You see, we are having a lead on those boys that robbed your house.” I began cautiously to explain to him when we have sat down in the office.

“Hey are you sure,” he breathed heavily.

“Yes. I want you to take us to Warri/Sapele road by McDermott junction. There is a man we want to check up. I would not have bothered you, but we need a car to rush up there and back before it gets too late into the night.”

“That is no problem,” he was all ready to go.

“Okay, let me call Wangyo, Itoro, and if Charles is available, I will also want him to go with us.” I beamed at him. You cannot be this close with Ovie without being caught up with his infectious mood.

It was few minutes after 7 in the evening when we parked the car almost at the same spot I left Kevwe to check on the driver the previous day. We walked up to the house in pairs. I was with Itoro in front, followed closely by Charles and Wangyo. Mr. Ovie was waiting by the car.

We were fortunate. The taxi was in the same place it was yesterday, only nobody was attending to it today. We went straight to the room I heard the music playing the previous day, banged heavily on the door and pushed it open. It was not locked.

He was watching a television program as we crowded into the room. He rose to his feet bewildered and looked around us, too shocked to utter a word. We all have out pistol drawn.

“Aba Man,” I called him by the name he is known by the boys. His puzzlement was turning into alarm.

“Are you not Aba Man?” I insisted.

I-I a- am from Aba,” he stuttered.

“I don’t mean from Aba town. That is what they call you, Aba Man. Is it not?” I walked up to him. I realized that he has no recognition of me with the boy that was asking him questions yesterday. I can see the fear in him as he tries to have some control over himself.

Cpl. Wangyo came up behind me, shoved his ID card under the driver’s nose. “We are Police officers from DCB Ovwian/Aladja. We are taking you into custody for questioning on some allegation made against you.” He brought out a pair of hand cuffs and chained his hand behind him.

At that moment Mr. Ovie came into the room, glanced round the room, taking in the drama that was going on amusingly, and then dashed toward the TV table.

“Hey! This is my video cassette,” he shouted as he picked up a video cassette on the table. “It was in the video player that was stolen from my house.” He turned around at the driver, and with clenched fist, rushed at the man shouting, “Thief, Ole. I am going to crush your head,”

I restrained him by coming between them. “We’ve got him now Mr. Ovie,” I pleaded with him. “We have him now. It is our responsibility to do what we should do with him.”

That somewhat placated him, but he was still fuming and threatening as we led the suspect out of the room. Charles retrieved the cassette from Ovie. “This is exhibit A,” he said smiling.

We drove back to the station feeling very satisfied with ourselves. I was ecstatic at the turn of events in the last two days. We have been able to get this far in a case that was becoming our jurisdiction major catastrophe.

It was a smooth sail after the arrest of the driver and recovery of the exhibit video cassette. The final outcome of the case was just a matter of time.

Back at the station, the DPO ordered the release of Kevwe immediately for what he termed ‘mistaken association’ as not to create any room of suspicion as to the role he played.

Confronted with the evidence of the video cassette, and the confessional statement of the driver, George finally broke up in submission, and gave us very useful information regarding their operations.

The next day, two other members of the gang were arrested when they came to the house of the driver to collect the balance of their money.

With the cooperation of the relations of the driver, the boys were lured into an ambush we have set for them.

Kalu, the dismissed police man, was never arrested. When he heard about the arrest of the other members of the gang, he sort of sank underground.

All the electronic items stolen from Mr. Ovie were recovered from the various people that have bought them from the driver. That also increased the number of arrest made in the case; most of whom were the receivers.

Kevwe was of course well taken care of, but he was put under strict surveillance. His knowledge about the boys and their operations was subject of severe speculation in the Divisional Crime Branch. But fortunately, he was never implicated by any of the boys in the course of their interrogation.

Other cases that have suffered neglect in the Divisional Crime Branch, as a result of the priority we gave to this case were brought up to the front burner of the team.

Operation End the Block Boys was swift, discreet and effective. The team can now raise their head high and walk the street, a proud Law enforcement organization.