THE SILENT COMMANDMENT

I have come to learn that there are more laws, knowledge and wisdom in silence than in any kind of court that may exist. 

Travelling down the high way to one of the South-Western States we were pulled over by military personnel who suddenly became enraged because my son was using a phone. We just pleaded with them and made a laugh of the matter thinking it would be discarded considering the fact that he was a six year old boy. However, our gestures didn't work and the enraged military officer ordered us to start frog jump which we refused then he and his boys started beating us up in the presence of the children. The taste of blood was the only thing I could feel in my mouth, eyes and nose accompanied with pains all over my body suddenly one of them corked his gun to shoot at us. 

Several thoughts and scenario immediately ran through my small head. I remembered a young mans story I heard from a banker friend. He was enjoying the evening in his house when suddenly there was a power outage very typical of Nigeria. He stepped out to put on his generator but stayed a little while because the generator suddenly developed a fault. After several attempts, he gave up and came back to the house with a big flash light he borrowed from the security man only to get into the house to find his neighbour raping his twelve year old daughter. He reacted with rage and stabbed the young man caught in the act. The sad part of the story was that he got sentenced to jail for a while for attempted murder and the culprit walked free for lack of evidence. Apparently both families in question have been at logger heads over time and the testimony of the young girl was considered inadequate; kudos to the Nigerian judicial system.

Back to my own situation should I gamble with the existence of my lineage by hoping the army personnel will find sanity that I may get a redress in courts? How would this situation even play out in the courts? Am I going to suffer humiliation before my family and still be at the mercies of a man like myself because he is wearing a uniform? Well, unsure of what would be the faith of the children if I was killed I found strength and reacted. Everything became a weapon and after fifteen minutes bloody fight, I realized I have killed nine army personnel. Five with their own guns and the others with things I converted to weapons during the struggle. 

I know what some of you might be thinking and I am equally sure that if conversational channels were to be opened I would be getting a lot of mixed reactions. However debatable some would say I committed murder, others would say I should have endured the situation and gone to the court or report in the nearest military barracks but would the military accept such treatment from a civilian? Some might even blame me that the military are not known to have a sense of humour so why joke with them? We should have just collected the phone from the boy. Hmmm, I know everyone will have different approaches and comments about what should have or not have been done however, since none of the cars driving by stopped to intervene I just pulled the bodies into the bush and drove off to the nearest chemist to have myself checked and treated. I know even the Nigerian judicial society will consider my actions as murder however for me, life goes on but am I a murderer?

I have come to learn that in this world things are not the way they seem and there are no easy answers to the questions that life possess to us. There is always a silent rule to abide by, a silent commandment that must be obeyed and a silent guardian that must be followed. The question is; how do you differentiate between what is lawful from what is expedient. Mastering the art of survival is true obedience to the silent commandment.

Otokiti Olaoluwa Mr.

Data Innovations Nigeria