Comprehension: A Bad End for a Bad Friend

          When Chief Obinwa read the note and absorbed its terse content, he nearly collapsed. For minutes, he stared at it in utter disbelief. But much as he wished otherwise, the message was clear: the robbers had indicated that they would visit him very soon; and that “no force in the world” would stop them from carting away all he had. The note ended by warning him in his “own interest” not to be funny by informing the police or other law-enforcement agents.

          As a wealthy businessman, Chief Obinwa had seen enough of life to know that the gang meant business. He could recall at least half a dozen men who had got such sinister notes in the past, and who had been robbed as planned. One of them had contacted the police who then guarded his house for weeks. But the robbers struck all the same, they attacked him in his expensive car on his way to another town, thrashed him thoroughly and relieved him of the car.

          So contacting the police was out of it, he decided. But what could he do? He confided in his closest friend, who had been his business associate for thirty years. The latter advised him to vacate his house for as long as it was necessary and seek refuge in a hotel. After giving this much thought, Chief Obinwa checked into Exclusive Hotel. But he stayed only for a night. he reasoned that leaving his retinue of wives, children, servants and relatives behind was not the best solution. So, emptying the water that was in an overhead tank, Chief Obinwa turned the tank into his refuge every night. With his powerful double-barrelled rifle in hand, he hid in the tank late in the night, waiting.

          Then, one night, the robbers came in a lorry. They were about a dozen. As they were forcing their way in, Obinwa aimed at their leader and brought him down with a loud report. Another shot and a second man fell. Surprised, the others fled, with Chief Obinwa’s shots seeing them off. By daybreak, the news spread fast: the body of Chief Obinwa’s friend and business associate was found in a pool of blood at the entrance to the chief’s house. He was the leader of the gang!

(WASSCE June 1992 Adapted)