Humphrey, why is Pam still alive?” Anuforo asked Chukwuka with a surprised look on his face as he saw the Lieutenant-Colonel with his head bowed in the landrover which was at the Mess. Chukwuka had been waiting for others anticipating the next point of action.

“He was gentle. He did not resist arrest,” Chukwuka replied calmly.

“Ehen? So was Colonel Mohammed. He did not resist arrest and now he’s dead.”

“I promised his wife, I would keep him safe.”

“I don’t care what you promised his wife. He’s a senior officer. He has to die. Finish what you started. The revolution comes first.”

“I won’t kill him,” Chukwuka replied defiantly.

Anuforo was furious as he made a move for the landrover with his cocked gun.

“Chris, what are you doing?” Chukwuka asked, looking worried. “Christian,” he screamed his name again.

But Anuforo ignored him and screamed at the driver to drive. With four other soldiers and Pam, Anuforo coursed through into the vehicle as it racketed towards Ikoyi, contaminating the calm night with its fumes.

“Hold it right there,” Major Anuforo screamed at the driver as he slammed at the brakes. He had found a grassy location in downtown Ikoyi far from the Federal Guard Unit, Dodan barracks. He didn't want any hindrances to the sinister action he was about to perform.

“Get out of the vehicle sir,” Anuforo ordered the senior officer after he had already alighted from it. James Pam got out gently from the landrover in trepidation of what was about to happen next.

“You are to be shot sir and it would do well for you to say your last prayers,” Anuforo said sternly after they had walked some few meters away from the vehicle.

“Chris, why?” Pam asked innocently as he turned facing him.

“I’m acting under orders sir,” the Major replied him scornfully.

“Chris, don’t do this, please,” Pam softly pleaded. “I have six young children to take care of. Please!”

“Sir, are you going to say your last prayers or not?” Anuforo asked with anger in his voice as he raised his gun.

Pam knelt down resignedly in front of him and prayed, “Lord save them. Lord bless them. Lord keep them.” He rendered his last prayers, which were obviously for his wife and children.

In a blaze, without warning, Major Anuforo fired a burst from his submachine gun into the Lieutenant-Colonel’s body. Plethora of bullets penetrated through, hitting his chest and jaw.

The 32-year-old army officer fell as the cold, dry grass welcomed him in a pool of blood. The soldiers who were in the landrover watched in astonishment. They could not fathom that the Adjutant General of the Army on whose shoulders the responsibility of the welfare of every soldier rested until an hour ago, would just be so swiftly executed?

It was in their presence the Lieutenant-Colonel had asked his children to stop crying and had also told his wife to look after and take care of them that he would soon be back. Was this the “internal security operations” they had been awoken for? They were still meditating on these thoughts when Anuforo shouted at them.

“Are you all deaf? I said you should load the body into the vehicle.”

Anuforo had ordered them at first but they were absentminded as to what he must have said before he repeated himself. The Major then pointed his smoking gun at them and shouted,
“Or, do you want me to waste you all?”

The soldiers, looking frightened, quickly got down from the landrover and loaded Pam’s body into the vehicle without a word. With the exception of Aguiyi-Ironsi, the GOC, the annihilation of senior officers, present in Lagos, in the top command of the Nigerian Army Headquarters had been accomplished.

They all drove back to the Mess where the body was unloaded and placed together with the bodies of Colonel Kur Mohammed and Lieutenant-Colonel-Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe.

You can now get the book online via the link below:

https://www.okadabooks.com/book/about/a_carnage_before_dawn/16822

Cc: Divepen1

please where cAn I download the pdf

personal59:
please where cAn I download the pdf

I'd like to download this book. Send link to my WhatsApp.