The dusk was about to give its way to the
colour of the policemens' uniform that stood
gallantly at the checkpoint. On the clock, it was
just 7.05pm. Our driver forcefully stopped by a
beacon he understood. A voice came from a
nearby "I say stop" Our driver halted at the left
side of the road. "You stop that Micra and
make sure you follow its driver to the station,
he ran away the other time." A policeman who
in his hand held a baton replied yes sir in
agreement to the order of a policeman who
stood beside us. "Wetin be your number" He
questioned our driver, a keke maruwa driver.

"That Oga" he pointed to a policeman that
stand with a composed pistol gun, held in his
hand on the other side of the road "He gave me
number 182" he replied. After some minutes to
validate the number, he beacon him freedom.
"This Nigerian police, Ogun will kill them.” A
voice from the back seat actuated the
conversation. "Ogun can't kill them, they are
Ogun themselves, let God judge them." A
Yoruba woman whose face wore tiredness of
the day stress interjected. “Finally the driver
broke his silence with an imperfect pidgin
English. “You people think say the government
no see dem, or their Oga at the top no dey
share the money with the government. God
know say I no go pay another fifty naira if dey
no see the number where dey write am." The
Yoruba woman interjected again “I won’t agree
to that your statement, government of this day
is against corruption. Our security men who
see corruption as a culture must have sucked
indiscipline from their mother breast. She
concluded.
“I am also a Taxi driver, what we experience on
this road is unjust, should we talk about the
agbero and their foolish deed. We drivers are
the one that can narrate the tale of this country
road. I refuted when a close friend of mine who
also survive with this same business told me
those extortionists have developed a new
method, they hire street boys to collect money
for them at bus stops to silence the rumbling
antagonists. I was thoughtless when a
mediocre came to me and requested for Owo
olopa “Money for police” I was thoughtless but
to gain my liberty from a son of the street
I paid the money” The man who sat beside me
said.
I am happy to have someone who also
experienced such their corrupt act” said the
driver. He concluded by sounding his hooter to
warned a bike man who attempt to overtake
him. "This is a serious problem we will
continue to nurture in this country so called
Nigeria. A policeman who lacks discipline, who
will caution such a fool and the government
that is pretending to be myopic, they are the
drug to their ailment and in short, in this 58th
year of independence of our fatherland, Nigerian
police still live by extorting. Well, only by
voicing out will put a timely end to this
disgusting and ridiculous act of those who are
to cob corruption but rather crop it." A man
who claimed the first class seat by sitting
beside the driver said. 'Why can't you question
the policeman what the number is meant for
since you know it is extortion' I asked the first
class man.
"Question the well known demon, anyway, I
hate exchanging words with policeman" said in
reply. For jiffies the tricycle was arrested by
silence. Everyone understood his logical
excuse. “Why can't you also talk?" The first
classman broke the silence. 'Next time I
experience such bribery, I will challenge them' I
replied. “You better don’t try the sting of a
hornet, they are better to be renamed as
Nigeria corrupt force (NCF).” The man that sat
beside me concluded the appalling discourse.
Ogun: Yoruba name for god of Iron
Micra: An automobile use as taxi in Ibadan
Keke maruwa: a moniker of a common tricycle
in Nigeria
Oga: Boss

*Note that this work is not edited. Any form of
adjustment or opinion will be well received.

About the story
Hornet on a country road is a short story and a
non-fiction which portrays the corrupt act of
Nigerian police on Nigeria road. The word
“hornet” has been used specifically to qualify
Nigerian police. Hornet is known to sting, that
is, to cause distress. They extort those who
use motors for business (taxi driver, bike rider,
bus driver and tricycle driver) on Nigeria road,
which can be best described as bribery.


Hornet On A Country Road By Oladeji Popoola