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THE ENEMY WITHIN

Prologue
Many years ago, in the days of powerful kings and kingdoms, at the west of the Niger, there lived a king, Oba Adegbemi Adekunle who ruled over the descendants of Oduduwa. During his reign, there was poverty in the land, maternal death and outbreak of diseases. The people looked up to the Oba for solution but none was forth coming as the death rate increased especially among women and children. The people revolted. They matched in protest to the Oba’s palace singing revolution songs.

Scene 1
Act 1:
People of Oduduwa kingdom match in protest towards the Oba’s palace holding green leaves in their hands and singing revolution songs. Some men are carrying their dead while some women are crying as they move along.

Act 2:
Inside the Oba’s palace

Oba Adekunle: I don’t really understand what has befallen our land. Ah! Ah!! But why is this happening during my time? During the reigns of my forefathers, all these never happened.

Chief Aroguntade: Kabiyesi, just yesterday, we lost Fijabi’s wife while trying to give birth to their first child. There were complications along the way but the village birth attendant could not handle it and she died with the baby still inside her.

Chief Bamiloye: Hmm! Emoo!! In fact, the rate at which our children die of strange diseases these few days, only Eledumare knows where it is from. Kabiyesi, don’t you think we should invite Prince Adebiyi, your only son who you sent to the white’s man land to school, to come back home. I believe he should have acquired the white’s man knowledge and possibly find a solution to this menace.

Balogun: (Looking sternly with his head in his left palm, suddenly adjusts his agbada) Kabiyesi, If a problem eludes man’s knowledge that cannot be said of the gods. It might be that someone somewhere has offended the gods of the land and we are being punished for it. I suggest you call for the Ifa Priest Kabiyesi and let’s ask Ifa for the way out.

One of the palace guards rushes in and prostrates paying homage to the Oba

Palace Guard: Kabiyesi o! (Squatting) The people are matching towards the palace singing revolution songs with leaves in their hands. Some in their midst are even seen carrying their dead corpse.
Balogun: Ewo! The Kabiyesi must never sight a corpse. It’s a taboo!
Chief Bamiloye: Oti o! Has it come to that?!
Oba Adekunle: (Pointing to the palace guard who is still squatting before the Oba) Go call me Ifagbemi, the Ifa Priest, tell him I want him in my palace immediately.

The palace guard leaves immediately

Act 3:
The people gather in front of the palace still singing while some women are crying and wailing around their dead children.
The Ifa priest arrives. As soon as the people sight him, they keep quiet while the women sob. The Ifa priest looks with pity on them, looks around, shakes his head, gives a deep sigh and walks into the palace.

Act 4:
Ifa Priest: (Hails the Oba and his chiefs according to the tradition and they responded)

Oba Adekunle: Welcome Fagbemi. (The Ifa Priest takes his seat beside chief Bamiloye) I called you here because this is a critical period in the history of this kingdom. As you are aware, calamities have befallen this kingdom, strange illness has overshadowed our land especially the death of infants and pregnant women during delivery. We all know, children are the future of the kingdom and when they die in their prime, what will become of our great kingdom? This has never happened before during the reigns of my forefathers. The gods cannot watch and allow this happen to us, not during my time Fagbemi! Please, ask Ifa, what have we done wrong? Or……...who could be behind this?

Ifa Priest: (Sings in praise of Ifa while he brings out his divination white piece of cloth, spreads it in front of him and the cowries, spreading them in a coordinated manner on the white piece of cloth. He does this for a number of time looking at the Oba and his chiefs intermittently while he sings in a proverbial ode). Kabiyesi, if it were a goat, we would have it sacrificed to the gods. If it were to be a tree, we would have it uprooted from its roots and if… (Balogun cuts in)

Balogun: Even if it’s a human, I personally will have his/her head cut off and serve as meal to the vultures

Ifa Priest: Hmm… (He takes a deep breath). Ifa says the cause is in our midst, the enemy is within.

Chief Aroguntade: Ah! Ah!! Ifagbemi, who is this enemy if I may ask, please ask Ifa.
The Oba and other chiefs nodded their heads in support of the question. The Ifa Priest consulted the oracle, raises his head and says

Ifa Priest: Kabiyesi, Ifa says the enemy is corruption! Eliminate corruption now before it wipes out the kingdom. I take my leave now Kabiyesi. (He packs his things, bows before the Oba and leaves)

Oba Adekunle: (Looking confusedly at the faces of his chiefs). Who could be “corruption” living amongst us in this kingdom? Who bears such unknown name?

Chief Aroguntade: No one born of Oduduwa bears such name

Chief Bamiloye: Eh! Eh!! Eh!!! You see, I think it is one of those strangers from the east. He has been living here for some time now. He calls himself eh… eh…

Flashback
He remembers the day he met Okorafor at the border gate of the kingdom that just arrived as a merchant along with his servant. He looked at every corner as if he has lost his way and suddenly sighted Chief Bamiloye

Act 5:
Okorafor: Excuse me please, good day

Chief Bamiloye: Good day to you

Okorafor: I am a merchant from the east. I have come to trade here. Buying and selling across communities and villages is what I do.

Chief Bamiloye: Interesting! You are welcome to our land. What is your name Easterner?

Okorafor: I am Okorafor. Chukwuemeka Okorafor (he laughs…)

Chief Bamiloye: Koro… kilope? Never mind anyway, I will prefer to call you “Koro”

End of flashback

Chief Bamiloye: Eh! Eh!! It is Koro the merchant; he is the one that said his name is “Koropshun”

Oba Adekunle: Balogun, prepare your warriors and go in search of corruption and his kinsmen anywhere they are in our land, kill them all! As for that corruption, bring him here dead or alive!

Balogun: Kabiyesi! It is a total war! I and my warriors, we will go the east and advance to the northern border of our kingdom and anywhere we find corruption and their accomplices, I Balogun (praises himself) will feed their flesh to the birds of the air and their blood will be spilled to appease the gods. (Turns to the Oba) Kabiyesi, consider the war won!

Oba Adekunle: May the gods of our land be with you.

Scene 2:
Northern Emirate: Palace of Emir Zakari Usman.

The chiefs of the emirate are seated on the floor discussing in low voice and suddenly, the Emir’s praise singer starts singing the praise of the Emir as he walks in. Two palace guards in red regalia stand on their feet backing the throne to quickly give the Emir a cover by raising one of their hands, touching each other as their cloths provide a total cover to the Emir as he sits on his throne. The guards sit at both sides of the throne as soon as the Emir takes his seat.

Chief Danladi: Rankadede Your Highness! We have some problems in our hands; strange things are happening that need urgent attention. There is this strange disease affecting our youngest wives. When they are about giving birth, they go into prolong labour and some of them die in the process while those that survive come out smelling really bad. My latest wife Amina who just gave birth to my son cannot control her urination anymore. Imagine a 13year old urinating uncontrollably like a baby! Your Highness, this has never happened before. I think there are some supernatural powers behind this.

Chief Hassan: Yes Your Highness, Danladi is right. Some strange powers are behind this and I think our land has been contaminated by some people who come here pretending to be our friends while causing havoc underneath. Our once fertile land no longer produces anymore. Our tomato and pepper farmers are complaining of low yield and our cows that are being taken to graze in neigbouring kingdoms are killed indiscriminately for grazing on a God giving land. Haba! Is it not God that owns land?

Emir Zakari: (Calls one of the guards who walks quickly and squats in front of him) Call me Mallam Musa. (The guard leaves immediately) we need a divine direction on what to do.
Mallam Musa walks in with the guard. They both squat before the Emir and greet him in accordance to the custom. The guard takes his usual position while Mallam Musa takes his seat at the extreme left of the Emir.

Mallam Musa: You call for me your Highness

Emir Zakari: Yes Mallam. You must be aware of the strange happenings in this emirate and I have called you for divine direction and solution to the problems at hand

Mallam Musa: I am very much aware of all these and I am baffled much as you do. (He makes some short prayers while counting his beads, wipes his face with his palms and looks at the Emir). Your Highness, the root cause is corruption!

Emir Zakari: Corruption?!

Mallam Musa: Yes Your Highness. As it was revealed to me from above so I say. The heart of a man is in his land. There is corruption in the land. Find it and kill it before it’s too late. May I take my leave now?

Emir Zakari: Yes, you can go Mallam
Mallam Musa salutes to the Emir and exits the palace.

Chief Hassan: I said it! Your Highness, I am now sure that what brought this calamity to our land is that stranger who comes from the west pretending to buy our hides and skin and enticing our girls with beads he sells to them. These girls unknowingly wear these beads on their waists in the name of fashion but end up contacting this disease from the beads and during child birth, the disease manifests. This stranger’s name is “corruption” walahi! You know people from that side bear funny names.

Chief Danladi: Even people from the east who kill our cows bear such name too. They are called “corruption!” Your Highness, we all heard what the Mallam said. He said we should find and kill corruption before they wipe off this entire emirate from the surface of the earth

Emir Zakari: God forbid! Not when I am still on the throne. Danlandi, call Waziri and tell him to get all our warriors ready for war. By forth night, he should divide the soldiers into two because we will be fighting in two fronts- against the West and the East- killing all corruption in human form anywhere they are found.


To be continued...

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Scene 3:
In the Eastern kingdom across the Niger, the people of Ubagheli Kingdom gathered at the village square. The Igwe and his chiefs sat as they watch the Chief Priest fortify the warriors in preparation for the war. The warriors are fully dressed in their war outfits carrying their shields and machetes in their hands and their leader, Ikemefuna, a well-built young man stands in front of them looking sternly and brave. After the fortification, the Chief Priest takes his seat.

Igwe: Ikemefuna

Ikemefuna: (bows his head) Igwe….!!!

Igwe: The fate of this kingdom is now in your hands. As we all know, before the advent of foreigners in our land who come from the north and from the west, there used to be peace but their arrival brought moral decadence. We need to restore back sanity in our land. For us to enjoy the fruitfulness of our land as we used to, we need as a matter of urgency eliminate this enemy. The gods has revealed to us this enemy (the Chief Priest nods his head). It is corruption. “Corruption?!” (The people chorused).
This corruption lives within and has contaminated our land. According to the gods, we need to eliminate him. Ikemefuna, go with your warriors, search for corruption, and if he escapes towards the west go after him. If he runs up north, make sure you catch him, anywhere you find him, behead him and bring me his head and I will use it as my footstool. Go! May the gods be with you!
Ikemefuna and his warriors display war dance movements as they chant war songs. The people cheer them.

Scene 4
The battle becomes intense resulting in casualties at all sides.
Prince Adebiyi gets wind of the news and decides to come back home.

At the Oba Adekunle’s palace…

Oba Adekunle: Son, you seem not to understand the situation at hand. No one knows better than the gods; they guide and direct us so that we can prosper as individual and as a people. Whatever they say is the truth and it’s divine.

Prince Adebiyi: (sighs)…on my way to the palace, I stopped at the Ifa Priest’s house…

Flashback...

Prince Adebiyi exchanges pleasantries with the Ifa Priest

Ifa Priest: Omo Oba, kabo! Why have you come to see the oracle of the gods or…did you bring for me goodies from the white man’s land?

Prince Adebiyi: I am disturbed about what is going on. Everything suddenly happens so fast and the kingdom seems to be upside down. Please what did the gods say about it?

Ifa Priest: The problem in the land is caused by corruption and must be eliminated.

Prince Adebiyi: And did the gods proffer a way to eliminate corruption?

Ifa Priest: Omo Oba, Ifa did not state in specific how to go about destroying the enemy because Kabiyesi did not ask. It is what you ask of the gods that will be revealed. Kabiyesi and the chiefs wanted to know the problem and the solution to the recent predicament and that is exactly what I asked Ifa, and as the mouthpiece of the oracle, I said exactly what Ifa revealed. But…How to go about the solution is at the discretion of Kabiyesi… or better still, he'd asks for divine direction from the gods after all, if wisdom fails man, he asks for help from a superior being.
…End of flashback

Oba Adekunle: Yes, the gods knows everything. You see, in order to eliminate corruption we set out in battle to defeat this enemy. Ha! Ha!! Have you not being hearing about the good news coming from the battle field? We will surely win this war (laughs)

Prince Adebiyi: At the expense of the lives of our young men?

Oba Adekunle: Adebiyi, one day you will be sitting on this throne and you will see how it feels to have a threat on the kingdom. No king would want to lose part or all his territory under his watch. If it will take the lives of some people to have your territory intact, you should do it. In war, some will die, some will survive but the most important thing is, never lose the battle!

Prince Adebiyi: (Sighs) this war is not the solution. You are killing their people and they are killing ours too…

Oba Adekunle: Ah! Ah!! Ah!!! Don’t you know that when you fight corruption, corruption fights back too!

Prince Adebiyi: But father, eliminating corruption has nothing to do with shedding of blood.

Oba Adekunle: How do you mean?

Prince Adebiyi: Corruption is not human. It is attitudinal. Corruption is an act of immorality that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our kingdom. It is our actions and inactions which contradicts the right and just. Corruption is taking from your subjects and enriching yourself while the people wallow is poverty, pain and hopelessness

Oba Adekunle: (With stern face) are you implying I am the corruption?

Prince Adebiyi: I am only trying to say corruption is not human that you seek to kill on the battle field, that corruption is all act of immorality that we all need to stop. Father, the tax you collect from your subjects, if used to provide decent school for their children, quality healthcare, well organized and clean market place and the likes, all these diseases and ignorance will be history and the lives of our people will be better. Father, this is how to eliminate corruption, using the people’s money to better their lives.

Oba Adekunle: Hmmm! I never thought of it this way. You are now reasoning like the white man. This is why I sent you to their school. Besides, part of the money I collected from the people is what I am using to train you oh! (laughs)

Prince Adebiyi: With my connection abroad, I will bring some of my friends here to establish schools in our kingdom and some of the brilliant children who distinguish themselves will be given scholarship to further their study abroad and come back to develop our land. Also, we can build a good clinic here and provide quality healthcare for our people. But father, we will need to stop the war first.

Oba Adekunle: Of course my son. I will send emissaries to the kings of other kingdoms and will sign a peace pact with them.
Oba Adekunle holds a meeting with the Emir of the northern kingdom and the Igwe of the eastern kingdom. He explains to them the real enemy that lives within them and they all resolve to turn a new leave and live peacefully as brothers in development.
Right from that moment, The Enemy Within was defeated.

The End.