Detective Kolapo and his colleagues were sitting in front of the interrogation building, talking about various topics from football to the different events and happenings in Nigeria.

The interrogation building was where the police officers usually held suspects and grill them about what they are suspected of. A lot of false claims have been given in the interrogation room by suspects who were actually innocent but that was a story for another day.

Detective Kolapo, the youngest detective in the police force was highly respected for his honesty, diligence abs his ability to complete any mission or task given to him. He was the envy of so many police officers.

An avid Arsenal Football club fan, he was also a budding musician. The corrupt officers do not like going on patrol with him because they know he won’t allow them to demand or solicit for money from Nigerians who were doing all they can to survive in a harsh economy.

The DPO walked up to them. With him was a pretty lady who was dressed in NAFDAC uniform. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control was responsible for the control and regulation of drugs and food in Nigeria.

Kolapo recognised the uniform. He had worked with most of the security agencies in Nigeria, and also some regulation agencies. He respected the need for NAFDAC. There were people who actually produce and distribute harmful drugs for the sole purpose of making money. People did a lot of weird things because of money.

There were also people who sold expired foods and foods that have not gone through proper regulation and inspection. These foods and products put a lot of lives in danger and since Kolapo was mandated to protect Nigerian citizens’ lives, he would do anything to bring down those wicked people.

“Kolapo, come here,” the DPO with the big stomach said.

Kolapo stood up and walked up to him. “Yes sir.”

“Yeah, this is Esther Oladipupo. She is one of the agents of NAFDAC and they need your help.”

Kolapo shook the lady’s soft hand. “How can I help?”

The lady told him everything. It turned out that she had gotten information about some drug dealers from an anonymous source. She had investigated and traced some members of the drug dealers’ members to their hideout. Now, she needed the help of the police to bring them to justice because the drug dealers were armed.

After the lady was done, the DPO faced Kolapo. “I want you to lead a team out to the location and bring down these drug dealers.”

Kolapo nodded and began to walk away, already thinking of the officers that he would take along with him. The lady’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

“I am coming with you guys,” she said.

Kolapo raised an eyebrow. He doubted if she had ever fired a gun. It was dangerous out there and only the trained people like himself had a chance of surviving. He didn’t want her to think he was sexist or anything but he asked however.

“Have you ever been in a gunfight?”

She looked at him with intent. “No. You can’t stop me from following you. This is my investigation, remember?”

Kolapo didn’t want to argue. He looked at the DPO who merely shrugged. Kolapo sighed. “Alright, let’s go. You were going to show us the location anyway.”

Kolapo and ten officers led Agent Esther to a conference room in the station. There, she showed them the aerial view of the drug dealers’ hideout. They were in a beautiful mansion that was fenced. The mansion itself was far away from the road, so the drug dealers could see any vehicle or person coming their way.

Behind the mansion was a rock. That was the only place they could get in the mansion without being seen.

“How easy is it to climb the rock from the other side by three or four people,” Kolapo asked.

Esther looked at him. “It is going to be very difficult but it can be done. What are you thinking?”

“I am thinking we are going to storm the mansion with two teams.”

***

THREE HOURS LATER…

The lookout at the mansion saw three vehicles racing towards them. He took a binoculars and focused it on the oncoming vehicles. He saw that they were trucks and not the police as he had feared.

He took out his phone and dialed a number. When someone picked the call, he asked, “Are we expecting anyone?”

Suddenly, he was hit in the back of the head. The phone fell to the floor and the man went down unconscious. Standing over him was Kolapo. He gave signals to the other three men with him and they spread around the mansion to capture more drug dealers.

Kolapo got a pair of handcuffs and he handcuffed the unconscious man’s hands and he also tied up his legs in case he wakes up. He could hear a voice still speaking on the phone demanding for answers. Kolapo decided to ignore the phone.

Getting into the mansion hadn’t been easy at all. They had climbed up the rock with the aid of a harness, climbing shoes, ropes, carabiners and so on. Then when they reached the top, they had begun the arduous climb down into the compound while making sure that the armed guards didn’t se them.

Kolapo was about to move into the building when he heard a loud cry. “The police are here!” Then there was exchange of gunfire. One of his men must have been found out, he guessed.

The vehicles moving towards the mansion was led by Esther and the convoy contained the rest of the armed police officers that would storm the mansion. Kolapo hoped they would arrive quickly before the drug dealers in the mansion take down his men.

A man appeared suddenly in front of him and as the man was about to raise his gun, Kolapo smashed the butt of his gun in the man’s face. Blood spurted and Kolapo finished him off with a badass uppercut that sent the man flying and crashing against the wall.

He reached a balcony and looked down. He saw one of the police officers hiding behind a car and there were three armed men moving cautiously towards the man’s location. Kolapo knew that the man may not survive the attack so he fired and took down two of the men. Before the last man could react, the police officer shot him and gave a thumbs up to Kolapo.

Kolapo heard more gunshots coming from the gate area. He surmised that Esther and the rest of the team were trying to get in. He continued into the mansion. He got to a living room and saw opened cartons that contained hard drugs based on the name beside them.

In the room were four armed men who were busy piling packets of drugs into the cartons. They saw him and fired towards his location. He dived away in time as bullets peppered the walls and the entrance where he was before.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Kolapo heard a man say. “Leave everything!”

Kolapo peeped into the room and saw the men running away. He gave chase, firing at them but they increased their pace. The gunshots from the gate area stopped and Kolapo fervently hoped that Esther and the other officers had managed to subdue the drug dealers and get inside.

Soon, he reached the main entrance of the mansion and saw the four men who had fired at him get into a small car. The car sped towards the gate area. Kolapo ran towards them but as he fired at the fleeing car, he could only hit the back of the car.

The police officers who had stormed the building dove away as the car sped past them. Kolapo saw Esther and ran towards her. “We need a car!” She nodded and went to get one. Kolapo gave instructions to the other officers to arrest all the drug dealers who were still alive in the compound.

Esther found a car which still had the keys in the ignition. She threw the car keys at Kolapo. “You drive, I shoot,” she said.

Kolapo didn’t argue. He jumped behind the wheel and Esther got in the passenger seat. They sped after the fleeing car.

Thankfully, the car was a very fast one and soon, Kolapo gained on the feeling drug dealers. “I am guessing those men are their leaders.”

“Yes,” Esther said. “I can recognize Chidozie Ekong and Afolabi Adeyemi. Those guys are notorious drug dealers.”

Kolapo found a shortcut and soon moved close to the other vehicle. The men in the car began to shoot at Kolapo and Esther’s car, smashing the lights and the windscreen. Kolapo did his best to maneuver the car and dodge the bullets.

Esther brought out her gun and began to fire through the windscreen at the other car. Kolapo was amazed at how calm she was. She hadn’t given any indication that she knew how to shoot.

She set her sights on one of the gunmen. As soon as he brought his head out of the window to shoot, Esther fired a single shot and the bullet smashed the man’s forehead. The gun fell from his hand and his body lay half in the car and half outside. He was very dead.

Continued in the source: https://opinionsandstories.com/the-drug-dealers/