Mrs Stella Adewale was frantic as she stepped out of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Her heart was racing but she couldn’t stop now. I need to find out, she thought.

As she strode with determined steps to her black Range Rover, a young man in his early thirties sprinted across the tiled compound and reached the car the moment she entered through the backdoor.

“What are you doing, ma’am? You are breaking protocol. I could be fired for this.”

Stella pressed a button that winded down the tinted car window. She stared at Tim, her Aide de Camp, the man paid to follow and assist her everywhere she went. The gaze that stared back at her had a hint of fear.

What is the use of all these security detail if they couldn’t protect him, she thought as sadness crept onto her face. Tim was royal and good at his job but he couldn’t stop her. No one could.

“You won’t be fired, I assure you. I don’t need your protection. Cover my tracks and tell the President I went to visit my mother. Can you do that for me?”

The young man continued to stare at her as his mind battled with the consequences that would surely follow. “Yes, your Excellency. But madam –”

“Just buy me some time. You just need them to believe you. I will be back in two hours’ time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tim replied and waved at the wife of the President.

“Driver, please, get us out of here,” the First Lady ordered.

Maxwell, the driver replied by turning on the ignition and the engine came to life. He barrelled the car out of the Presidential Villa, into the busy street of Abuja.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at Greimo, the Maximum security prison at Apo. It was built by the previous administration to replace the old and crowded Kirikiri prison in Lagos.

Maxwell parked the vehicle close to the gate. He alighted from the car and rushed to open the backseat door for his boss.

“Thank you, Maxwell. Stay in the car. I won’t stay long,” Stella said as she stepped out of the car.

A cold February wind slammed at her face the moment she climbed out of the vehicle. She winced and buttoned up her coat. They were in front of the prison. She glanced around her as she observed her surroundings.

The prison had lived up to its hype. High walls. Huge metal gate. Cold-hearted guards. Citizens were forbidden to visit the prison for any reason.

The criminals caged inside its walls were dangerous and regarded as enemies of the State. They were the most feared criminals in the country, she was told. A blast of wind hit her again and she advanced to the huge gate, increasing her pace as she did.

“Hei, stop right there! You are not allowed here,” one of the guards shouted.

He was a middle-aged man. His clothes showed he was one of the top prison officials at Greimo. His facial features softened when he observed that they had a high profile visitor.

“Your Excellency, this is unusual. We didn’t get any notification…about…your…visit.” His voice was unsteady.

“There is no need for one. Let’s not waste each other’s time. I came to see him.”

The eyes of the prison official widened and he struggled to speak. “But no one is allowed to see him. We are acting under orders from the high command. He is extremely dangerous. And we could get fired for this.”

Stella didn’t need this kind of drama. She put her hand inside her handbag and brought out a big envelope. She placed it in his hands. “The more we talk, the more we waste your time and mine. Now open the gate and make this happen.”

The official made three different phone calls and barked loud orders to his men. Ten minutes later, Stella was escorted by three guards to the visitor’s room. It was all happening fast. All she heard around her were heavy boots clanking on the hard floor.

And then, the moment she’d dreaded arrived. She first heard the sound of his chains and knew instantly that it was him. Her heart started pounding hard and she held the railings to steady herself.

Two guards led the prisoner to his seat and he sat down on a metal chair at the other side of the prison. Their eyes met and her hands trembled.

“I’ll be alright. You can leave now,” Stella said to the guards beside her.

“Your Excellency, this is not a good idea. Are you sure about this?”

The guard that replied her was met with angry eyes. No one made another mistake. They all scurried out of the room. Stella heaved a sigh of relief and turned and faced her greatest nightmare.

He was six feet tall, she knew that before the visit. But sitting so close to him now, she observed that his presence was intimidating.

He was massive with a chest rippling with muscles and his hands were so large. He barely stifled a snicker. “Now, who do we have here? My first visitor in three months. What a lovely surprise.”

“Why did you kill him? I just want to know why?” Stella blurted out.

The prisoner’s eyes narrowed but his face revealed nothing.

His name was Charles Lobatei. They called him Charles the Viper. He’d been going to prisons since he was eighteen. Charles was once the most feared criminal in the country. He still was, many believed.

From kidnapping to armed-robbery, drug-trafficking, murder and recently, terrorism, his footprint seemed to be everywhere high profile crimes were committed.

Six months ago, the only child of the first family, Abiodun, was kidnapped from his boarding primary school in Maitama. The men came prepared with assault weapons.

The gunbattle lasted for two hours and left the child’s entire protection detail and 15 policemen that came to the rescue dead in cold blood, their bodies riddled with bullets. What happened next afterwards still baffled the detectives working on the case.

Continue reading https://stanleyumezulike.com.ng/2019/08/15/forbidden-encounter/