Ribadau had lost so much interest in many things. His wife only preached him to accept whatsoever the party had given him. He could manipulate things with his experience.
Recently, he had been receiving calls and letters demanding for his immediate withdrawal refunding of the money he took from many accounts of people who the president had asked him to look into for probing. Many names were mentioned. So no one could tell who was behind the tricks.
“I have been watched and followed closely for some time now. I have had several call threats from an unknown person, since the abductors released my daughter” he said to his security Mr. Adam who had been slow in making a move all morning.
“That is the same case with me. They asked me to steer clear or else I pay with my life” he replied
“Whose life?” he asked now, more irritated.
“I don’t mean to make you feel more insecure. I am only worried and think it reasonably good to tell you. The air smelt blood to me” he replied.
“Who are they? What do they want from me? This is not what I need now. I need time to think”
“ I asked exactly the way you put it to me now, and they replied “his life” he answered back. Reading him awhile with keen eyes.
“He said he had been paid to avenge for someone” he added.
“Avenger? Avenging who and for who?”
“That is the effort I am making now to know. But I should be more careful too.”
He sat for a while and did not say anything. It had dawned on him that someone was seriously in search of his life.
“Politic - a world of many happenings. Who again have I wronged? Adamu, you know you have my life in your palm and it has always been so. Good friendship never dies. You carry my blood in your veins and I carry yours. We have been friends for long and under an oath which you know too well never to fear to fight for each other or to betray each other. You know me to the finger tip and there is little about my family you do not know. They must have ganged up for me. In politics many things happen. Many evil plans are concluded and carried out at our backs. In politics, no one admire virtue as a principle. We all know about many decent souls that had been wasted. We see wasting of life as a course to take so as to be found in the altar of it. So tell me how much security is needed more now to arrest the situation”
“For now we have a sizeable number that will see that the situation is corrected as soon as practicable. You just have to limit your movement and campaign till the tensions are over. Killings and abduction is high and even the lives of the policemen is now at risk more than ever before.”
“That I suppose is a silly suggestion. Did you remember that I am Ben’s running mate in the forthcoming presidential election? He is sick of cancer of the kidney and was flown to Korea yesterday for emergency treatment. He collapsed while right with me in the Soje state yesterday. I suggest I reach the president as soon as I can and to brief him on this leakage. I also thought that the best thing to do is that the gangs could be squared. I fancied that they might be dealt with in another possible way” he replied.
“We are police trained in this profession. A task is always ahead of us now more than ever before and our life is really at risk. If not that I have told you now, there is no enough positive evidence against them to make extradition possible.” he replied.
He stood up, stroll round the sitting room, gulped down his wine and sat down again dropping his cup.
“ I don’t see the sense in that Adamu. You have been with me for years and should have known, if you do not know that, the veins that transport blood to my very heart beats higher everyday. I fear a lot. The forces around are too much for mere discomfort. I don’t want to hide anything anymore to you. I am afraid this is no joke. I see my end. It will be shameful.” He said in his slow, quite voice.
He stood up again.
“Right “ said Dan another high profiled security man with training in various part of the world on security.
“We all feel the tension of the moment. We shall be more strict to your visitors and proper search should be made to them all, before we approve for entry. We had better divide up. I have now said beyond my reach. I promise before now and if it continues that I am giving absolute guarantee about your safety. But if you would prefer stretching it longer, I would have to step on many toes . You know exactly what I mean.”