The Governor is dead

The Governor is dead.
© 2020 | Alabede Jude Oluwabamise | All rights reserved.

It was a monday morning in lagos. People could be seen walking to and fro. Every young and old folk were walking briskly to their destination.
Lagos is always a beehive of activities. People going to their various work place could be seen rushing to avoid getting late to work. Some stood on the road waiting for the next available bus that would convey them to their destination.
Conductors of buses were shouting at the top of their voices to outdo each other in the clamor for passengers. There was a sonorous noise in the whole city which was incessant and clamorous. The noise which came from the fast moving vehicles accumulated with the noise of the hawkers, who were displaying their wares to get buyers.
Soon, the crowd dispersed and the noise lessened as an order had been giving out that there should be less traffic.

It was campaign season in the country and every eligible candidate was flaunting posters, carrying out different campaign strategies and lobbying for voters’ support.

The Governor was running for a second term and was scheduled to hold a campaign rally later in the morning. The Governor and his entourage would start their open air rally at 9am, starting off at Ajah, up until CMS bus stop. Therefore, the amount of security provided was immense. There was a convoy of police cars, a huge number of armed foot soldiers and helicopters flying around.
On the roof of a tall building was a man in his early twenties holding a briefcase, he bent down to open the briefcase bringing out a sniper gadget and set it up. He was the hit man in a dreaded organization called the Faceless. They were invisible and never caught nor seen not even for once. They never made mistakes, no evidence and no clues. They were the real definition of ghost.
The Faceless had worked their magic and he had been included in the sniper team and they were twenty in all. His designation was at the roof of the Civic center. Snipers lined almost every high rise building on the Ozumba Mbadiwe road. He was dressed in a police uniform with “SNIPER” written boldly behind and in front. He kept radio communication with the rest of the team as he set up his Sniper rifle adjusting the focus and scanning other roof tops for similar weapons. Earlier that morning just before the snipers were dispatched, the Sniper Commander had assembled them and gave them a harangue.
The order from the Sniper commander was:
“Make sure there are no infidels out there!” He charged and continued
“The Governor is in full view of the public. Make sure there are no smart asses up on that roof! You see a threat, you take it out!!! Nothing and I repeat Nothing happens to the Governor on my watch! Copy that?!!!” The Sniper commander yelled.
“Yes sir!!!” The snipers replied.
However, the Faceless leader's instruction was simpler:
“Take out the Governor”.
____________
Time: 8:30am
Location: Governor's lounge

Colonel Peter stood outside the governor's room dressed corporately in a black fitted suit. He was the governor's most trusted bodyguard so he was always with the Governor on official operations. He was a retired military man and was immediately employed as the Governor’s personal bodyguard. He had several scars on his body and a long cut on his face which he got some from rigorous trainings, some from battle field and had miraculously survived an impossible state of being shot three times in the chest. He was nicknamed the diehard soldier after the terrible incident. Everyone feared him, no one dared him. His sense organs were always at alert as he could pick the soundless drop of a pin and could move as fast as light but there was a problem. He was ageing and was in his late fifties, his muscles were beginning to grow weak with each passing day so he stopped his rigorous exercises.
"Good morning sir", a lady greeted him. It was one of the maids carrying a tray containing a coffee. The Governor had asked for a cup of coffee before he would begin the day's campaign.
"Wait here", the colonel said to the maid ignoring her greetings as he walked into the room after being summoned in by the Governor. He was already dressed in a Yoruba attire called 'agbada'
"The maid is here with the coffee sir", the colonel said bowing his head a little in curtsy.

'Let her in", the Governor said with a gesture of his hand.
"Alright sir", the colonel bowed and exited the room.

Soon, the Governor was done with the coffee and was ready for the day's activities as he checked the time on his wristwatch, It was 8:50.
He frowned, he was already behind schedule. He quickly stood up from the chair he sat on and called for the colonel and they both went to the park were there was a convoy waiting already. The colonel opened the door first and the Governor entered and he followed after with other guards and police officials entering theirs and ignited the engines. The vehicles began to move slowly one after the other in a convoy and headed towards the campaign scene.
___________

Still sprawled on the roof top, he looked through the scope of the sniper rifle positioned on a small tripod stand. The street beneath him was free of cars but filled with armed police men who were desperately trying to control the teeming crowd and still watch out for strays. He slotted in the only available single long silver bullet and snapped the bullet chamber shut. He needed only one shot. He closed his eyes and waited. Closing his eyes always helped him gather his thoughts. It made him focus on the task at hand and helped block out any form of distractions.
A few minutes later, he heard sounds of drumming and fanfare. The trumpets blared at heightened tempo while the drummers desperately tried to match the intensity of the blasts. They were close by so he thought.
He opened his eyes, his heartbeat was intense but he had to do it. He had come too far to stop now. He could not help it. He put his left eye on the lens and closed his right eye. The Governor was about 5 knots to his left, standing through the open roof of his car and waving to the ecstatic crowd who chanted his name. He waited as the Governor’s car moved slowly into the target zone. His hands were sweaty under his black cotton gloves. He suddenly felt the need to ease himself but he fought it as the general's words rang in his head:
“Take out the Governor”.

He put his right forefinger in the trigger hole as the Governor’s car moved, slowly entering the target zone, his finger slowly grabbed the trigger. The Governor was finally in the zone as the crosshair target mark was on his head and on lockdown. He pulled the trigger. 20 knots to his left, the Governor fell on his head dead.
There was commotion everywhere as the crowd scattered in different directions. The Campaign carnival had suddenly turned into a blood bath. The Governor was immediately pulled inside the car. The once slow cars that moved at snail pace during the rally now sped dangerously through Ozumba Mbadiwe, rushing to get the Governor medical attention.
The armed police men were confused and surprised at the same time. Nobody envisaged this and no one knew what to do.
__________

Some minutes ago

Colonel peter was sitting beside the Governor before their car started approaching the crowd of people kept In a distance by armed soldiers not to move close to the Governor’s convoy.
The people were shouting at the top notch of their voices chanting the Governor's name in a gleeful mood. Some holding posters of the Governor while others held up a broom flagging it up and down all in support of the Governor’s second term campaign rally.
Colonel peter smiled at the huge crowd the Governor was able to pull. The people liked him and he was sure down to earth that he would be voted in for the second term as he had proved himself competent in the last four years of his first term as the Governor. He had constructed roads and bridges in different parts of lagos and had provided social amenities for the people also building hospitals and local clinics for people thereby creating job employment for the youths and made Lagos a sight to behold for everyone.

The colonel smiled, he was happy for the Governor and himself for doing a job well done. Earlier, the Governor had promised him that he would make his only son the Managing director of his oil and gas company as soon as he is done with school but he never told his son about this and its been years he last set his eyes on his son. He wanted to make it a surprise for him.
The colonel looked on as they approached the teeming crowd chanting the Governor's name while some started blowing the trumpets, beating drums all in an array of celebration. The Governor stood through the roof opening of the SUV and started waving at the people.
The colonel came out of the car and started walking beside the Governor guiding him then the unexpected happened. The Governor suddenly dropped and fell face flat on the roof rack dead. The colonel was shocked as he was taken off guard. He quickly checked the Governor, slightly raising up his head. There was a bullet hole in his forehead.
"Code red! The Governor is down. I repeat, the Governor is down!", the colonel shouted into the collar of his shirt. There was a coiled sling grey earpiece wired into his ear just like every other agents. He quickly crouched beside the car binging out a 45. semi automatic gun from his waist hostler.
____________

He looked on as everywhere turned into pandemonium with everyone panicking. The first citizen of the state is dead. The Governor has been eliminated.
"Mission accomplished", he spoke into the air.

"Mission is amber. Code Evac!", a voice said through the wireless earpiece attached into his hear which was designed to be the same color as a human skin and couldn't be detected even by the sharpest of eyes.

"Roger that. Evacuation mode initiated", he responded and briefly looked into the scope of the sniper. He saw the Governor's Bodyguard he had been warned about, scanning the roof tops of building with binoculars. The man looked familiar but he couldn't be sure as a part of his face had been covered by the binoculars. He quickly snapped out of the lens of the sniper as not to be spotted and hurriedly arranged the sniper back in its case. He took off the sniper clothes he wore and hurriedly wore the RRS uniform. He had earlier ambushed an RRS officer, knocked him out and injected him with a serum that would make him lose consciousness for two hours which was more than enough time to get the mission done.

He quickly maneuvered his way down the building and mixed with the RRS officers who were huddled idly around awaiting orders from their commander.
The mission was supposed to be as easy as dipping a hot knife through a butter and he was not going to screw it up. It was his first mission assigned to him after two years of intensive and rigorous trainings which he scaled through successfully.
He looked around him carefully as not to get noticed and when he was sure no one was looking, he made his way down the street slightly looking over his shoulder to be sure of not being followed.
He smiled. Everything was surely going as planned. There was a car waiting at the end of the street. All he needed was to get to the car and disappear.
________________

The colonel scanned roof tops of building with the binoculars which could zoom from a long distance. There were a lot of buildings with vantage points that the culprit could have set up his sniper and could have easily infiltrated the sniper team to take out the Governor. He knew whoever did that was smart and tactical but he trusted his instincts more. He was sure the killer would have extracted himself but couldn't have gone that far.
He suddenly stopped for a moment to think, dropping off the binoculars. He knew the operation was well planned but what he doesn't know was if it was a one man ops. Even if it was, there had to be a pickup somewhere. He quickly retracted his memory back to when he entered the car with the Governor. There ought to be five cars in total used in the convoy but it happened that they were more than just five. He could remember that the SUV's that joined the entourage were more than just five as he had calculated with his eyes including two police vans with two police bikers at the front but he was missing out something. There was a SUV that joined them on their way during the campaign parade but he wasn't quick to notice as he had thought the SUV was part of the entourage to accompany the Governor but he knew better now. He needed to look for the SUV.

"This is Colonel Peter. I need eyes on every vehicle that was on the parade ground and block every entrance and exit of each street", the colonel radioed into the intercom emphasizing each word.

"Copy that sir", a voice replied from one of the police connection unit. It was an agent of the NIA.

"One more thing. Keep your eyes open and report any suspicious activity. Am I clear? "

"Crystal clear sir", the agent replied and immediately relayed the information to all units.

The colonel heaved a sigh after giving out the instructions but he wasn't satisfied with that. He was really desperate to find the killer and would do anything to ensure the culprit is brought to book. He jogged down the road and stopped momentarily when an agent reported in.
"We have checked the cctv footages covering all areas of the Governor but there is no loophole and all vehicles used in the convoy has made a report. All are clear sir", the agent said and the intercom went dead.

The colonel stood with his hands on the waist weighing the possibility of there not being a loophole or clues at least. He could only come to the conclusion of whoever the killer was had a mole in the police force clearing out their tracks. He heaved another sigh of frustration. This was another dead end. Another mystery case to be solved. He was going to get to the root of this. He promised himself. He only needed to get back on the radar and become active again as he was retired and haven't been in action for a very long time now. The least he wanted now was to be chasing some talented killer.



To be continued...