"These facts exponentially heightened my abilities to find out about the operation," Savior continued.
The commissioner was now giving the caller his undivided attention. Even though the caller had been merry-go-rounding at first, he turned out to be very informative.
"You probably don't know this but Alpha Shadows have a highly encrypted database, state-of-the art, where they store up most information about them."
What was unknown to the commissioner was that the same person speaking was the one who developed the database with a strong encryption when he was trying to gain the favor, trust, confidence of the leader of Alpha Shadows and climb up the food chain.
"After a painstaking effort into their highly encrypted database, I finally succeeded in hacking into their archive and pulled out a lot of files containing clandestine details about the operations that would be carried out that week.
"You should note that I didn't take only that of Rivers State. I also took out a lot of files that contained details of operations in major states like Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Anambra, Ogun, Akwa-Ibom, Delta and Abuja.
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"The commissioners of the states I mentioned and the Federal Capital Territory are my allies. You can call them to verify if they received an anonymous tip about some clandestine operations.
"And since you are a newspaper person, I believe you read the news last weekend about how some of the gunmen who were suspected to be members of Alpha Shadows in those States were killed on site. Those who escaped did so with a bullet wound; the rest were apprehended. That was the result of the Intel I gave your police buddies."
The commissioner was both surprised and momentarily confused on what to say. This was never what he expected. He expected that the unknown caller would give him a cock and bull story. Never did he imagine something as brilliant as this.
He was sure that he had covered all the bases. He was even making plans on the best way to get this person behind bars. Instead, he was thrilled with what he was hearing. It was either this person was a harmful and dangerous liar, or he could be telling the truth. If it was the former, then the Nigerian Police Force had just landed themselves a big fish to fry. But if the latter was the case, how would he know?
What should he do? Has his job just gotten more complicated?
After a brief contemplation and still not coming to a decisive moment or giving an accurate verdict about the integrity of the unknown caller, he decided to probe further.
"So, why did you insist prior to the operation that my men should follow your information and instruction to the letter if you are still claiming not to have a hand in this?" asked the commissioner.
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"I did so because it was the safest way your men could engage these guys without getting victimized from a firefight with them."
"Did I just hear you correctly?" Abubakar asked, the incredulity evident in his voice.
"Yes, sir. Crystal clear."
"Victimize?"
"Yes, victimize."
"Did you- wait, did you actually use that word?" Try as he might, the commissioner could not just shake off his amusement.
"I'm not accustomed to repeating clear answers."
Abubakar's laugh was filled with derision. "What are you? Guardian angel man, I think, sent to protect the same people who put their lives on the line every day to protect other lives and properties. Protector of the protectors.
Jehovah God, Allah... Which should I call you? Are we supposed to be worshiping you or what?" the commissioner said sarcastically.
"I did what was best for your men by alerting them to the threat they faced."
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"And how did you know this?"
"If your men hadn't showed up at the right time, if they had not done exactly as I instructed, they wouldn't have returned to you alive."
"And you know this because?"
"It is all contained in the files which I just sent to your personal email address."
Abubakar was taken aback with this latest development. First, it was his private phone number, and now, it was his email address that wasn't publicly listed. What else did this guy know about him that is not for public consumption?
"Don't worry. I actually don't like invading people's privacy unless it is necessary," as though reading his thoughts, the caller said.
"Surely you understand that this was necessary. And I can assure you that for now, only your personal phone number and your personal email address are the only private details I have of you, for now.
"I'm sure you do understand that it would be necessary for me to dig up something private about you when the need arises."
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Mind reeling, Abubakar kept mute. Oblivious to what was happening to the commissioner, the unknown caller continued.
"So, as I was saying, you should really go through those files I sent you. There's a section in the file where you would see how these people sent some of their sharpshooters to keep an eye on the estate one week before the day of the operation. They were under strict instruction to kill anything and anyone in a police uniform.
"I know you'd want to argue that your men should have gone undercover, but you would see in that file that these people had planned for every contingencies and your men would have been eliminated, pounced upon like preys by a predator, all for nothing."
"Still, my men would have done something," replied the commissioner.
"And what, pray tell, do you think you would have done?" the caller asked.
It didn't end there.
"So tell me. Tell me! How many times have you done anything significant to capture this extremely wicked, nefarious, and barbaric crime syndicate called Alpha Shadows, or any other crime syndicate for that matter, in this country?" The caller’s voice was rising.
"Tell me what you have ever done if not to unnecessarily destroy the lives of your innocent officers because of some stupid and unintelligible actions!"
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---
Savior was fast losing his composure, but he couldn't help it. He was furious and literally screaming at the commissioner. This wasn't part of the plan, but the unjust death of his father and subsequently his mother had once more spun him out of control.
"Sure, you have made some gains," he continued, "but how many losses? Is the loss not greater than the gain?
How many more destruction of lives, both military and civilians do you want?"
The commissioner drew the phone a few inches away from his ear to protect his eardrum.
"Do you even know why I'm doing all this? Do you even know why I'm risking my neck to be talking to you?
"I've gone through so much effort to contact and talk to you yet not once have you ever asked why I did it.
Instead you've been trying to get me to indict myself.
"My father..." His voice trailed off.
The commissioner remained speechless.
Saviour regained his strength, cleared his throat and continued.
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"My father was unfortunately killed during one of the firefights between the police and the crime syndicate. He was one of your dedicated officers, but the brutal hands of death took him away in such a prude and unwarranted way.
"So, I ask you, sir, how many children have you turned fatherless because of this accursed job?"
The commissioner swore out of discomfort. Sorrow filled his heart for this kid who had unfortunately become fatherless. Not just him, but for every other child out there who had lost a military parent or two because of an operation that went haywire.
But he quickly collected and composed himself and spoke professionally.
"My sincere apologies for your loss."
The boy didn't answer so he took it as a cue to continue.
"I hear you, and quite honestly, I understand you. But what of the two armed robbers who were killed? How did you pull that one off? Did you kill them for the sake of revenge over your father's death?
"What makes you think that I was the one who shot them? I believe in justice, Mr. Commissioner, not revenge.
And it is justice that makes me want to join the Nigerian police and help in any way I can."
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"I don't believe you. I can understand that you might still feel the pain of losing your father, and I understand that need for revenge but..."
An idea came to his mind so he quickly changed tactics. This might be the tiebreaker in uncovering this person's identity.
"You said your father was a policeman who was killed in action?"
"Yes," Savior answered, already anticipating where this was going.
"What was his name?"
"How smart. You’ve got to do way better than that, Mr Commissioner."
"Young man, you don't expect me to take what you have just told me at face value. How am I supposed to verify the accuracy of what you've just told me about your late father?"
"I guess you'll just have to take my word for it."
The commissioner tried another one that was his last for now, and which hopefully would be for a long time.
"If you are really telling me the truth about your father who was a policeman who died during his service, then tell me, in what year did he die?"
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"Don't try using my beloved father, God rest his soul, to blackmail me."
"But, I was only trying to verify..."
"You would have to try harder than that to uncover my full identity, but for now, you can call me Omotola."
"You speak nothing like a Yoruba indigene."
Savior laughed. "Yeah, I just love that name."
What an enigmatic personality, the commissioner wondered. He says one thing and tells you the contrary in the same breath.
"You still haven't told me anything about the killing of the two men. If all you've been saying is true, then how do you want to defend the fact that your prediction about two of them dying came through?"
When Savior finished telling him how and why it happened, the commissioner almost dropped dead right there in his office.
He'd barely recovered from his shock when Saviour spoke up again.
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"Now that you no longer have any reason to doubt me, I have vital information to pass on to you. It is an info I believe you will love very much."
"I'm all ears."
Savior began giving the commissioner detailed information about one of Tekena's biggest warehouses in order to prove a point and tear down any remaining barrier between him, the commissioner and the Nigerian police.
Thanking him profusely after recovering from his shock, the commissioner immediately snapped back to his job mode.
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