Dark Hearts

By Babatunde Layi

Dark Hearts is a collection of gripping short stories based on actual court cases that will get you thinking, gaping, puzzled and wondering about the realities of the dark side of life. This compilation provides rare insights into the criminal mind. With close to four decades of legal practice and consequent

• Language: English
• Publisher: Layi Babatunde
• Release date: Jul 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781087900223

Book preview

Contents

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

1. AN EX-EMPLOYEE FROM HELL

2. BROTHER KILLS BROTHER

3. BAND MANAGER KILLS BAND LEADER

4. EX-GATEMAN ROBS JUDGE

5. MOTHER AND DAUGHTER ROBBED

6. LOVERS AND ROBBERS

7. GRUESOME CHILD MURDER

8. MURDER IN THE CHURCH

9. NURSE RAPED IN A HOSPITAL

10. WORSHIPPER AND CLERIC ATTACKED

11. ARMED GANG KILLS REVEREND AND POURS ACID ON DAUGHTER

12. THE KIDNAPPING AND ROBBERY OF A LADY MAGISTRATE

ENDNOTE

To my wife, Adejoke; our children and treasure,

Oluwatomike, Oluwatolani, Oluwatosin,

Oluwatofunmi and Oluwatofarati;

And hope for a more peaceful world.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My gratitude goes to all who worked on or assisted one way or the other with this project, particularly, the Justices of the Supreme Court whose judgments formed the raw material for this publication; the publishers of Supreme Court Reports (S.C Reports) from which the cases were extracted; Abozos Michael for secretariat support, Olakunle Kasumu, my consultant on the project and my family for their support. To God be all the glory!

INTRODUCTION

The stories in this book, even though fictionalized, are based on real life occurrences. As a lawyer, who has practiced extensively for over 35 years, I have had privileged access to details and observations on mind-boggling criminal cases spanning murder, rape, armed robbery and other dastardly acts that the average person would shudder at and never pray to be a victim of. These observations have shown me that man’s heart is incalculably deep and in that depth could lie as much evil as it could harbour love.

The idea to write this book came to me when I began to meditate and ponder on the gravity of this bewildering human tendency. The more I thought about it, the more I became burdened to share some of these gripping stories with those who might not be privy to these cases - stories so shocking that even as someone who spends a significant part of his working life analysing such cases, have left me wondering at the extent of evil that man’s heart can accommodate.

This is not comedy. It is not a book that will get you laughing. There is more of tragedy here than anything else. It will get you thinking, gaping, puzzled, and wondering. It is a book about the reality of the dark side of life, the greed that lurks in the inner recesses of man’s heart - a terrible monster if not tamed. It tells of a side that no matter how much we try to shy away from its existence, lurks around us and very much thrives in the world we live in. The criminal mind is one of the hardest things to understand. It is dark and dangerous. It works in its own unusual premeditated way and can be extremely brilliant in plotting its devious acts. Its end product is always tears and blood and one, therefore, cannot be too careful.

Some of the names, places and scenarios in this book have been fictionalized but the core of the stories remain very true and are based on real life cases reported in Supreme Court Reports. Though I have gone to great lengths to reconstruct certain aspects of the stories, they don’t deviate much from what actually happened. I hope you will find this book worth reading and that it will broaden your understanding of human nature. Better still, lessons can be learnt.

1

AN EX-EMPLOYEE

FROM HELL

8th October, 2007

12.00 noon - 1.00pm

From a stone’s throw away, Ayiere Godsgift alias Alex, watched the gates of Grace and Gold Nursery and Primary School in Bold View Estate, Calabar, Cross River State. Grace and Gold was a school for the children of the high and mighty and those almost getting there. John Edem, son of his former employer was a pupil in the school. John was a sweet chubby boy of 10 years and had known Alex since he was eight. Alex wanted to take John out of the school but he didn’t know how.

The strict school protocol was that no one was to take any child away after school hours, during recess or any time at all, except the parents or guardian specifically placed a call through to the class teacher, giving their consent. Customarily, only one person was granted the pass to pick a child after school. In the event that the recognized individual was unable to make it, a delegate/replacement might come instead and the parent/guardian had to inform the head teacher and/or the child’s class teacher.

Alex knew the protocol pretty well and he sought for a way to get around it.

Good afternoon, sir, Alex courteously greeted Etim, the security man, who had served Grace and Gold School roughly six years.

Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?

I am here to see a pupil, John Edem, seeing the quizzical look the security man gave him, he quickly added, I just dropped by to give him some snacks that I bought for him. He is my boss’ son. I am sure he would be more than glad to have them. Then he showed Etim the snacks he bought for the child.

Etim was not the brightest of security men and he had not experienced enough to make him cautious and suspicious. He took a quick glance at the snacks and gave Alex a quicker glance.

Okay. Go to his class and see his teacher.

Thank you, Alex said as he moved in the direction of the senior primary class. John was in Year 5.

Good afternoon, ma, Alex had entered John’s class.

Good afternoon, sir. What can I do for you? Miss Elizabeth Essien had never seen this face before. As they spoke, she studied his face carefully. It was part of what they had been trained to do as teachers and communicators. Notice body language and study facial expressions of strangers.

Whilst Miss Elizabeth was about querying Alex, John ran to him from where he was seated and shouted, Uncle! Uncle!! hugging him, clearly delighted to see Alex.

It was just recess and almost all the kids were outside playing except a few, who probably wanted to finish their classwork before joining their mates or were just not up to running about. John was in the former category.

Actually, I was just in the vicinity and brought some snacks for him.

Miss Elizabeth, who was carrying some books and writing materials for her pupils in her hand, turned to drop them on her table. Before she could turn back to properly attend to the visitor, both John and the stranger had disappeared.

Where did he go just now? she stepped out but saw no traces of them. She shrugged her shoulders. Maybe they just went towards the play area.

………

When recess was over, John did not return to the classroom like the rest of his classmates. That is strange, Miss Elizabeth ruminated. John was always one of the first to badge into the class whenever the bell rang for recess time-out. Then she remembered the man. Miss Elizabeth waited about five minutes more, after the other kids had settled in. Yet, there was no sign of either John or the mysterious man. Having waited to no avail, she went to the security post and confronted Mr. Etim on John’s whereabouts.

Mr. Etim, please where is John Edem?

That man took him out and has not brought him back.

How did you let them out without confirming from me?

I thought since I told him to see you, you gave him permission to go with the boy.

I hope this is a joke, Miss Elizabeth who had become fearful responded, If I don’t see them in the next two minutes, I am going to report to the head teacher.

I believe they will soon come back, said the security man, whose turn it was to be apprehensive. How would he explain that he had allowed the two pass without confirming consent from the teacher? It didn’t take more than one hundred and twenty seconds for two minutes to be over. Still there was no sight of John.

………

Miss Elizabeth knocked lightly on the head teacher’s door. Mrs. Kalu was a warm but strict disciplinarian. She adored