One Bullet: The Chronicles of Jumai

By Augustine Auduojo

The unassuming young Lad - Jumai, would later become a thorn on the flesh of every security outfit in the land.

His reign from student cultism metamorphosed into full blown criminality. A trail of violence and quest for fame and wealth, with a trademark of a bullet to the head of his victims earned him the ruthless alias.

Suspense, intrigue, lots of action and a touch of a present day African youth’s reality is embedded in this crime thriller.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Sep 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664100794

Augustine Auduojo

Augustine Auduojo is of Nigerian descent residing in New South Wales Australia with his family. His Penchant for writing fictions is unwavering. One Bullet is his first novel yet, and his creative fictional imagination with a touch of modern day reality is glaring in this work.

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Copyright © 2020 by Augustine Auduojo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/14/2020

Xlibris

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AU Local: 0283 108 187 ([phone] from outside Australia)

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Contents

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1   Mantaman High Court |

Chapter 2   His Story |

Chapter 3   4:30am | Initiation Day |

Chapter 4   The Seminarian Hit |

Chapter 5   Another Callous Hit!

Chapter 6   The Governor

Chapter 7

Written For

Alexander and Andrew Auduojo

Dedicated In Memory Of

Late Matthew Oyakere

(Barbwire)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To my very good friend Megan Mills, who painstakingly

typed most of the manuscript.

CHAPTER ONE

Mantaman High Court |

A S JUMAI STOOD in the dock, oblivious of his environment for some moments - and visibly deep in thought - he was jolted back to reality as the chief Magistrate cleared his throat with a quirky sound.

My judgement: Mr. Jumai Okpodi has been found guilty of all the charges levelled against him; viz a viz murder, kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, rape, and impersonation, just to name a few.

At this, the jubilant policemen who had apprehended Jumai - alias: One Bullet - burst into laughter. It was one of the most joyous days of their lives.

The magistrate continued and so he is to spend the remaining days of his life in maximum prison with hard labour!

No! The entire court room looked towards the direction of where this No had come from, and saw that his wife, his only sister, and his only child, Charity, sat there shedding tears.

The magistrate called for order and continued - this should serve as a deterrent to other young men and women who find their solace in committing crimes, who have no value for human lives, and who want to acquire wealth at all costs. Magistrate Bindiko, who was revered for his advice after every of his judgements continued, his eyes showing intense rage and animosity towards Jumai, One Bullet has committed atrocities against the country and man-kind in general. He has on several occasions played God by killing people, one of which was my only son back then in University - at this point the magistrate paused, probably to subdue the tears that was about to come out from him at the thought of his only son who was murdered by One Bullet and his group a night before the convocation ceremony where his son was to come out as best graduating student that year. What this generation of our youths lack, is contentment, he went on He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough. At this, the magistrate stood up, and the shout of court! brought proceedings to a close.

-

Jumai’s journey to his new abode began as the Black Maria brought its rear towards the exit of the courtroom. As Jumai was brought out, he looked around and saw the jubilant policemen who, upon sighting him, began shooting sporadically in the air, in what is believed to be the most triumphant arrest in decades. On many occasions Jumai had taken out countless policemen in his spree of violence. The crowd were not left out, they had gathered in their numbers to catch a glimpse of the most notorious man in many years. On several occasions rewards had been promised to any member of the public who could give a hint on the whereabouts of One Bullet. The Inspector General of Police had channelled all of his resources and manpower into arresting him, and had even given the order of shoot-on-sight.

As the Black Maria began its journey to the maximum prison, escorted by heavily armed policemen and even two police helicopters, Jumai, for the first time in about twenty years, began to cry. He thought of his aged parents, his father a clergyman was down with a stroke, of course as a result of high blood pressure from constant arrests in a bid to get his son. His mother, some years ago had her two eyes plucked out by a group of unknown gunmen, who Jumai had probably stepped on their toes, in a bid to get back at him. His wife and daughter and his only sister may have been the lucky ones, as they were not hit - or maybe not physically hit. He cried and cried so much that on two occasions the convoy had to be stopped to see if he was alright.

| WIEBE MAXIMUM PRISON

The entire prison had been prepared and on high alert towards his arrival and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of this popular One Bullet. Officers and men of the prison service all left what they were doing to see him, the inmates all struggling to the iron bars, some climbing each other. Shouts of One Bullet! filled the air from those die hard criminals who saw him as a role model. One bullet! One bullet! You are our hero!!

He responded with a simple smile that showed his lovely gap teeth. He walked at a slow pace as a result of the chains bound to his legs and handcuffs to his wrists.

How una dey? He asked some of them. Make una no worry there’s time for everything, una hear?

We know, we know, they responded.

He went on as he moved in between the cage-like cells as if addressing his followers, a time to be caught and a time to release.

One of the officers taking him to his cell asked him to keep quiet, seeing the popularity he was beginning to gain immediately. For Security’s sake, and in order not to take chances, he was put in the same prison cell with just one inmate. Unlike most cells that had close to seven or eight inmates in them. Immediately he was ushered into his cell and the chains and handcuffs taken away. His cell-mate, the self-acclaimed born-again, one time leader of a syndicate that specialised in bank robbery, Emma Idong, alias: No Retreat extended a handshake to One Bullet, who refused to reciprocate but moved further into the room and asked for his bed. No Retreat was not troubled by this initial cold reception, or maybe he was afraid of Jumai, he quickly showed him his bed space and Jumai laid on it and dozed off.

DINNER! |

The sound of the bell and the subsequent shouting and cursing from the inmates as they struggled to the Dining Hall for dinner woke Jumai up. Self-acclaimed brother Emma it was who explained to him that they should double up or forget their dinner as the wardens would not fail to refuse giving them their portion if they were a second behind time. Not that the dinner was anything to write home about, a poorly cooked beans and two slices of bread to go with. What surprised Jumai was not the meal but the fact that the wardens were constantly and deliberately passing him by until every other prisoner had been given their meal. Unbeknown to him, this was the practice at the facility, the last inmate gets to be served his meal last.

Oga warder Jumai protested, What of my own?.

The warden came closer to him and asked No be you be one bullet?

Na me! he replied.

Wetin One Bullet get to do with my food?

Oh ho! So bullet dey chop beans, abi? the warder shot back…

What of those innocent people wey you don use almost one million bullets kill? how many plates of beans be that?

Make God punish you and the beans wey you wan chop!"

Jumai was stunned as the warder walked away. Is this how I am going to spend the rest of my life, in this environment of so much hatred? It is as if everybody wants to get back his or her own pound of flesh, he was brought back to reality when Brother Emma, his cell mate pushed his leftovers to him. Initially he wanted to politely reject this kind gesture, but on second thought he started eating as the worms in his stomach began their peaceful solidarity movement. He said inwardly half bread is better than few beans.

DINNER OVER!

Ding! Dong!! The bell went off again to signal the mandatory end of dinner. Before he could swallow his remaining food in haste, a big stick had landed on his back, as the warders were