Chapter One: The Night It Happened**
12:35 AM on a Saturday in Ogotun. The nights here are usually quiet, but something was in the air tonight. It felt odd. I was losing this draught game to Seun, which was frustrating because I won yesterday. What is it about this night?
I was verbally sparring with Seun and the rest of the guys at "Iya Medi's Bar." It was midnight in 1935, and I was off duty, so instead of going home, I decided to unwind with a draught game. In Ogotun, I'm the draught champion—or at least, that’s what I’m known for. I was a police constable that year, so I go when I’m called. And that was the night it happened—the murder of the Ndubuzis.
At 12:35, while my draught game was heating up, the bodies of four members of a family of five were being discovered by their neighbor. I was definitely too drunk to be called into work, but how many police do you think we had back then? Constable Ayo tracked me down, and I quickly headed towards the Ndubuzi's house.
Upon my arrival at the scene, my superior quickly ushered me into the house and introduced me to Inspector Tayo Ogidan, who had been transferred to Ogotun and had arrived just hours before the murder. I was instructed to be his guide. The most obvious feature of the inspector was his arrogance—he didn't even shake my hand when I introduced myself.
Constable Ajayi:Where do you want me, sir?
The inspector pointed to the corner of the room.
Inspector Ogidan: Over there, and quiet. I’ll let you know when I need you.
He was rude, but he was still my superior, so I just went to the corner and watched him move around the crime scene. He focused on a scribbling on the wall for a while, then progressed to observing the bodies. I could see the curiosity in his eyes; he wanted to know what happened to the family.
Inspector Ogidan: Constable! I’ve been told there are witnesses. That’s where we start. Let’s hear what they have to say.
Constable Ajayi:Yes, sir. There are two of them. They’re sitting in front of the neighbor’s house, away from the crowd. Do you need me to get them?
Inspector Ogidan: Obviously. That’s why I brought it up.
I walked briskly towards the door and then to the neighbors. In my head, I was roasting the inspector—ode, didirin—some of the words I was using to describe him. After getting Tunmise and Janet, the sole survivor of the crime, I brought them back. Janet was only two years old, so I was already sure this would mess up the inspector’s day.
Inspector Ogidan: Constable, why am I looking at a baby?
Constable Ajayi: This is Janet Ndubuzi, the only survivor. And this is Tunmise Aderibigbe; she found the victims and called everyone’s attention to it.
The despair on the inspector’s face was priceless. I could see the vein in his forehead throbbing, but I couldn’t laugh. People had died.
Chapter 2: Questions
The next morning I had to arrange for Tunmise to come to the police station with Janet, but she also showed up with her family. We had to kick off our investigation; the bodies were moved to a local hospital on the outskirts of the town. The King and his Prince visited the police station early in the morning to stress the urgency of resolving this case. Finding the murderer was important, but he also ensured that the news is kept as quiet as possible, which was almost impossible as everybody in town was panicking already. The inspector arrived 20 minutes before Tunmise, and even a blind man could tell that the inspector was baffled, even while he was giving out instructions to the group of police waiting on him.
Inspector:I need you all to focus on gathering information. We don't have the murder weapon, no one seems to hate this family, so we need information. I know you are worried, but we need to do our jobs, so channel that energy into doing the job well. The earlier we find the killer, the earlier we put this behind us. Thank you all, be safe out there.
When the Aderibigbes arrived, I was to usher them into the Inspector’s office. It had intentionally slipped my mind that the rain that fell earlier that day slightly flooded the office as the roof leaks. Leading Tunmise into the office, the inspector stepped out of the office with this morose look on his face, the vein in his forehead throbbing. In my defense, cleaning the office is a whole process; I have to go call a carpenter for the roof. I'd probably have to clear the water myself. I think it was better for everyone that I said nothing. We sat under a tree behind the station; it was private, so we could talk freely without interruption. Janet was just running around, chasing anything moved by the gentle breeze. I wondered what all of it was for her.
Inspector:Miss Aderibigbe, I'm glad to have gotten this chance to talk to you. I know this must be difficult, but I have to ask, could you share what happened last night with us?
She held back for a bit to gather her thoughts, then she started speaking.
Tunmise: Yes, sir. I was studying late. The entire time, Janet was wailing. Usually, from my room, I can hear the Ndubuzis moving around in their living room; someone always picks her up. It went on for an hour, so I took our extra key and headed towards their door. When I got there, the door was closed but it wasn't locked with the key. I yelled for them, called out their names before I opened the door.
She slowed down.
Tunmise: Who would do that to another human being, to a whole family?
Inspector: That's what we are trying to find out. You saw something that could help us.
Tunmise: When I saw Mr. Ndubuzi's head on the center table, I just grabbed Janet and took off, went to go get my parents.
Inspector:That's it? You saw nothing else?
Tunmise: All I have to say is, I think someone used them for sacrifice. This is Yoruba land after all.
Inspector:Why would you think that?
Tunmise: Mr. Clement's head was chopped off, his wife's heart was removed, there was a scribbling on the wall. Doesn't all that scream sacrifice?
Tunmise had said her piece, and we all sat there for a second, taking in the weight of what we had just heard. We couldn't get anything out of Janet; she was battling the ants and the leaves around. She then started running towards us as if running from someone. A few seconds later, the Prince showed up behind her. He had come to welcome Inspector Ogidan to Ogotun. The inspector immediately found Janet's reaction intriguing; you could see it on his face. It was like a light bulb came up in his head. I knew what he was about to say, and I already had an answer. So, when the Prince left:
Inspector: Did you see what just happened? The girl is scared of the Prince.
Constable: Yes, sir. Toddlers are usually afraid of the person that gives them injections when they are sick and sometimes when they are not. Even I, a grown man, am afraid of the Prince's shaky hands.
Vein throbbing again.
Inspector: What are you trying to prove here, Constable?
I did not want to engage, so I tried deviating to something else.
Constable: Sir, maybe we should talk to the local babalawo if it is indeed related to sacrificial proceedings.
The inspector looked at me with a condescending smile.
Inspector: You don't think the killer would have done everything possible to escape with the head?
Chapter 3:
There was tension in town; you could feel it in the air. The King introduced a curfew, which got people frustrated. The nightlife in Ogotun quickly crumbled, and everyone oddly became suspicious of each other. The local vigilante group tightened up their operations, keeping everyone on their toes. The inspector and I found ourselves in a maze of questions. Witnesses couldn't provide us with useful information, so we resolved to talk to people who knew the Ndubuzis. Our conversation with the extended Aderibigbe family yielded nothing. They had access to the house, but they all seemed like one family. Chief Akintola Aderibigbe is well known in Ogotun, his wife Ajibike as well. They were both educated members of the society. Chief Akintola is part of the King's Council, he is also principal of the local secondary school, and his wife is a matron nurse at the local district hospital. Both of them were asleep when the murder occurred. Janet seems like a member of the family, so everyone just left her with them for the moment.
We also visited Mr. Obinna. He is the only Igbo in town besides the victim, and although he is close to the family, he keeps a safe distance. He did confess that there was something unusual going on between Clement and his wife, but he didn't know why. Whenever the kids weren't there, there was always a riff between the couple. At least that gave us something to work with, but we couldn't ask the dead couple, so we had to bounce ideas off each other. Palm wine and bush meat should set the mood. At Iya Medi, the inspector and I decided to lay out everything we knew about the case to see if we missed anything.
Constable: This case is confusing, sir.
Inspector: Yes, it is, but let's lay out what we know already.
Constable: Okay. We know the killer didn't break in, the body was mutilated, the couple probably weren't happy, it might involve juju.
Inspector: Nice one. Didn't like the juju part, though, but I will go. Maybe the dismemberment was purposeful, to distract us from the true reason for the crime.
Constable: What about the scribbling on the wall?
Inspector: Part of the plan. I think the killer intentionally disrupted the crime scene.
Constable: It wouldn't hurt to at least talk to the local babalawo, hear what he has to say about it.
Inspector: I understand that there is a sense of truth to this juju, but I assure you that not everything that happens involves juju.
While we were having this conversation, we noticed a struggle going on between the owner of the bar, Segun, Tunde, Taiwo, and Shina, the local thugs arguing with the bar owner. Usually, I wait till they start physically assaulting people before saying something, but that day was different. The inspector was new in town and he was drunk, so he just reacted. He yelled at them, asking them to keep it down, so they noticed us and walked towards us.
Segun: Who is the new fish? You are definitely not from here, else you wouldn't be talking to us that way.
The inspector looked at them with disgust. I was sure that things were about to go crazy.
Constable: Segun, are you here to threaten a police officer again?
Inspector: Again? So a crime has already been committed.
It was clearly a rhetorical question because the inspector just started laying into Segun. His crew froze in shock. Segun managed to push the inspector back so he could speak.
Segun: Calm down, man. I noticed it was you, and I wanted to come talk to you. Something you'd like to hear.
It was funny watching these two inebriated jerks have a go at each other. It was funnier watching them trying to talk to each other. A drunk inspector:
Inspector: What the hell do you think you'd have to say that could save you from my fist and my handcuffs today?
Segun: Clement Ndubuzi was dating the Princess.
Inspector: Ooh, wow, well that would do it.
Constable: The Princess, uh? Maybe the wife knew and that was the tension Obinna noticed.
Inspector: We have to talk to the Princess.
Chapter 4: Unveiling Secrets
The tension in Ogotun was palpable as Inspector Ogidan and I walked toward the palace, determined to uncover the truth. The Princess had hinted at secrets that could turn the investigation on its head.
Princess: Inspector, I regret to say that Clement and I were involved. It started after he found out his wife had been unfaithful.
Inspector Ogidan: Unfaithful? With whom?
Princess: With Chief Aderibigbe. Janet is actually his daughter and the funny thing the chief owed Clement for years.
The shock of this revelation washed over us. Clement must have been devastated, leading him to seek solace outside his marriage. This revelation not only explained the tension in the Ndubuzi household but also provided a possible motive for the crime.
Constable Ajayi: We need to confront Chief Aderibigbe again. This changes everything.
Arriving at the Aderibigbe residence, the atmosphere was thick with unease. Chief Akintola sat with a forced calm, while his wife Ajibike seemed unaware of the full extent of her husband's involvement.
Inspector Ogidan: Chief Aderibigbe, we need to ask you more questions about your relationship with Mrs. Ndubuzi and the events of the night of the murders.
Chief Aderibigbe: (sighing) I knew this day would come. Yes, I had an affair with her. Janet is my daughter.
Inspector Ogidan: What about the money you owed Clement?
Ajibike: Money? What money?
Inspector Ogidan: (ignoring Ajibike’s question) Chief Aderibigbe, did Clement threaten to expose your affair and your debt?
Chief Aderibigbe: (looking nervous) Yes. He wanted to ruin me.
Inspector Ogidan: And the night of the murder, what happened?
Chief Aderibigbe: (hesitant) It wasn’t supposed to go that far. I went to talk to him, to reason with him. But things got out of hand.
Constable Ajayi: What do you mean, out of hand?
Chief Aderibigbe: (voice trembling) The boys, Clement’s sons, they heard the commotion and came downstairs. I panicked. I couldn’t let them expose me. I...I killed them all.
Ajibike: (gasping) You did what? You killed them? How could you?
Chief Aderibigbe: (breaking down) I had no choice! They would have ruined us, exposed everything! I had to protect our family.
Inspector Ogidan: So, you killed Clement, his wife, and their two boys, and tried to make it look like a ritual sacrifice to cover your tracks?
Chief Aderibigbe: (nodding, tears streaming down his face) Yes. I thought it was the only way.
The gravity of his confession settled over us like a dark cloud. Ajibike’s shock turned to silent tears as she processed her husband’s heinous actions.
Inspector Ogidan: Chief Aderibigbe, you are under arrest for the murders of Clement Ndubuzi, his wife, and their two sons.
The Aderibigbes' home, once a symbol of respectability in Ogotun, became a somber scene as Chief Aderibigbe was taken into custody. The town, shaken by the tragedy, began to slowly return to normal, though the scars of the event would remain.
Chapter 5: Farewell
With the case now closed, it was time for Inspector Ogidan and me to part ways. Standing outside the police station, we reflected on the past few days, which had forever changed the town and us.
Constable Ajayi: It’s been a challenging time, hasn’t it, sir?
Inspector Ogidan: Indeed, Ajayi. You’ve shown remarkable resilience and dedication. This case was anything but simple.
Constable Ajayi: Thank you, sir. I’ve learned a great deal from you.
Inspector Ogidan: And I from you. Ogotun is lucky to have someone as dedicated as you. Keep up the good work.
Constable Ajayi: Thank you, sir. I wish you safe travels.
Inspector Ogidan: Farewell, Ajayi.
As Inspector Ogidan left Ogotun, I stood watching him go, feeling the weight of our shared experiences. The town, though changed by the events, would heal in time. And so would I, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
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