DRINK AND THE INNOCENT POLICEMAN

BY

JONATHAN W. MANGBON

1978

Natas was a very notorious crook in Kumba district. His attack left no men, women or children out of the scene. Every here and there it was either reported that a small child had been beheaded or a woman raped and killed or a man forcefully robbed and killed.

The Police were hinted that all these troubles were being caused by one young fellow called Natas who was once in their custody but chanced to escape from them. Romours held that Natas who was now declared a wanted person by the police, had become a nocturnal being. He was believed to go into hidings by day and emerge by night to execute his inhumanly, detrimental act upon his unfortunate victims.

The Policemen have been on the search for Natas hiding place but his operations were so widely spread in the district that it was difficult to locate the hideout.

Once it occrured to the police that Natas could be collaborating with some town dwellers who are housing him and are not ready to reveal him to the police.

With this idea in mind, they mounted a patrol to search every house in Kumba town by night. From the records of the last census, the policemen were able to estimate that there were about five hundred houses in Kumba town and so assigning five houses to each policeman, one hundred police-men were put to the task of thoroughly searching the town one night.

That same night the police were going to raid the town, Natas had bought many crates of beer and was now sitting in his magnificent house drinking. Natas had decided not to move out, but to spend the whole night in his house drinking for joy of his last night operation which was very successful. He was not aware of the police search that night, but he was always ready to face the police one day or the other.

Fortunately for Natas, the policeman who went to search his house was a new person in town. He has never seen Natas but only had the description of Natas small-pox deformed face. Natas knew that he could easily be recognised if he leaves the face un-masked and so whenever he went out, he always made sure he wore his mask.

Natas narrowly escaped catch when the policeman got to his house. He had just finished bathing and was combing his hair in the parlour as well as peeping through the window in cas of urgent attack. His security lights placed all round his house were shining very bright. Natas, on seeing the policeman suddenly appearing in his court-yard, he flew into his bedroom, to wear his mask. Too late, the policeman had already detected his movements and was glad he was going to claim the N1000.00 reward.

The policeman straight away fell into a very deep thought with great joy. "Oh what a very big luck! He must be the one or else why did he have to run away into the other room as swift as that". He then started to budget how he was going to spend the N1000, "Yes I left home without food because there was no soup. This justifies why I should give my wife N5.00 for meat. She might require another N5.00 for additional gari, Rice and some yams which will then last us some two to three weeks. I will be able to repay Habsatu her N20.00 for the continuous bottles of drink I have been taking on loan. Bakari will also be lucky this time to get his fifty Naira which I borrowed at the beer parlour last year to buy drink for Asabe and her group. Surely I will win the acceptance of Bonsweh this time, since I will be able to offer her the forty Naira per night like my other rivals. The other day it was Ben who dorminated the buyings at the club, I think Ill put aside not less than N150 if I must retain my prestige before him and others as the greatest beer buyer.

I know that will take care of two consecutive nights after which I will give them the chance to do me drink. I will probably use the remaining six hundred or so to pay half for my club fe and half for setting my cigarettes and goro debts. Sure I will be left as free as the birds in the air. "He concluded his early night dream. If the policeman had rushed in straight away instead of day dreaming of how he will sconder the expected N1000.00, he would have met Natas still struggling to put on the mask. Natas felt completely rounded up because he knew that it will take him about six to ten minutes in trying to fix on the mask properly beyond recognition by any body. He wondered why the policeman had to hesitate if he was really after anybody at all. thoughts flew through him whether probably the policeman was waiting for others to come. Natas glanced through the bedroom window fearing that probably the policeman was watching him. He dared not go too close for fear of getting caught in the act of masking himself.

After his day dream, the policeman rush into Natas house, after six to ten minutes of his arrival, but that to Natas meant a whole day. He met face to face with Natas, who was coming into the parlour. The policeman was shocked to see that this trap caught the wrong prey. The man emerging out of the bedroom was not the fellow that matches the description in his note book. Natas had managed to control his shaking limbs after making sure he had fixed his mask well.

Courageously Natas pointed to the policeman without hesitation and said; "You unwanted intruder and trespasser, what do you want here this night? I would have called the police if you yourself werent one. Looking for somebody or could I say you have missed your way and need help? I may be at your service if your mission is safe for mankind.

"I am sorry, but what is your name?" The policeman demanded and continued, "I am Corporal Sanda and I am here on the order to search five houses including yours which I intend to begin with. Here is my warrant, any objection?"

I am called Sata Jip. I have no objection but may I know why my house and those of others have to be search for?

You must have known or heard of one Notorious fellow called Natas who is now badly needed by the police. It is believed that some similarly un-discovered crooks are harbouring him in town. You now see the reason why?

Natas blinking eyes through the mask didnt reveal much of the burning fear in him but his limbs which now began to shake again would have increased suspicion if they were not hiden in the big gown Natas had tactifully put on. He managed to say Oh! Yes, that unwanted being which only the police could afford to want him. Here is my house. I have three bed rooms and a parlour. You are free to search every corner to your satisfaction. Hope you dont expect such a crook to leave in a house like this.

Oh! No, but I would have betted my life that you yourself were the very Natas , judging from the very manner in which you dashed into your bedroom at the first sight of my arrival. Were you the one or another person? Determined not to miss the N1000.00 reward for which he had already budgeted, the policman insisted to find out the detailed truth. Sata Jip, do you live alone in this house? Yes, for the moment because my wife has gone home to spend some time with her parents No servant, house boy or maid? The police man demanded None Natas replied.

After this question, the policeman began to search the house. He wondered why Natas couldnt move away from the big door carpet on which he was standing to follow him about the room during the search. He was ignorant of the fact that Natass house comprised not only of the three bedrooms and the parlour but in addition an underground bigger room where Natas stored his stolen properties. It didnt occur to him that the big door carpet was just used as a cover to hide the entrance into the underground room.

After a thorough search of the house, the policeman handed Natas a small slip to satisfy that his house has been thoroughly searched and found guiltless. The slip was to be pasted at the door of the house for every one to see. Natas signed in relief and said corporal, do you drink?

Oh! Yes, very well, but I must finish my assignment first. At this moment, I can but do with only five bottles of guilder, if you wouldnt mind to offer.

I am sorry I have only three bottles of guilder and four stars. He took only one hour to finish the demanded amount of beer.

No sooner had he finished than he was half drunk and so he demanded for more star bear. I think I can do with four more stars. I still have a lot of time ahead of me. By the way I have only four more houses to search.

Natas was glad his prey was heading straight into the trap. Enjoy yourself Corporal Natas said while handing him four star branded bottles of strong wisky. The policeman was now too drunk to differentiate his wants, and so he finished one bottle of the dry wisky and was almost half dead. Natas offered to show him to a bed if he would like to sleep a bit. This was the most welcomed suggestion the policeman needed just then. Natas took him to hi surgical Theatre and laid him on the surgical bed. The police man was too drunk to notice where he was or what was happening to him.

Natas then took advantage of his deep drunken sleep to attach the mask of his personal face to the police mans face. The art with which he attached the mask was such that it sticked strongly to the skin of the police mans face and it cant be removed except of course if his flesh were to be cut through to peel it off.

The police man slept on for over four hours, but before he woke up finally, Natas had transfered him to one of his bed rooms which was well furnished for strangers. The police man at last woke up. the effect of the drink had greatly subsided. He couldnt believe his eyes at first when he looked round the room wondering where he actually was. The rich cushion chairs, nice tables and carpeted floor, almost made him to think that he was dreaming , if it were not for the warrant note that fell off from his breast pocket, and reminded him of his mission.

He jumped out of his bed full of fear, and looked at his watch which read 2:30, the policeman knew it was a.m. period because it was still deep in the night. He was completely stranded in thought as to what he should do. His night search was to have ended at 10.00 p.m. which is about four and half hours ago and the report should have been taken to the station for correlation and preparation for tomorrows search in case Natas was not cought today.

He rushed to the parlour and angrily called upon his host whom he addressed as Sata Jip. Natas came out of his bedroom drowsily with pretentiuous sleepy eyes. Oh! I thought I would have woken you up earlier than now, but its a pity I also slept off. The night is far gone now, but would you like to have more beer? This last question made the policeman very furious, such that he couldnt hesitate to say You idiot, having moor beer! when I dont even know how much the one I have taken will cost me? Dont you know that right now my job is at stake? Natas laughed inwardly, knowing quite well that the police mans foolishness may even cost him his very life.

I am sorry for that offer Natas replied, but what is in your mind right now? The policeman was determined to finish searching the four remaining houses that same night even if it will mean disturbing the occupants. He thought by a stroke of luck he might find Natas asleep in one of those houses and then he could make tactiful excuses at the station. I must go right now to finish checking the four remaining houses he replied. I still have my warrant and all the documents intact and the right description of Natas is still in my note book. If per-chance I happen to catch him I bet you that I will make my house as beautiful as yours if not more. Good-night Natas replied Goodnight and Goodluck

Unfortunately for the poor policeman who now has the face of Natas, his other colleagues had since finished their own assignments and had taken their respective reports to the station. The Divisional Police Officer was badly distrubed in mind when he waited for long without seeing Corporal Sanda who was the only policeman left. He immediately ordered ten policemen to go in search for Corporal Sanda whom he feared might have been kidnaped by Natas. The ten policemen were ordered to go first of all in group and thoroughly search one after the other each of the five houses which were earlier assigned to Corporal Sanda. They were ordered to make all necessary detective enquiries into depth even if no trace of Natas is found.

The ten policemen would have met Corporal Sanda still deep asleep in Natas house if they had not started from the opposite end of five rows of houses. They had finished with the first two houses when Corporal Sanda walked out of Natas house proceeding to the next house which was the fourth from the opposite end.

The ten policemen were still searching the third house when they heard shouts coming from the fourth house. Help! Help! Help! Here is Natas in Police unifrom Please Help! Help! Help!. The ten policemen hurriedly left searching the third house and dashed to the fourth house at top speed with their bright electric torches in hand. They entered the house just when Corporal Sanda was saying Shut up! dont you see that I am a real police man! I am Corporal Sanda. Here is my legal warrant to search your house thoroughly for any trace of Natas. Listen to this description and tell me at once if you know somebody of that sort He read out the description in his note book which fitted his face exactly.

One of the ten policemen who were all in plain civilian clothes, could not wait for the crowd to point out to Corporal Sanda that the description just fits him, but he called on the others who jumped on him and arrested him straight away. You must first of all tell us how you got hold of Corporal Sandas uniform and whether or not he is alive. One of them shouted at him. You have caused the death of many innocent citizens and I just wonder why that small pox didnt kill you completely another policeman added. You now see how sweet it is to behead a small child, slaughter innocent women like goats after forcefully raping them some one shouted from the crowd as they watched Corporal Sanda being hancuffed by the ten police-men.

Corporal Sanda was completely lost in a day dream. He was taken by surprise and completely shocked to the point that he found it difficult to say a word. He recognised the ten police-men quite alright and was inwardly thinking that he was probably being arrested for his lack of finishing his own work on time, but the comments and mockeries pouring from the crowd and especially from his colleagues the policemen, left him bewildered. Corporal Sanda da was completely ignorant of the fact that he now looks exactly as the real Natas and he can never convience anybody that he was not Natas but Sanda. He tried to speak, but each time he was shouted down by one or the other of the ten policemen. The policemen were quite satisfied that they have caught Natas. Even though the ten of them were going to share the N1000.00 reward, instead of it going to one person, this thought didnt worry them at all.

They were only worried about Corporal Sanda whom they thought must have fought with this Natas who is now being caught and who must have over powered Corporal Sanda and ceased his uniform. One fear which gripped them was that the D.P.O. may erraneously suspect them or killing Corporal Sanda whom he may think was the right person who caught Natas. However, this didnt bother them too much as well, because at least that crowd of people who witnesses the scene, could bear them witness.

Not even given the slightest chance to utter a word, Corporal Sanda wondered why his colleagues decided to treat him like this. He couldnt just figure out why they should suspect that he was Natas and not Corporal Sanda. Oh! Heeavens he sighed inwardly. Only God knows he exclaimed. Shut up shouted one of the policemen who pushed him foreward so that he jerked helplessly Its only now that you will remember God. Didnt you have in mind that there was a God, when you in-humanly beheaded innocent children, violently robbed and killed innocent rich men of this town? The Evil that men do live after them. By the way where is Corporal Sanda you fool? But I am Corporal Sanda, do you mean you cant recognise me? Corporal Sanda replied sharply. Its only a fool who thinks that a police-mans uniform alone will make him one. If you dont tell us what has become of Corporal Sanda whom you ceased his uniform, you will only be making things worse for yourself. They were now nearing the police station and the day was breaking.

Meanwhile, romours had spread through Kumba town that the notorious unwanted Natas has been caught. It was also spread that one brave police man by name Corporal Sanda had attempted to arrest Natas during the town-wide night search, but was over powered by Natas who ceased his uniform and was using it as a camouflage to perform his usual devilish acts. Unfortunately for the crook,the romour holds that he was caught in one of the houses to be searched and that he was claiming to be Corporal Sanda whose where-about is presently not known.

All over the town, people were shouting with joy, and other groups had even orgainsed to dance throughout the day despite the sleepless night.

That same morning many people poured into the police charge office to have a look at the most un-wanted person in Kumba town. Corporal Sanda who passed the remaining part of that night in the police cell, was now brought out for questioning by the D.P.O. publicly before the whole crowd. His appearance before the crowd was greeted with many abhorent shouts and comments from the crowd. The D.P.O. started questioning him.

Whose picture is this? The D.P.O. asked, ordering him to he straight forward while showing Natas photograph to Corporal Sanda.

S L S 4

"It is that of Natas" Corporal Sanda replied.

D.P.O.: Do you agree that it is your picture?

Cpl. Sanda:

No! he received a slap in the face for this answer.

D.P.O.:

I am sure you dont like such a treatment before you speak the truth any way. Be straight forward and avoid some of these un-necessary preliminary maltreatments.

Cpl. Sanda:

But I am telling the truth; its not my picture

D.P.O.:

If the picture is that of Natas, but not yours, then are you some how saying that you are not Natas?

Cpl. Sanda:

No Sir! I am not Natas but the crowd shouted mockingly at him.

D.P.O.:

Who are you then?

Cpl. Sanda:

I am Corporal Sanda one of your policemen whom you sent out to search the town for Natas with this answer, the crowd shouted the more. Nonsences, he is lying; look at his face. At least we all knew Corporal Sanda before. Why is he fooling us openly like that.

D.P.O.:

You can hear the crowd, dont you? Now let us not waste time, you have been confirmed beyond doubt to be the very Natas we are looking for, judging from your appearance, the description given by your former victims who narrowly escaped your trap and the picture right there before you, no one can be fooled openly that you are not Natas but somebody else. The earlier you come out plainly, the better for you.

Cpl. Sanda:

Please D.P.O., may I know why people think I am Natas and not Sanda? I am surprised because even you D.P.O. also mistake me for Natas. I just wonder why you didnt get hold of me yesterday before sending me out together with the others to search the tuuun. Cpl. Sanda couldnt pronounce the last word very well because his throat was now full of cries and covered with fearful tears. He was being slapped and kicked now and then by the policemen.

D.P.O.:

We are not just mistaking you for Natas, but we are quite sure you are Natas. Now before the final judgement is passed on you, you should tell me without delay the whereabout of Corporal Sanda one of my policemen whom I sent out yesterday with that uniform on you. Tell me exactly where he met you and what became of him. You better be quick or else I call for the torture master.

Cpl. Sanda:

Please and please Sir, dont mistake me for Natas. I am the real Corporal Sanda. I have a number of people here who can testify that I am what I claim to be. The D.P.O. was happy to hear this because some of Natas people were about to be pointed out by Natas himself. That makes things more easy for his men.

D.P.O.:

Very well, go ahead and enumerate them. Make sure not to leave any one of them out. The more they are the better they may clear you out of this mess.

Cpl. Sanda: Pointed to one of his best friends with whom they passed out from the police college together and called him by name, but his friend completely denied that he ever saw some one like him let alone making friend with him. Corporal Sanda was completely dissappointed. He almost fainted when he heard the reply of his friend.

Just at that moment, he sighted his wife who was peeping at him among the crowd of people. Her eyes were by now very red and still full of tears because she had cried throughout the night when the news had reached her that her husbands where-about was unknown, even though the person responsible for his dissappearance had been caught. If she were asked when she was still hearing Corporal Sandas voice from afar, without seeing him she would have sworn that he was her husband speaking, judging from the voice, but upon seeing him, her sorrows were even multiplied. She was furious with anger because she hated to discover that the arrested Natas had the same voice like her husband Corporal Sanda.

Corporal Sanda detected the angry face his wife wore, but he erraniously thought she was against those who were maltreating him. He pointed at her and said "That is my wife Aminatu", you can bring her closer to identify me if you want". All eyes were now fixed on the poor red eyed woman who was being call upon to come foreword. She happened to have gathered a hand-full of sand while bending and pushing through the crowd. Well determined to show her wrath to Natas. When she appeared in the clear, Corporal Sanda was opening his mouth wide and just about to call her by name "Aminatu" when she suddenly porued the handful of sand straight into his mouth and said "That will teach you a better lesson and to show all arround, that I know you not. I pray that the authorities will pay you even worse for the blood of my innocent husband whom you must have killed or staarved somewhere where only God knows". More heavy tears flew from heer eyes as she said these words.

Corporal Sanda immediately poured out the sand and began struggling helplessly to cough out the remaining smooth particles that had gone into his throat with eyes strained out like a dying fellow. The crowd were shouting and laughing mockingly at him. That serves him right others ultered. He had just tasted exactly what he did to others.

When Corporal Sanda at last survived the struggle, he looked once more at his wife with heavy tears of bewilderment and said 'Oh! dear! must have been charmed, even Aminatu has refused to acknowledge me as her husband".

"Look here Natas" the D.P.O. said, "You have not been charmed. You are only refusing to admit what you are an that is why you are receiving such preliminary maltreatments. Why dont you point out in reality those you actually know instead of pointing at Corporal Sandas relatives. You must have got enough information from Corporal Sanda to put yourself forcefully into his shoes. Please let us be serious.

"But Sir, I am rightfull Corporal Sanda who is being innocently mistaken for Natas" Corporal Sanda said, but before he ended his plead, the D.P.O. gave him a very heavy slap in the face which sent him half blind and deaf for about five minutes. Further-more before he recovered from this, two of the policemen standing by, simultanously gave him very strong kicks at both sides of his ribs with their hard heavy shoes and still looking fiercely at him, the D.P.O. shouted, "Hope that will teach you a better lesson not to tease me like a little baby and to save the pracious times of these honourable spectators, who are eager to see your end. Now will you speak the truth and face your fate as a brave crook? Play with me again and you will find yourself straight away in the hand of the torture master.

corporal Sanda knew exactly how dangerous the torture master is. He recalled how one criminal was once tortured by the torture master with a electrically heated nail which was drilled through his alimentary cannal from the Anus to the mouth such that all the nerves and blood vessels along the cannal were burnt off and the victim was left to struggle painfully with death until he died. Corporal Sanda knew that the crime which he is forcefully and wrongfully being accussed of, is far more greater than that of the other criminal and he must be careful in the way he now speaks. Now that his best friend and even his wife has forsaken him, Corporal Sanda couldnt think of any other person he can trust again but the only remaining two who were his six year old son and his old father. His mother had died when he was still very small. He remembered how his mother had loved him and tears flowed from his eyes once more. However Corporal Sanda was quite certain that even if everybody denied him, at least his own father will recognised his blood and so he courageoudly said would you mind to sent for my old father.

"Who is your father" the D.P.O. asked suddenly. "The old man by name Gildman who lives at No. 38 Ptimier Street Corporal" Sanda replied. The D.P.O. immediately sent out three policemen to go and get the old man at once. After the three policemen had gone, Corporal Sanda remembered that he should have sent for his only son, the six years old Sejus who lived with his father and so he pleaded "Oh! D.P.O., I forgot one thing please". "What is it?" The D.P.O. snarled at him. "My only child, youg Sejus lives with my old father and I would, if you dont mind, let him be brought as well. The first three policemen were now coming back together with Corporal Sandas father leaving behind little Sejus who was ordered by his grand father to keep watch over their house. Now that it was believed Natas was caught, the people of Kumba town were not afraid any longer to leave little children at home alone. The D.P.O. then sent two other policemen to go and bring little Sejus along as well.

Before Corporal Sandas father arrived, he had already been briefed by the policemen that the Natas who is now under arrest, claims that he the old man was his father. The old man couldnt believe his ears, but when they arrived, Natas immediately called upon the father in tears. The old man hesitated in silence for a moment and commented "I would have sworn my life to say that the chronic crook was my son judging from the voice, but God punish him even more for calling me his father with such a face like that" The old man concluded by pointing his walking stick fiercely at Sanda with his teeth clenched in anger. He walked away cursing Corporal Sanda the more. It is a pity that so far, nobody had openly poindted out to Corporal Sanda that he had a small pox deformed face like that of the real Natas. Corporal Sanda would have stabbed himself to death if he had the chance, now that even his father has openly denied him but no way. He now saw life as a completely hopless thin. He was now only waiting to see his son for the last time and close his mouth finally while waiting for any fate might befall him Corporal Sanda was now completely determined that after seeing his on, he would never open his mouth to talk or answer any more question whatsoever but patiently wait for death which he quite knew was his ultimate end.

His child was brought foreward. When he saw his son who was afraid to come near him, he called him by name ad wept bitterly thinking he may not win his love any longer. However to the surprise of every body, when the child heard the voice of his father, he ran to him crying bitterly also. The child was pointing at his fahers face telling him that something had chopped his face especially the nose which was the most spoted one, the boy ignored the mocking laughter of the crowd and continued to weep in his fathers lap despite the mothers conviencing call on him to no avail. Corporal Sanda couldnt get hold of him because his both hands were handcuffed to the back.

Though , Corporal Sanda looked completely a different person to the boy, he recognised his father by his voice and was struggling hard to scrape off the small pox patches so that his father could look himself again. A thought then flashed through Corporal Sanda to call for a mirror so that he could see what the child was pointing at his face. Though Corporal Sanda had determined not to say a word any more he had to ask for the mirror and so he said Oh! D.P.O. please pardon me if I give you too much trouble, but could I just be given a mirror to look at this condemned face Corporal Sanda was about to say this innocently condemned face but he swiftly remembered how much pain the word innocent will cause him and so he tactifully avoided it. The mirror was soon brought to him and seeing himself in the big mirror placed before him, Corporal Sanda almost became mad. The crowd were surprised to see him pointing at his image in the mirror and shouting.

That is not a mirror image; He is exactly the Natas being sort for; Oh! God I am being accussed innocently, look at Natas over there. You all should come and look, everybody should come and look; you can see his small-pox-deformed face very clearly. Look, Look, Lo---ok at hill-im! Corporal Sanda was now speaking from down his throat like a dying person as he fell off and fainted deeply. Everybody had by now stopped talking and nobody even moved, but all were silently gazing at Corporal Sanda who was performing his day dream. Immediately after Sanda fainted off, the charge office fell into such silence that no one had ever witnessed. Even little Sejus had stoped crying and was wondering what his father was doing. When the doctor who was called for, declared that Corporal Sanda had just fainted and theres a high probability that he will live again, every body was happy to hear that. Their mocking laughter before the mirror came, had since turned into a very pitious thought for him. Many people, even most of the policemen especially the D.P.O. was holding the believe that the real Natas had probably played a dirty trick on Corporal Sanda whose voice was un-mistakenly clear to every-one who heard him if it were not for his head and small pox-deformed face. Their believes were strenghtened by a person who had just run into the station to report that 30 houses have just been violently burgled in town and twenty people, 10 of which were men, 3 women and 7 children were reported killed. It was speculated that probably the man who caught, may not really be the notorious Natas.

Upon hearing this news, everybody was shocked and each of them were praying that Corporal Sanda should live again according to the doctor, so that he could tell the story of how it all went with him. After thirty minutes of his fainting, Corporal Sanda was still as stiff as a dead log but the doctor still assured the crowd that his heart was beating. the Priest and many religious people were now called to pray for Corporal Sandas survival even though nobody was yet quite convienced whether he was the Natas or the real Corporal Sanda.

At last, to every bodies jubilation, Corporal Sandas body started to become soft and soon after, he opened his eyes. The doctor got hold of a bocket of clean water and washed his face with it and ordered every one to keep quiet in order to give him time to regain his senses properly.

When Corporal Sanda had completely regained his strength, everyone was happy to her him tell the story of how he got to the first house assigned to him for searching; how the owner of the house had dashed into his bed room on seeing him; how he suspected him to be Natas; how he searched the house while the owner of the house stood firmly on the big door carpet; how he was offered drink, and later being asked whether he wanted to sleep and he agreed; how he lately woke up to find himself in the most luxurious room he had ever seen; how he was determined to finish the search of the four remaining houses and how he was arrested in the second house after the first when this unfortunate fate of his began. The D.P.O. didnt know what to do or say, however the doctor pointed out that it could be proved if the owner of that house had pasted a false mask on the speaker during his sleep or not. He said there is a chemical which dissolves every artificial mask what soever it may be. The D.P.O. then ordered that this should be tried at once on this speaker (whose vioces are those of Corporal Sanda but the face is that of Natas) before further investigation could be done.

The doctor immediately drove out in his car to the Hospital and brought the chemical. Corporal Sanda was asked to deep his head in it for five minutes while breathing through a special medical tube, and he did. When he lifted his face after the five minutes, he was completely transformed in the eyes of the crowds. He was once more the usually generous, gentle and handsome Corporal Sanda. His best firend, father and especially his wife Aminatu burst into tears of both mixed joy and same. They all fell down before Corporal Sanda asking for forgiveness. As Corporal Sandas hands were now immediately released, he first of all got hold of his son Sejus and kissed him frantically with all fatherly love and then he also kissed his helplessly weeping wife and the other two, giving them his complete forgiveness.

After that he led the team of policemen who were ordered to search the house of the real Natas thoroughly which they did. The team did not only catch Natas, but they also discovered the underground room and brought out all the properties which Natas stole from people. These things were identified and given back to the owners. Natas was handed over to the torture master who gave him the most cruel torture ever and was at last slowly killed in the public by a detachment of the various parts of his body one after the other after thirty minutes intervals.

An Exercise to Readers

a. How many of the following simple mistakes did you notice?

b. How many of the above mistakes did you not notice due to a continious forward reading magnetic effect of the book?

c. How many more mistakes did you discover by yourself due to your deliberation to know the book thoroughly?

d. What are your percentages for A, B and C compared to the number corrected by the author himself?

e. What other comments or contributions do you have to make?

The author will highly appreciate your effort to answer all or any of the above questions at your convenience please. Send your answers to him through any of the following address;

1. Jonathan W. Mangbon (Author)

M.O.A.; A.S.D. Wukari;

Gongola State, Nigeria.

2. Mrs Selina M. Mangbon

Govt. Gen. Hospital, Gembu

Mambilla L.G.A.

Gongola State, Nigeria.

3. Mr. Lot J. Mangbon

Faro Bottling Company Ltd.

P.M.B. 132, Yola

Gongola State, Nigeria.

KNOW THE AUTHOR

1. Name:- Jonathan W. Mangbon

2. Born:- 5th December 1949

3. Home Town:- Bang in Mambilla L.G.A., Gongola State, Nigeria.

4. Schools Attended:-

a. Mbamnga Junior Primary School 1958-1961 obtained transfer Certificate.

b. Gembu Senior Primary School 1962-1964, obtained Certificate of Primary Education

c. Government Secondary School, Ganye 1965-1969, obtained division Two School

Certificate.

d. H.S.C. Yola 1970-1971, obtained General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level.

e. Ahmadu Bello University Zaira 1972-1975, obtained B. Sc. Agriculture, 2nd Class

Upper Division.

5. Working Experiences:-

a. N.Y.S.C. 1975-1976, Forest Research institute of Nigeria, Ibadan.

b. Agricultural Officer Yola 1976, Michika 1977, Mubi 1978-1979, Wukari 1983.

c. Secretary Agro-Service Centres, Gongola State 1977-1978.

d. Management Trainee on secondment to NBPC Ltd., Mambilla Tea Estate 1979-1981.

e. Tea Training Course in Kenya 1981.

f. Deputy Estate Manager, Mambilla Tea Estate 1982.