Chapter 2: Garba Open Door, Trouble Burst

June 5, 2003—the night before WAEC.

That date stick for people mind like Independence Day. Students still dey read with lantern, dey drink coffee, dey calculate which area dem fit cram last minute. Rain even fall that night, as if the sky know say serious matter dey ground.

Mr. Garba, wey be deputy director for Makurdi City Police for Benue, come Otukpo Local Government wey dey under am to do normal inspection.

Mr. Garba na man wey no dey joke. E no dey smile anyhow. That night, e carry two junior officers, torchlight, and one big file, waka from Makurdi enter Otukpo by 9pm. Dem say him wife warn am, “Oga, abeg, no dey waka late!” but Garba no hear.

As e dey be, dem don already carry the WAEC papers go every city and LGA two days before, keep am for the local education board secure room.

The papers enter under police escort, even some local vigilante boys follow waka. They arrange everything, lock am well, do sign-off.

Him reason for the inspection na to make sure say the papers dey safe, so that nothing go spoil for the exam wey go happen in two days’ time.

He gree say na him neck dem go hang if anything spoil. Garba dey carry sense, na why e must check with him korokoro eye, make sure nobody do mago-mago.

But as he reach the door of the confidential room, Mr. Garba just feel somehow—one kain uneasy feeling catch am. As he reach the door...Garba pause, mutter small prayer under him breath, “God, abeg, cover me.”

You know that feeling wey dey grip your chest as if cold breeze just blow from graveyard? Na so Garba pause, wipe sweat for forehead, look the place like say e dey smell something dem no cook.

Normally, the confidential room get two strong iron doors, dem seal am with official stamp, and two alarm system dey inside, no place for thief to hide. Plus, one security man dey always stand for the door.

Even for night, security man dey drink small coffee, dey shine torch for corridor, eyes sharp like night watch dog. Dem dey do roll call, sign logbook. No be here thief suppose try.

With all this tight security, nothing suppose fit happen.

Na so everybody relax since. Dem even dey use the security take boast for other LGA, “Na only Otukpo get that kain secure place.”

Still, Mr. Garba insist say dem must open the room make he check with him own eye.

People dey whisper say Garba too stubborn, but him spirit no gree rest. He demand, “Open am! I no wan hear story.”

Everybody dey talk say e no necessary, but Mr. Garba no gree, he break the seal, open the confidential room.

You for see the faces of staff—fear dey everywhere. E be like Garba wan overdo, but e no look anybody face.

He no know say him stubbornness go make sense sharp sharp.

As dem open the door, everywhere quiet. Even the cockroach stop to run. Dem begin dey look each other, heartbeat dey rush.

As dem open the second iron anti-thief door, na so cold breeze slap everybody—people hold breath, waiting.

The air for the room cold like deep freezer, with the smell of old paper and fear. Garba shine torch, begin look corner by corner, the fear just dey rise like harmattan breeze.

That time, their facilities still dey basic. Inside the confidential room, na just some iron cabinets dey there.

No fancy safe, just old iron cabinets with chain and padlock. Some wey paint dey peel, others dey make kpokpo noise when you knock am.

Normally, dem dey lock exam papers inside the cabinets, seal am join.

Everything suppose dey intact, with big red wax stamp wey resemble government logo.

But now, some of the cabinet seals don break, e clear say dem don open am.

Garba bend low, touch the broken seal. E sigh, “Ha! Wahala don land.” Even the cleaner dey cover mouth, dey peep from back.

Staff wey dey there rush check the exam papers.

Na so everybody begin dey shuffle paper, dey count, dey sweat. Even the secretary wey dey always form posh dey forget her shoe for one side, dey hurry count scripts.

Dem see say for English, Mathematics, Arts Comprehensive, Science Comprehensive, and both Arts and Science Mathematics, dem thief one copy each from the six different sets of papers.

One man shout, “Jesu! Dem carry sample for all the important papers!” Everybody just dey shake, dey ask, “Who do us this thing?”

Mr. Garba no waste time, he call criminal investigators to come check everything well.

He use police radio, voice sharp, “All unit, report now! We get breach!” Even the DPO for town rush reach the scene before midnight, full squad arrive, begin dey dust fingerprint.

The way dem thief the papers rough no be small.

E resemble action film. Files dey scatter, one cabinet nearly break. Even ordinary paper wey remain dey fall for floor like leaf during dry season.

Fingerprints and shoeprints full everywhere, and the iron bars for window show say person don force am open.

Na real evidence everywhere. Shoeprint big, as if the thief wear bata. Window side, e be like them use crowbar force am open. Everybody dey look each other with suspicion.

E clear say na window the thief use enter.

As dem trace am, police confirm say na that window be the weak link—just beside generator house. One old ladder still dey lean for wall, as if thief leave am behind.

But why alarm no sound?

This question dey heavy for everybody mind. People dey ask, “Na jazz? Abi dem bribe security?” E no make sense at all.

Dem later see say that morning, NEPA no bring light for the building.

Somebody for staff talk say, “NEPA wicked o!” Even police dey curse NEPA, say if to say light dey, alarm for don blow tire. Na so small pikin talk cause big palava.

Most likely, as the thief break enter, he first cut the light, so the alarm no work again.

Dem believe say na well-planned sabotage. Maybe the thief know electrician for area, or maybe e just get luck as NEPA off light.

But one thing still dey strange: dem see the thief shoeprints for corridor for both ground floor and sixth floor of the office building.

E be like person wey dey do marathon upandan. Police dey wonder, why thief go climb that kain height? Security guard dey swear say no hear any sound, but shoeprint dey everywhere.

Why the thief climb reach sixth floor, when nothing concern exam papers for there?

The question dey hang for air, nobody fit answer. Na so police begin dey interrogate everybody. “Una sure say nobody dey hide for sixth floor?”

That one na question wey police gats investigate more before dem fit answer.

Dem set up committee, call special detectives from Abuja. All eyes dey on Otukpo—radio station dey broadcast every night, “Any update on WAEC paper thief?”

Police first believe say na well-planned and arranged theft be this.

Na inside job, some people dey whisper. Others dey fear make e no be cult boys or government pikin. Tension high, rumor full everywhere.

And everything show say the person sabi the place well well.

Police dey question everybody, from cleaner to messenger. E no easy, because the person waka without noise, enter places wey only staff dey fit enter.

For Nigeria, this kind thing never happen before—na the first time wey person go thief WAEC exam papers.

Even elders for village meeting dey pray say make dem catch the thief, make e no happen again. E teach everybody lesson say, for this country, even exam paper no dey safe again. That year, everybody—students, teachers, parents—swear say dem no go ever forget the year wey exam wahala pass everybody boundary. But as dem dey talk am for town, “If thief fit steal WAEC, na wetin remain for this our Naija?”