CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

What the notorious Free-Hands never knew was that the popular Nigerian financial crimes agency, the EFCC, still had committed secret eyes on their activities. While the group was happily enjoying their lives and blowing away part of the millions they had conned off Mr. Richmond and still had Ken Solomon’s cash fixed in their secret accounts in the banks, the agency under the leadership of a new helmsman was busy combining all its intelligence and resources together to nab the syndicate and bring them to book. The new boss of the anti-graft agency on assuming office had requested for the files of all the unsolved notorious financial crimes at the commission from the Director of Operations of the agency and had stared unbelievable at a classified file mark simply in bold letters: THE FREE-HANDS. He went through the file attentively and after reading through the case, his big eyes had stared silently at the Head of Operations and summoned an emergency meeting on a Monday, just two days after Ken Solomon came into the country.

“ So, you mean these criminals got away smoothly and are somewhere here within the country enjoying their felony?’’

He demanded angrily, and eased his bulky frame from his seat at the head of the conference table. He was a tall looking fellow with the toughness of a cop written all over him. Though he was dressed in a brown designer suite, over a white shirt, a brown tie and brown Swede shoes, he still had that look of a security agent. One remarkable feature about him was his broadness, which gave him a look of a prizefighter. He rubbed his thick hands around his shaved head which seem to be a habit and then turned around to glared surprisingly at the Head of Operations who said nothing and then at four other top ranking officials of the commission three men and a woman who all stared quietly into space.

“ No! Criminals are not supposed to go scot-free and have their story ended in a sweet fairy tale.” He suddenly barked across the room to no one in particular and then continued. ‘’Well, let me tell you , this including all the staff here and across the country, that henceforth no fraud case goes scot-free in this place as long as this agency is under my command. We must solve all the unsolved cases here before my tenure expires, if it is the only thing we do every day.”

“ Very well, sir, but the Free-Hands case was something exceptional . Our hands were tied.”

The Head of Operations explained, staring everywhere but at his angry looking boss. His thin lips hide a grin and his eyes rested on the opened file on the table. He restricted his long itching fingers from picking it up not too sure of how the reputable crime buster who was now his boss would react. This was actually his first week as the chairman of the commission and expectedly every staff in the building knew a change had set in and their past few months of idleness were over.

“ What made their case exception?, and who tied your hands?” The chairman threw the question sarcastically at him, his face still wearing his angry look.

“ Actually, as you can see in the report there was a lot of interest at the top at the time and our operatives had no alternative than to drop the case and concentrate on other matters. In fact, those directly involved were hurriedly transferred to other zones across the country.”

“ Really, very well then, get me their names, present locations and have them transfer back here immediately. I have just reopened this particular case. I want it to be the first example of how to end every criminal case in a sad note.”

The chairman announced, walked back to his desk and picked up the Free-Hands file. “ We must quench this flames.” He added, ending the meeting as they all stared quietly at him, nodded their heads and then piled out of the room.

“ And inform every staff under your departments that henceforth each unsolved case would claim some casualty among them. No crime should be unsolved and no criminal goes free under my command.”

With that, he dropped his broad frame back into his seat and gave all his attention to the Free-Hand’s file.


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