When I ran into one of my project site that morning, the inside of the house on the ground floor was cool. Yes the rain chased me all the way from my car through the open gates and into the building under construction. Inside one of the large lounges still undergoing a wall decoration, most of my workers were gathered in no particular order, some sitting while some stood, but they were gathered around a man I had never seen before amongst my team of workers.

There was nothing noticeably out of place about this man when I gave him a good look, but I could see he was telling a story, and crying! But why?

My first thought was that he was sick, or some other problem, so I cleaned off the rains from my face and shirt front even as I watched them all from the door. Surprisingly, my workers that usually spring to their feet to greet me were all looking frightened and wearing puzzling looks on their faces. Some greeted me in muffled tones while some waved, but this does not seem normal.

So I drew near, sat down and decided to listen for a moment to understand what the issue was. The man was telling a sad story, which I will paraphrase and type , using the words he spoke. The story goes like this;

"I was standing with many other labourers on the bus stop we usually come to hunt for menial jobs every morning when a car came and stopped before us. More than 15 of us all rushed around the car to solicit for work, asking the driver what he wanted. The driver said he wanted six labourers that can pour concrete manually so we all scrambled into the car with our bags, 6 of us squeezed ourselves into the car while he asked us to get our shovels and head pans. We all did and he zoomed off after we agreed prices for each bag of cement cast."

"The car sped for about two kilometres and then he turned the car towards a bushy road, he stopped at the back of a van with its back covered standing in a clearing in the bush. As soon as he halted the car, 6 men armed with guns and looking very mean jumped out from the bush and surrounded the car, threatening to shoot us if we uttered a word. We were asked to climb into the van, then they locked the door and I heard them put a padlock to the door."

"They drove us in darkness for over an hour as the van van specially built to be used to carry captives that cannot see the daylight. After about an hour and half of zigzag driving and start/stop, they parked the vehicle inside a big compound and let the labourers out. They then ordered them to start mixing sand with stone and cement to make a strong concrete mix, everything seemed normal but why the guns pointed to their heads?

"You cannot see anything from this compound apart from the sky as very tall fences covered each side of the compound, on top of the fence is a zink fence extending up above the block fence so that even those on the top of the house cannot see far to identity the location of the compound. All the peace in the compound was shattered when they asked us to go pour the concrete inside the top of a pillar covered round with wood as usual."

"As soon as the first labourer poured his load into the pillar, a loud cry of pain and anguish arose from inside the bowels of the pillars, the man looked in and behold, a young man was tied to the rods of the pillar inside and he was crying and begging to be freed, he was begging in different languages and screaming for mercy at the same time, the labourer nearly ran but as he turned, a gun was pointed at his head as he was ordered to continue the concrete pour. I was so shocked I nearly fainted. "

"When I came down to collect another load on the ground, I noticed that each of the four huge pillars has a person crying from inside it! Other labourers were also working with a gun pointed at their heads. Suddenly, one of the labourers turned and ran, knocking one of the armed men down with a shovel and running with surprising speed towards the gate, the armed man at the gate shot him at the head! The labourer fell to the ground with a loud thud, with blood freely flowing through the opening on his head. At that point we all lost the will to fight them."

"Pouring the concrete continued, with the labourers being escorted each time as the poured concrete on crying, screaming young men inside the pillars until the concrete covered the heads of the men. This was so sickening that some labourers vomited on themselves. After the work, they were shepherded into the waiting covered van and driven into town in confusing zigzag driving till they dropped them off at a far corner of the town"

(I ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAN SHOT, WAS HE TAKEN INTO TOWN?)

"In fact, that is the greatest dilemma, the wife still comes from time to time to ask him if he ever saw her husband, but what can we say, how can you tell him what happened when you don't have the location to make your report. The police may even prosecute this labourer for withholding information for the past 3 weeks since the man disappeared.

WHAT DO YOU ADVANCE THIS LABOURER TO DO IN ORDER TO EASE HIS EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

Story culled from
http://amazingviewpoints..com.ng/?m=1

Lalasticlala, what advice can you give to ease the pain of the labourer?

Obviously the pillars should fail because the bodies will rot and leave a non concrete void.

I suppose they can go to the place where they entered the van and start making enquiries.

Damn! Naija. Very sad indeed. God save us o.
If our law enforcements are good, they can take a low flying helicopter to scan the perimeter and they may recognize the house.
This is why I cautioned myself not to buy already built house from individuals unless from the Govt.

Hajji M.

Its normal in politics and blood money (ritual killings). There is 0.999 probability the house owner is a very influential and well known person in town. Hell he might even take seriously to alms giving/tithe paying/community donations.

Wait until you hear about how they pound a week old infant with mortar and pestle and use the paste for "sweet mouth" which is popular with "Yahoo-boys" and start-up politicians.

EgunMogaji:
Obviously the pillars should fail because the bodies will rot and leave a non concrete void.

I suppose they can go to the place where they entered the van and start making enquiries.

I'm not sure the body would rot. It would be preserved in place.
Cement is very high in alkali and would kill off any potential bacteria from the body. The cement would even further draw water from the body to cure.
What is likely to happen is an embalmed body snugly fitted within the pillars.
Those people would obviously be going randomly to pick laborers. He is lucky they weren't the ones inside the pillars.
The black man is obsessed with acquisition of wealth at all cost to live a fake life to impress fake people that don't really care about him.

mufutau55:
Damn! Naija. Very sad indeed. God save us o.
If our law enforcements are good, they can take a low flying helicopter to scan the perimeter and they may recognize the house.
This is why I cautioned myself not buy already built house from individuals unless from the Govt.

Hajji M.

You are very correct sir.
It's really still a mystery to me why these places can't be discovered using helicopters to scan the last general area the escaped victim identify.
I've even read some that victims escape and trek to a village and get help to return home. I wonder why helicopters can't use such village as a starting point and extend the perimeter of search.
Some even say they encounter police check points and they settle them.
Imagine collecting money that can't make any difference in their life for innocent souls and sleeping soundly.
Hajji, that's the situation we find ourselves here in nigeria. We are at danger anytime we board commercial vehicles, walk very early or late at night or even going for job interviews and it's very real going by the missing people's thread we read here.

Sad.

Thank God they were released..........i cover my self and my family with the blood of Jesus ooo.

Wow. Wow.

If this is real. It is sad. But since practical solution is needed, let's leave bereaving for now.

The escapee (labourer) should write his story, giving very good details of the location, where they were picked, time estimates, the date it happened. And how he was released.

The number of pillars, the estimated layout of the place, height of wall plus zinc wall (terms like as tall as 3 times a normal fence...etc). Without revealing ANY personal identity.

He should be helped by OP if he cannot write. Package this report and go to the nearest DHL, UPS or post office, then send to this 3 entities

1. The media (punch, Sahara promoters, etc)
2. The PRO, Nigerian police in the state
3. DSS

This being done, his conscience will be clear that he has done the right thing. And he will be summarily safe from the press, police and DSS.

Ah... May God continue to save us from us.

NLresidentQS:
Wow. Wow.

If this is real. It is sad. But since practical solution is needed, let's leave bereaving for now.

The escapee (labourer) should write his story, giving very good details of the location, where they were picked, time estimates, the date it happened. And how he was released.

The number of pillars, the estimated layout of the place, height of wall plus zinc wall (terms like as tall as 3 times a normal fence...etc). Without revealing ANY personal identity.

He should be helped by OP if he cannot write. Package this report and go to the nearest DHL, UPS or post office, then send to this 3 entities

1. The media (punch, Sahara promoters, etc)
2. The PRO, Nigerian police in the state
3. DSS

This being done, his conscience will be clear that he has done the right thing. [b]And he will be summarily safe from the press, police and DSS.

[/b]Ah... May God continue to save us from us.

The bolded comment will ensure he doesn't regret his action.

However I doubt mere suspicion whether accompanied by a petition to IGP or the court of public opinion, will grant NPF or DSS permission to demolish anybody's legally constructed building (coz you need to demolish the columns and by extension, anything attached to them).
If it were possible, a lot of PDP chieftains houses would have been demolished by now . Remember the demolition of suspected kidnap hideouts is backed by state level legislation and linked to national security issues and backed by a verified victim.

The only way would be using high tech e.g. radiography and I don't think our NPF is ready for that ( even assuming the owner doesn't try to apply political backpressure on the IGP). Even at that, reasonable suspicion has to be proven first, i.e. beyond mere speculation and with some foundation like circumstantial evidence that the day the said pillars were constructed was the day the deceased was declared missing and a witness sighted him around the premises)

Everything we do in Nigeria is at a risk.

When we enter public transportation (for example, Micra in Ibadan), it's a risk. You either get robbed, kidnapped or used for rituals

When you're asked to come and inspect a site, another risk. Robbed or kidnapped. (like what happened to some nairaland Engineers)

Whatever your job in Nigeria, there's always a risk attached. Alot of evil happen undetected everyday.

Yesterday, in Lagos, I passed beside a lifeless body of an individual around 9pm when returning from site. He was hit on the head by car-jackers. Imagine I had passed there 5mins earlier, I could have been the one.

May we never have these kind of experience

KolaShangOne:
Everything we do in Nigeria is at a risk.

When we enter public transportation (for example, Micra in Ibadan), it's a risk. You either get robbed, kidnapped or used for rituals

When you're asked to come and inspect a site, another risk. Robbed or kidnapped. (like what happened to some nairaland Engineers)

Whatever your job in Nigeria, there's always a risk attached. Alot of evil happen undetected everyday.

Yesterday, in Lagos, I passed beside a lifeless body of an individual around 9pm when returning from site. He was hit on the head by car-jackers. Imagine I had passed there 5mins earlier, I could have been the one.

May we never have these kind of experience

That Micra own too much for Ibadan.

EgunMogaji:


That Micra own too much for Ibadan.

Baba which one be Micra?

44chux:

Baba which one be Micra?

It's a little piece of shyte Nissan that they use for taxi.

I always end up stuck in one I think due to karma if me always putting them down

EgunMogaji:


It's a little piece of shyte Nissan that they use for taxi.

I always end up stuck in one I think due to karma if me always putting them down

Thanks.
Thought you loved classics and minis

44chux:

Thanks.
Thought you loved classics and minis

I do but that's not a classic.

Below is a classic mini with a proper "sit up and beg seat" and "pudding stick" gearshift

EgunMogaji:


I do but that's not a classic.

Below is a classic mini with a proper "sit up and beg seat" and "pudding stick" gearshift

Baba but in our 9ja context, any car we don pass 2 decades from manufacture date na classic oohh.

Abi I no fit call my Flat boot merc 200 & my baby benz 190 classic again?

Pls don't take me seriously oohh

EgunMogaji:

It's a little piece of shyte Nissan that they use for taxi.
I always end up stuck in one I think due to karma if me always putting them down

You are too skinny for those cars o. How could I even get into that thing at 7ft, 250lbs?

Hajji M.

EgunMogaji:

I do but that's not a classic.
Below is a classic mini with a proper "sit up and beg seat" and "pudding stick" gearshift

My first car (Morris Mini) in Nigeria in the 70s, bought from a guy who came with it from London and Right Hand Drive o.
Sold it later to get a bigger VW Beetles 1500 brand new... Ibadan to Lagos thru Ikorodu and Sagamu nah cruise, there was no Expressway then. And life was good in Naija then... Politicians.... hear me, una don mess-up my country. Diaris God o.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:


You are too skinny for those cars o. How could I even get into that thing at 7ft, 250lbs?

Hajji M.

It's part of my kobokobo illusion that I learnt at Hajjs school of illusionary living.

"Yankee oshi wo, kosi nkan lowo broda yen jor, Micra lo ngbe won kakiri".

And that's how I like it

EgunMogaji:

It's part of my kobokobo illusion that I learnt at Hajjs school of illusionary living.
"Yankee oshi wo, kosi nkan lowo broda yen jor, Micra lo ngbe won kakiri".
And that's how I like it

Egun.. I can't stop laughing. LOL! Very nice decoy.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:


Egun.. I can't stop laughing. LOL! Very nice decoy.

Hajji M.

There are somethings I just can't comprehend

Like what's so special about driving a car in summer with the roof down,
Or spending a fortune to buy/restore a scrab car,
Or spending unlimited funds to preserve ruins as artifacts, old buildings as monument/symbols,etc
Or the thrill of taking a risk such as mountain climbing/mountaineering, rock climbing, paragliding, and skydiving etc

I used to think only a white man could do such...

Maybe na the memory of poverty still dey affect my thinking
Oga EgunMogaji help me understand eehhh

44chux:

There are somethings I just can't comprehend

Like what's so special about driving a car in summer with the roof down,
Or spending a fortune to buy/restore a scrab car,
Or spending unlimited funds to preserve ruins as artifacts, old buildings as monument/symbols,etc
Or the thrill of taking a risk such as mountain climbing/mountaineering, rock climbing, paragliding, and skydiving etc

I used to think only a white man could do such...

Maybe na the memory of poverty still dey affect my thinking
Oga EgunMogaji help me understand eehhh

Count me out of all those... I am not that westernized enough o. Are you kidding, my money and my life are too precious.
When trouble sleep... yanga go wake am... wetin he dey look for? Palava... I no dey look for palava o.

Hajji M.

44chux:


There are somethings I just can't comprehend

Like what's so special about driving a car in summer with the roof down,
Or spending a fortune to buy/restore a scrab car,
Or spending unlimited funds to preserve ruins as artifacts, old buildings as monument/symbols,etc
Or the thrill of taking a risk such as mountain climbing/mountaineering, rock climbing, paragliding, and skydiving etc

I used to think only a white man could do such...

Maybe na the memory of poverty still dey affect my thinking
Oga EgunMogaji help me understand eehhh

For me personally, it's about accessibility to proper support.

Bold

Hmmmmm...this is sickening. Well, the man should take the force to that particular place.

WoW!! Human Beings are so mean. Will i be surprised if the owner of the house will also kill the gunmen too,In the pursuit for riches some people do the undo. God help us all and save our families and relations from evils. Amen.

What kind of life is this?

This stories are quite scary, if true i mean what the heck?!, perhaps man should stay put over here that una nigeria is getting scarier every day
but wait o! The man claimed they let them go after witnessing this crime, i mean what kinda criminal lets a witness go? It's rare, Perhaps they were lucky

Life itself is a scary place to dwell so as the human living in it are the deadliest....Sometimes you need to follow your mind and stay careful, but how careful can we be when the means of survival lives with a risk...But we all know who we serve, in God I find my refuge... Stay careful and prayerful

EgunMogaji:
Obviously the pillars would fail because the bodies will rot and leave a non concrete void.

I suppose they can go to the place where they entered the van and start making enquiries.

there are things that happened in life that are terrible, this is literarily one them