August 10, 2023
(Directed by Harry Agina)
Greetings!
Welcome to the AfroCultural Drama series on Afro-Scope.com, titled, “In God’s Name.” It’s about religions and about misguided and mischievous Pentecostal Christianity in Africa. Most importantly, it is about ignorant and mischievous destruction of the African Culture by Pentecostal Africans, in the misguided and ignorant name of the Lord.
We ended the last episode with Pentecostal Christian Pastor K in a serious quandary, because he seemed about to be caught pants-down with another man’s wife. Furthermore, Kono’s father was present on the scene, and spoiling for a war with Pastor K, too. Dad’s own grouse is that the pastor desecrated his culture and maligned his ancestors. And we had a situation where some officers of Nigeria Police Force were in one of the mischievous and incompetent modes for which they are notorious—busy “chasing after rats while a house was on fire.” When we left them in the last episode, Tanda was making a phone call, which gave the impression that trouble was in the air for the officers.
It’s time to find out how all the situations pan out. So, here is “In God’s Name,” episode 18 for ya:
Scene 1: EXTERNAL, OUTSIDE “NADI’S UNIQUE SALON”; AT DUSK
TANDA HAD STARTED A PHONE CALL, WITH A POWER-PLAY THREAT TO SHOW THE POLICE SERGEANT “WHO I AM.” NATURALLY, THE ESCALATING FRACAS HAS DRAWN EVERYONE WITHIN EARSHOT TO THE SCENE, FORMING A LARGE CROWD…ALL, EXCEPT TWO POLICE OFFICERS; THE CORPORAL WHO HAD STARTED THE FRACAS WITH TANDA’S SISTER-IN-LAW, TIA; WHO HAD SNEAKED AWAY AS SOON AS HE SAW TANDA ARRIVE. HE IS NOW IN A PANIC AS HE CONVERSES WITH HIS COLLEAGUE A FEW YARDS AWAY FROM THE FRACAS SCENE, OUT OF SIGHT. THEY CONVERSE IN MIXED ENGLISH AND PIDGIN ENGLISH…
THE CORPORAL: O boy, Serg dey want put me and himself in big trouble over there o.
THE OTHER OFFICER: Why? Wettin happened? How is he putting you in trouble?
THE CORPORAL: Serg no get any idea who him dey challenge…hah, I dey fear o.
THE OTHER OFFICER: Why are you afraid? You sabi the man?
THE CORPORAL (In excited whisper): Sabi the man? Of course, I know him! You no see how I take idea sneak away from there? Ah, I quickly sneaked away as soon as he arrived o.
THE OTHER OFFICER (More curious): But why did you sneak away and you no warn Serg?
THE CORPORAL: I tried, but Serg no listen.
THE OTHER OFFICER: So, who be the man? You have not told me who he is.
Scene 2. INTERNAL, IN PASTOR’S OFFICE/RESTROOM; AT DUSK.
TIYA LOOKS AT PASTOR K, PUZZLED, THEN GESTURES A QUESTION. PASTOR K. PUTS HIS INDEX FINGER ON HIS LIPS TO SHUSH HER. HE THINKS FAST, PUTS HIS FINGER ON HIS LIPS TO SHUSH TIYA AGAIN. BUT TIYA CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. THEY TALK IN WHISPERS…
TIYA (Whispers): Why are you telling me to shush, Pastor? You heard what that person said. Are you not…
PASTOR K (Cuts in, whispers): Will you let me think?! Have you any idea what trouble you could be in if they find us like this?
TIYA (Shocked): What trouble I could be in? How?
PASTOR K: Well, look at you! And look at me! That man is trouble. If he sees us like this, there is no explanation he would accept.
TIYA: What explanation do you need to…
PASTOR K (Cuts in angrily): You don’t know what hazards we face in this calling. Just shush and let me think and do what I think would protect you!
RELUCTANTLY AND GRUDGINGLY, TIYA RELAXES. PASTOR K RUSHES OUT OF THE RESTROOM, GETS BOTH HIS PHONE AND TIYA’S, PUTS TIYA’S OFF AND PUTS HIS ON SILENCE. THEN HE QUICKLY OPENS HIS DRAWER, GETS A POUCH. FROM IT, HE GETS A CHARM WHICH HE LICKS THREE TIMES, PUTS IT BACK, THEN RETURNS TO THE RESTROOM. AS SOON AS HE GETS THERE, HE PUTS HIS HAND ON TIYA’S HEAD WITHOUT WARNING, AND BLOWS VERY STRONG AIR INTO HER FACE. TIYA BEGINS TO FALL IN FAINT. PASTOR K GRABS HER, DRAGS HER UNCONSCIOUS BODY OUT TO THE OFFICE FLOOR, AND LIES HER DOWN. RIGHT THEN, LOUDER BANGINGS SOUND ON THE DOOR.
HE QUICKLY PUTS ON HIS OWN DRESS…
Scene 3. INTERNAL, IN KONO’S DINING ROOM; AT DUSK.
SELA SITS WORKING ON HER LAPTOP WHILE EATING IN SNATCHES. THEN HER PHONE RINGS. SHE TAKES IT AND LOOKS AT THE SCREEN. IT SHOWS MOM2 CALLING… SHE PICKS IT…
SELA: Hello, Mom!
KONO’S MOM (Filtered): My daughter, how are you?
SELA: I am very well, mom. I hope you are very well too?
SPLIT SCREEN TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH SCENES…
KONO’S MOM: Yes, I am very well. Is your father there? I mean…Kono’s father. Well, I guess you already know that. Is he there?
SELA: He was. But he and Kono went out. Anything, mom?
KONO’S MOM: No, no, nothing at all. I was just wondering. He said he would not be long.
SELA: Kono too is not back yet. I guess what they went out for is taking them long.
KONO’S MOM: I guess so. Uh…did they tell you they were going to see your pastor?
SELA: Yes, mom, they did.
KONO’S MOM: Good. Do you think they could be there making some kind of trouble? I mean…when your husband’s father left here, he was almost seething!
SELA (Smiles): Even here, he was, too. But with Kono there, I doubt that he would let any trouble take place.
KONO’S MOM: I hope so. Anyway, he told me not to call him. Could you call Kono and find out if everything is okay?
SELA (Smiles again): Mom, don’t let anything bother you. I am sure nothing will happen. But I will call.
KONO’S MOM: Thank you. Please, do call me back.
SELA: I will, Mom.
THEY SAY GOODBYES AND CUT THE CONNECTION…
Scene 4: EXTERNAL, OUTSIDE “NADI’S UNIQUE SALON”; AT DUSK
TANDA’S PHONE IS ON SPEAKER AND RINGING…
THE SERGEANT (Indignant): Who are you trying to intimidate, Mr? This madam is going down to the station with us, for interrogation. If you like, call President Buhari…nothing will happen! We are only doing our job. Go ahead and call…
TANDA’S CALL IS ANSWERED. THE VOICE AT THE OTHER END IS MALE, CONCERNED AND WORRIED …
THE VOICE ON SPEAKER: Hello, Tanda! What happened? Have you seen your wife? Is she okay?
TANDA (Fuming): Joe, you won’t believe what your boys are doing here.
THE POLICE SERGEANT IS SUDDENLY AT APPREHENSIVE ALERT AS TANDA SAYS “YOUR BOYS.”
JOE/THE VOICE ON SPEAKER: My boys? Which boys? Where are you?
TANDA: In front of my wife’s salon, and…
JOE (Cuts in; apprehensive anxiety): Good. Is she okay?
TANDA: No, Nadi is not okay. She’s among the people who were kidnapped.
JOE: Oh my God!!!
TANDA: But that’s not why I called you, Joe. I called because some of your officers are here trying to arrest and extort my sister-in-law, while the bandits are making away with my wife and other victims.
JOE (Alarmed): What?!
Scene 5. INTERNAL, IN PASTOR K’S OFFICE; IN THE EVENING.
TIYA IS LYING UNCONSCIOUS. PASTOR K IS NOW WALKING ROUND HER, VERY SWEATY, SPEAKING IN TONGUES IN PRETENCE PRAYER. BOTH KONO AND TIYA’S HUSBAND STAND HOLDING HANDS, HEADS BOWED, AND CHANTING “AMEN” OVER AND OVER. KONO’S DAD IS SKEPTICALLY STANDING ASIDE, HANDS FOLDED BEHIND HIM AND WATCHING PASTOR K, POKER-FACED. FINALLY, PASTOR K ENDS WITH A THUNDEROUS “IN JESUS’ MIGHTY NAME.” KONO AND TIYA’S HUBBY SHOUT AN EQUALLY THUNDEROUS “AMEN.” TIYA’S HUBBY KNEELS BESIDE HIS WIFE PRONTO…
PASTOR: No, no, no! Do not touch her yet.
DAD: And why is that?
PASTOR: Sir, this is a purely spiritual matter. I cannot go into explaining it to you now. We don’t have the time.
DAD: Talk for yourself. I came here with all the time on my hands!
KONO: Dad!
DAD: What?!
PASTOR (Smiles): Sir, God does not cower before anyone. And He has, in the same way, empowered his servants never to…
DAD (Cuts in): I have not come to make you cower before me, Mr. Pastor! In case you have forgotten, you accused my ancestors of…
PASTOR K SMILES AND RAISES BOTH HANDS “RESPECTFULLY” TO STOP KONO’S DAD, CUTTING HIM SHORT…
DAD (In anger): Don’t you dare stop me when I am talking, young man!
PASTOR (Smiling): Sir, what I did was not meant to disrespect you. But if you feel disrespected, please forgive God.
DAD: And you are God now, right?
PASTOR: I meant…forgive me for the sake of God.
TIYA’S HUBBY (To Kono’s Dad): Sir, could you please let him be through with my wife? I beg you. Kono, please help me talk to…
KONO’S DAD (Cuts in): It’s okay. Like I said, I have all the time in the world.
TIYA’S HUBBY: Thank you, sir! Pastor…isn’t there any way you could get her to wake up now? Does she have to remain like this?
PASTOR K GOES DEATHLY STILL, PRETENDING TO ASSUME SOLEMN PIETY. THEN HE GETS OUT A WHITE HANKY FROM HIS CHEST POCKET. HE SQUATS AND WIPES TIYA’S FACE WITH THE HANKY…
PASTOR (Commanding voice): Sister Tiya, wake up!
AT ONCE, TIYA JERKS AWAKE, SITS UP, AND BEGINS TO LOOK AROUND, SHOCKED THAT SHE IS SURROUNDED. AND THEN KONO’S PHONE BEGINS TO RING. HE CHECKS THE SCREEN. WIFEY CALLING...
Scene 6. EXTERNAL, OUTSIDE “NADI’S UNIQUE SALON; AT DUSK
BACK TO TANDA AND JOE ON SPEAKER PHONE…
JOE (Fuming): Tanda please give the phone to the Sergeant.
TANDA: You’re on speaker; he hears you.
JOE: Sergeant! I am Police Deputy Inspector General, Joe Mandali…
THE SERGEANT INSTANTLY STANDS AT ATTENTION…
THE SERGEANT (Practically shivering): Sir, yes, sir!
JOE: Identify yourself, Sergeant!
THE SERGEANT: Sergeant Yahaya Mambo, sir!
JOE/DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL/DIG (Angry): Sergeant Mambo, who is your Divisional Police Officer?
SERGEANT (Almost petrified; stuttering): Sir…umm…eemm, you mean my DPO, sir?
THE DIG (Impatient): No, I mean my father! Sergeant! Who is your DPO? Stop wasting my time!
THE SERGEANT: Sorry sir, yes sir! My DPO is Awal Mohammed, sir.
A MAN IN THE CROWD (Teasing the Sergeant): Serg why you dey shiver now? You don forget when you said nothing go happen?
A WOMAN IN THE CROWD (A short burst of laughter): Don’t mind him. Now he is scared and shivering, and shaking like jelly.
A SHORT BURST OF LAUGHTER AND BRIEF RUMBLE OF INDISTICTIVE WORDS AMONG THE CROWD, OBVIOUSLY IN MOCKERY OF THE POLICE OFFICERS…
Scene 7: INTERNAL, IN KONO’S DINING ROOM; IN THE EVENING.
SELA IS TALKING ON THE PHONE…
SELA: …was beginning to worry. More than 5 times! But it kept saying you were unreachable.
KONO (Filtered): Sorry about that. Like I said, it must be a network issue!
SELA: Yeah, I guess. So…everything okay?
KONO (Filtered): Well, I would say so.
SELA (Frowns): Meaning…there was an issue, right? What happened?
KONO (Filtered): Actually, nothing has happened yet. And the way it is now, I doubt that anything would happen.
SELA: This is confusing. Look, your mom called. What should I tell her?
KONO (Filtered): Tell her not to worry.
SELA: That’s not good enough, Kono. She needs to know that dad is fine. Can I tell her that?
KONO (Filtered): Absolutely! Do you want us to talk on video so you can be sure?
SELA: If network allows it, I really won’t mind. I mean…you don’t sound like everything is fine.
KONO (Filtered): Fine. Let me call you on video then.
THEY CUT THE CALL…
Scene 8. INTERNAL, NADI’S INNER OFFICE IN “NADI’S UNIQUE SALON”; EVENING
AWELE, NADI, AND NADIA ARE STILL UNAWARE OF THE BANDITRY SITUATION AT “NADI’S UNIQUE SALON.” THEY ARE STILL HIDING IN NADI’S OFFICE. BUT THEY HAVE SUMMONED THE COURAGE TO STEP OUT FROM UNDER HER DESK. AWELE IS CAUTIOUSLY APPROACHING THE DOOR TO LISTEN WHILE NADI AND NADIA STAND BY THE DESK AND WATCH IN FEAR…
Scene 8. INTERNAL, IN PASTOR K’S OFFICE; IN THE EVENING.
KONO IS ALREADY TRYING TO CALL SELA ON VIDEO. TIYA GETS HER BEARING, FIXES HER GAZE ON PASTOR K AND HER LOOK GRADUALLY TURNS INTO AN ANGRY SCOWL…
TIYA (Calm, but angry): Pastor, what happened?
PASTOR (Smiling): Sister Tiya! The first phase of the exorcism is a huge success! Congratulations! Praise the Lord!
KONO/TIYA’S HUBBY (In unison): Hallelujah!!!
KONO’S VIDEO CALL TO SELA CONNECTS…
KONO: Hey, love. Now, you can see for yourself.
PASTOR: Praise the living Jesus!
KONO/TIYA’S HOBBY (In unison): Hallelujah!!!
IN ANGER, TIYA RISES, SECURES THE TOWEL ON HER CHEST, AND LANDS PASTOR K A DIRTY SLAP. EVERYONE IS STUNNED…
THE END
Written by Michael Shaibu and Harry Agina
So, now you have it. Recall that the Nigeria Police officers at “Nadi’s Unique Salon” had boasted to Tia, Michael, and then Tanda, that they could do anything they wanted, and “nothing will happen.” Remember, Afro-Scope does not portray anything in or about Africa that is not absolutely realistic. Sometimes real events are recreated, other times we portray general and common happenings within Africa, and the African Diaspora…never fictional!
All that, to maintain that, yes, indeed, Nigeria Police Force under President Muhammadu Buhari (2015 to May 2023) was a lawless anti-people killing squad. The rogue officers had a notorious statement of impunity to Nigerians to boot—“I will shoot and kill you, and nothing will happen.” The impunity, of course, was because, truly, nothing happened to them after their atrocities against the Nigerians who they were supposed to be protecting. You saw the intervention of the Police Deputy Inspector General on behalf of Tanda and his group at “Nadi’s Unique Salon.” That was their saving grace. I call it the “man-know-man” phenomenon of Nigeria. If you know nobody in power in Nigeria when tangle with Buhari’s Nigeria Police, you’re done for! The Sergeant and his extortion squad were bent on brutalizing, and maybe even killing someone in Tanda’s group, if Tanda did not have a Police DIG as a friend. And, “nothing would happen,” as the officers always boast to their victims. You pay their extortion price, or you suffer, period!
Mind you, the matter of the kidnapping at the salon was no longer important to the officers. Their only interest now was to find ways to extort members of the victims’ families in any which way that they could. If you asked them to chase after the bandits to save the victims, you must pay for it. Otherwise, they would give you all manner of excuses why they cannot do anything about the kidnapping, including lack of arms and ammunition, fuel for squad cars, and what have you! Truly, the junior officers were correct in that regard. The monies budgeted for those instruments were always embezzled by the higher authorities. Now, Nigerians are watching to see if the new president, Bola Tinubu, will be any different from the evil, horrible President Muhammadu Buhari in governance. Nigerians are waiting to see if Tinubu’s new Police Inspector General will reform the evil Police Force that was instituted by Buhari, and save Nigerians from the blatant atrocities of the officers.
Anyway, we shall see how Tanda’s Police DIG friend’s intervention pans out in the next episode. And then, we shall also see what happens in Pastor K’s complex situation. He has a case of his attempt to rape a married woman, as well as the presence of Kono’s father who is spoiling for war with him, for insulting his ancestors. Next, on episode 19 of “In God’s Name.” Until then, it’s bye from me, Harry Agina. Meanwhile, please remember to share Afro-Scope to you friends and groups.
LINK TO EPISODE 19:
AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS ON RELIGIONS AND CULTURE, “IN GOD’S NAME,” EPISODE 19