The Lagos Directive

Lagos – Seven Years Ago

It was a Saturday. Ogun was en-route to meet Efe for lunch. Something she’d insisted on after weeks of missed calls and rain-checked promises.

Midway through traffic, his phone buzzed violently on the dashboard, an unknown number.

“Engineer Ogun Wale-Thomas? This is LUTH Hospital. Are you the next of kin to Efe Wale-Thomas?”

His heartbeat pounded up to his ears.

“Yes, what’s happened?”

“There’s been a severe accident on Admiralty Way. We need you here right away.”

He arrived at LUTH within the hour, heart pounding.

A junior doctor greeted him with guarded eyes. Clipboard against her chest.

“A freight lorry lost control on Admiralty Way,” she explained grimly. “It toppled onto a grey Camry. Three occupants. Two were crushed instantly. One survived the impact but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.”

Ogun’s voice was low. Controlled. “Who identified them?”

“The survivor. Before she passed, she named the driver, Efe, and the other passenger. Your number was listed on Efe’s phone as I.C.E.” (In Case of Emergency).

“Can I see her?” His voice barely audible.

“Unfortunately, the bodies are beyond recognition. They’ve been sealed for cremation to prevent further trauma.”

Ogun said nothing. Numb. His world crushed.

His last living sibling, his anchor, gone without warning. No goodbye. Nothing. 

All those missed calls and rain-checks caused by his covert life left him consumed with eerie bitterness.

Abuja – Underground Facility

Elsewhere, deep within a hidden intelligence compound in Abuja, Efe stirred awake. A pounding headache and cold, clinical lighting overwhelmed her senses. Strangers moved creepily around her, attaching wires and sensors. Panic surged.

A shadowy figure approached, his demeanour calm yet unsettlingly ruthless. Falaye, quietly ambitious and dangerously secretive within the SD9 structure.

“Welcome back, Efe. You’re safe, for now,” he said smoothly.

“Where am I? Please what’s going on? Where’s my brother?” she pleaded, trembling.

Falaye smiled thinly. “Your brother believes you’re dead. An unfortunate necessity. You see, your expertise in predictive modeling and logistics simulations caught our attention. I’ve observed your analytical brilliance for some time now. But now, you’ll apply that brilliance differently.”

“Please, I don’t understand,” Efe whispered desperately.

Falaye leaned closer, voice low and severe. “Nigeria’s power structure is evolving. There are people in this country who profit from chaos, Efe. Your models will help them decide when to light the fuse. Displacement and targeted instability. Your models will predict and optimize these events, pinpointing exactly where tensions will ignite and how they’ll unfold.”

Efe recoiled in horror. “You’re talking about intentionally hurting innocent people, causing riots? Destroying lives? No! I won’t be involved!”

Falaye roared in laughter. “Peace is for the naive, Efe. Only through chaos can true order be born.”

Falaye’s eyes darkened sharply. “You misunderstand your position. Your brother’s safety depends entirely on your cooperation. I advice you not to test my resolve.”

Tears welled, streaming down her cheeks as she grasped the cruel reality. Her only living sibling’s life now depended solely on her obedience to Falaye’s monstrous commands.

Present Day – Kaduna

Midnight, Ogun sat alone beneath a makeshift hideout, rain pounding against the metal roof. His breath steady, but eyes blazing with determination as he rewatched the grainy, decrypted footage. A woman sat alone in a sterile room, silently mouthing words to a flickering screen, her gestures familiar, her focus unmistakable.

He froze the frame. Zoomed in. Undeniable.

“Efe!”

A burning realization consumed him. Falaye abducted his sister, faked her death and enslaved her for seven years. He also tried to bury him multiple times.

Fury, pain, and resolve surged through his veins. He clenched his jaw, eyes fixed fiercely on the screen.

“He stole your life, Efe,” Ogun whispered bitterly into the darkness. “I swear, I will tear Falaye apart piece by piece and bring you home.”