On a day my uncle verbally adopted me, my love life settled St least to some extent and it’s my birthday, I have every reason to be happy and joyous throughout the day but hearing my twin sister has been kidnapped on our birthday drown all form of happiness I’ve been exhibiting into the pull of worry and questions.
How was she kidnapped? Who did it and for what reason? I hope it’s for money not otherwise. Thinking about otherwise is scary bearing in mind all the scary news one read online about people been kidnapped.
Me: Where, when, and by who?
Temmy: She didn’t give me any details, she said she’s been kidnapped and that’s all.
Funmi: Try calling Vera back. (Temmy called Vera but her line was switched off)
Temmy: This is the number that just called me now.
Me: Something is not right. I’m sensing a foul play.
Temmy: I’m having the same feeling but we can’t out rightly assume it’s false until we hear from Aramide or at least Vera.
As we were talking and contemplating on how to go about the kidnap issue, Uncle Ben and the woman came over with Aunty Joy.
Ben: What’s going on here, why do you have that face Will?
Temmy: His sister has been kidnapped
Ben: What? Debby is being kidnapped?
Funmi: No sir, not Debby but Aramide
Ben: Who’s Aramide?
Joy: Your twin sister?
Ben/Woman: You are a twin? (I nod my head in acceptance)
Ben: Wao! You never told me that before, but how come? I still don’t understand, how can you be a twin?
Me: I’ll explain the misery to you later, all I want now is to confirm if she’s truly kidnapped or not. And if she is, how do I get her out?
Ben: Cool down boy, we’ll get to the bottom of this.
Temmy: Let’s call mother
Me: if she has not heard, it might be counter-productive, but it’s the last resort we’ve got now.
I put a call through to my biological mother but her number was switched off. Uncle Ben wanted to call and inform police about it but I declined it because we are not sure of what’s going on. I still think it might be a prank and I really wish it is.
As we were still there thinking of a way forward, I received a call from Aramide.
Me: Hello Aramide, where are you? (there was no response). Hello, hello are you there? (the line went off)
Temmy: What did she say?
Me: Nothing, I heard nothing before the line went off
Temmy: Maybe we should call her back
Ben: Bad idea, maybe she only tried to call you while she wasn’t been watched. If you call her back, you might put her in danger.
Funmi: She’s online!
Me/Temmy: Really?
Funmi: Yes, I saw her on what’sapp just now but she’s not responding
Temmy: We can use that to trace her location
Me: What’sapp doesn’t show location
Temmy: But Google does
Ben: That’s if she allows it on her phone
Temmy: I pray she does
Me: I know her Google account password and I think Google location will be on except they’ve tampered with it.
We connect a system to the Internet and log on into her Google account then type “locate my phone” on the search box. It did work as Google brought out the map area of where the phone is. We zoomed in and narrowed it down to Ibadan. The circled area falls in the same area I expect their house to be in Ibadan.
Me: Temmy are you seeing what I’m seeing?
Temmy: Is this not their house area?
Me: Exactly, I think she’s at home. Something is fishy here.
Ben: Maybe they are faking it
Temmy: That’s my thought, but why will they do that on her birthday?
Me: I don’t think they are faking it
Temmy: Can we check where Vera is to ascertain?
Me: There is no way we can, I don’t know her password.
My phone rings again and it’s also Aramide. I picked it and put the phone on speaker.
Me: Hello Aramide
Voice: This is not Aramide Mr Man
Me: Who’s I’m I speaking with?
Voice: My name is Bosska and I want you to listen very well.
Me: I’m all hears
Voice: I’m currently holding your sister and I’m going to kill her in the next two hours if you don’t comply
The voice sounds so familiar but I couldn’t pin it to anybody because the tone was too deep. Another question is, how did the person knows she’s my sister
Me: I heard you perfectly sir, what do you want?
Voice: You are going to transfer some amount of money into her account before the next two hours or I kill her!
Me: But today is not a wor…
Voice: Shut up boy (The voice sounds more clearer but I still could not pin it). You’ll transfer the money or I’ll kill her
Uncle Ben signal to me to ask how much
Me: I’ll send it sir, it’s how much?
Voice: I’ll get back to you shortly. (he terminates the call)
Temmy: That’s voice sounds very familiar
Me: Exactly, but I couldn’t pin it to anybody
Ben: Let’s just do whatever he wants, he will be caught. He isn’t a professional kidnapper. If he is, he won’t ask you to send money into the victim’s account.
Temmy: I think he wants to withdraw it from the ATM.
Ben: That will limit the amount he can ask for.
Me: He could hold her for more than a day to withdraw all the money. He could also transfer the money into his own account on the ATM but at least, the ATM will capture his face and statement of account will show the account the money is transferred to.
Ben: That’s right, I think I should take over from here
Temmy: I have a suspect in mind, and if it’s the person, he won’t want to speak with any other person
Ben: Who are you suspecting?
Before Temmy could answer, my phone rang again from Aramide’s line.
Me: Hello
Voice: Now listen, you’ll send five hundred thousand naira now.
Me/Temmy/Ben/Funmi/Rachael/Woman: What?
Voice: Who are those with you?
Me: I’m sorry, they were just doing their own. But I don’t have that much for now.
Voice: Better look for it, I don’t care if you sell your car, just send the d–n money.
Me: You said 2hrs, where would I get buyer in that short period. (Uncle Ben signal to me, to say I’ll pay). Okay, I’ll send it. But how am I sure you won’t kill her still.
Voice: Why will I kill her? All I need is the money
Me: Alright I’ll send. . .
I heard some noise in the background that sounds like somebody saying “Police are here”. The line was still on but the noise continued and I couldn’t hear the voice speak again. After some minutes, somebody speak into the phone.
Voice2: Hello
Me: Hello sir, what’s going on? Hope you’ve done nothing to my sister.
Voice2: Your sisters and mother are fine. We’ve arrested your father though
Me: What?
Voice2: I am a police officer, we rushed down here after bring tipped of by one of their neighbors. Hope you’ve not send any money?
Me: No sir, please can I speak with my sister?
Police : She’s still in shock but I’ll give the phone to her. I suggest you give her some time.
Me: Alright sir. Thank you officer
Police: You are welcome (he terminates the call)
Me: I can’t believe what just happened.
Temmy: He was my suspect. I know it, d–n!
Ben: Who is the fellow? I heard the police man saying your father
Temmy: Vera’s father
Ben: Who is Vera?
Me: One of my younger sisters
Woman: You have more than one sister?
Me: Yes, I have three younger sisters and a twin sister.
Ben: I’m honestly lost here. I only know you and Deborah. Where is all of this coming from?
Woman: We’ll need you to explain better
Ben: Your mother gave birth to all of them? Are they all children of your father or your mother remarried that I don’t know? (His voice started getting tensed)
Me: If you don’t mind, I’ll prefer to tell you everything while I’m calm, at this moment, I need to hear my sister’s voice.
Ben: (shouting) No! I need some answers. Have you guys been playing us all these years?
Woman: I told you I never trust that woman. So you are not a real Albert?
Me: Okay listen! The person you know as my mother is not my real mother and the person you knew as my father is not my real father. They only took care of me because I was abandoned by my own parents while I was still an infant.
Ben: What? Which means you only adopt the name Albert. What’s the meaning of all these?
Me: I am an Al…
Woman: Shut up boy! You are a thief, crook and 419. I’m sure your mother knows about this. (facing Uncle Ben) Remember I always tell you not to trust that woman. My spirit was never at peace with her
Me: Seriously, what…
Ben: Shut up Will! Wao, I can’t believe this (he stormed out of the place as the woman and Aunty Joy followed him)
I received a call from Aramide immediately after
Me: Aramide how are you now?
Aramide: Will, he has escaped from the police and I’m really scared. The police told us we are not safe anymore.