Entrapped

Chapter 1

Ojota is located near the centre of the sprawling lagos metropolis,a state in nigeria,crisscrossed by major roads, connecting the south to the north of Nigeria.Bus companies travelling to virtually any part of Nigeria and Ghana dots it's environs, colourful buses and luxurious bus can be seen moving in and out of compounds housing transport companies

'My friend are your eyes blind, Will you drive as a man and stop driving like your wife!' The taxi driver driving him  berated the man driving a toyota camry on his left, the war of wills had been going on for some time now and Joseph was curious on how it would play out, the both of them were headstrong drivers, who were reluctant to concede to the other as they traded ever more savage insults.

'It is your wife at home who is a fool for marrying a worthless man like you, you must be referring to' the other driver who was driving a gray Toyota Camry replied his mouth frothing in anger.

Turning his concentration from the two drivers, his thoughts wandered, he had just been given admission to the university of ilorin one of the most prestigious universities in Nigeria. With the highest number of applicants for four consecutive years.known for it's conservative standards on the way the university expected students to behave and dress, he had doubts concerning his particular choice of this university, hailing from the southeast, it was the norm to pick a university from your region  of origin, maybe it was because of his independent streak and his tendency to rebel was why he decided to pick a university in kwara a state in the south west or north central, he couldn't remember which region it was....

'My friend! Do you want to give birth in my taxi, you should know it is not a moving hospital, I do not need to tell you' the taxi driver quipped at him, glaring through the taxi Windows.

He frowned composing himself, he could see the taxi driver had not recovered from the oral lashing the toyota camry driver had delivered to him, and from the apparent mixed anger and almost shed tears on the taxi driver face it was clear who had won.

Two muscular youths in their twenties came hurtling towards  him.

'to where'they voiced in unison like a well trained orchestra.

'I would like to know where I can get a bus to ilorin'

'Ha, that's no problem, we would take your bags there but you will have to pay a fee of 50 naira'

'Okay, just please get me there thanks' he replied

He watched the youth take the bags with relative ease a burden he had bore with his arms threatening to rip out of their socket. They set of  in a quick canter towards the buses bearing the ilorin and ogbomosho banners.

As he made to follow them a hands  gripped his arms and savagely drew him back. ' old boy where is my money, I never figured you for a thief' the taxi driver scolded him

He calmly brought out 1000 naira from his pockets and and paid the taxi driver.

Rushing towards the ilorin bus he could see that his luggage had been loaded.a  stout man with a nose that could be mistaken for  an elephant's tusk stood in front of him barring his way into the bus.

'The transport fee is 2500 and luggage fee is 500 ' he grunted stretching forth his hands which were riddled with old scars,that must have resulted from lots of street fights involving bottles ,the favorite weapon of choice for touts in lagos .

Joseph saw the man's eyes alight when he withdrew money from his pockets ,making him regret his decision in carrying all the money he was given for school in cash.

Lamido sanusi, the governor of the central bank of Nigeria had just introduced the cashless policy to nigerians. where Mobile phones could be used to pay bills and transactions could be paid online.

But this was Nigeria, any change would have to be gradual and also deal with a population that was by nature suspicious of the banking system, asking those people to place their trust in transactions involving money they could not see or touch was almost impossible.

The bus was a white toyota hiace bus with two blue lines crossing the surface of the sides of the bus he could see that thirteen passengers and the driver were already seated , he would make the fourteenth passsenger.

The short squat man closed the sliding  door with a thump as the driver revved the bus and started moving slowly towards the exit gate.

It had begun the next stage of his  life. 'O God, please give me the strength to get through this ' he thought in fervent prayer.