MOST WANTED MAN IN THE WORLD

CHAPTER SIX

After a series of well grounded and meticulous investigations, it was later ascertained with sure proofs evidences that the attack was carried out by the Jiga squad; a fanatical terrorist bunch in the country, who like to see themselves as an organization. The group had also been responsible for a series of brutal attacks in the past. The bombing of a branch of Central Bank if Nigeria in oyo, resulting in the death of 12 staffs; the k********g of 22 passengers from a kaduna-Abuja train, The victims were later released when a ransome of $3 million and two terrorists leaders were freed. They were also behind the suicide bombing of a police station in Abuja, resulting in the death of 18 officers; the breakout of 234 inmates from the federal prison at ajo, resulting in the death of a prison warden, 6 officers and 11 inmates; The ambush attack on the convoy of the governor of gonga state, resulting in the death of 5 soldiers and 9 police officers . And then most recently, the attack on a church in kalado which claimed the lives of 19 worshipers.

It is no surprise that the Jiga squad has garnered a ominous kind of notoriety behind their name. They were hellbent on the turning the country into a feudal state, and they were ready to kill as many as possible to achieve that aim..

* * * * *

One year after the attack, a still recovering Miriam was playing basketball with four of her good friends at a basketball court at the sports complex in as okoro. Miriam was doing well in recovery even though the events of the past year was still far from going out of her mind.

She and her friends bounced the basketball around the court dribbling one another. Her friend jola did a double turn around and ran for the hoop. She leaped off the ground and slipped the ball into the hoop

After game resumed again, Miriam took the ball off Dana; one of the girls. She made a quick dash for the hoop but was blocked by jola and grace, another of the girls. They both waited and watched her movements with outstretched hands.

Knowing she can't get past the two, Miriam gauged the distance between her and the net with her eyes and threw the ball. The ball flew in the curved for some distance of 16 feet, ricocheted off the hoop and dove in.

The girls shook hands and Miriam immediately took after the ball, which had bounced towards a man sitting on the row of seats behind the basketball hoop. The man picked up the basketball and did a some joggling with his hands before handing it back to Miriam.

"How are you doing?" He had asked, his voice bearing a soothing tone to it .

Miriam had just nodded her slowly in acknowledgement, then turned and started walking away with the ball.

"Miriam".

She whirred around at the sound of her name and glanced around at the rows of seat all around the basketball court hoping to see the person that had called her name. But they were all empty except for the yellow seat the .an was seating on. Her eyes slowly settled on the man, as she glared at him apprehensively. The fellow noticing her apparent confusion at who had called her, called her again. This time more slowly. "Mi..ri.am".

Miriam's heart had begun to thump loudly against her chest at that moment, getting louder and faster with each passing g seconds. She was already poised to take off if the stranger made any move towards her. Her eyes settled squarely on the man as she curiously studied his features.

Fourteen months ago she would have turned and ran for it, but her family's demise had clicked off something in her. it had made her more bold and less afraid to die. Their death had toughened her up and turned her into a daring girl.

So she stood, running her scrutinizing eyes around the man's face. He was dark in complexion, bald with a bushy beard that covered the two sides of his face. His eyes were hypnotizing and intense, while his lips was were slightly dark, just like smoker's. The white shirt he wore fit superbly on his sculpted lean body. Miriam couldn't tell his height because he was still sitting down, but she guessed it to be somewhere between between 5ft to 5ft5. The man also looks like he is in his late thirties.

"How did you know my name?". She asked, peering at him.

The stranger smiled grimly, as he ran his veiny hand along his bushy beard. "Miriam Okah, Age: 19, Height 5ft8. Former student of Rex international high School and former modelling enthusiast". Said the man as if he was reading out from the pages of a novel.

If Miriam had been stunned before, now she was mystified and shocked.

Apprehensive and lost for words, Miriam stared at the man as if he was a alien from space. Her mouth formed an "O" , her eyebrows raised as she stared at the man in astonished silence. When she regained her composure, she asked " Who are you?".

"Who I am doesn't matter".

"Who you are doesn't matter?". Repeated Miriam slightly irritated.

The man nodded, " Yeah, it won't be of any help to you". he said.

Miriam shook her head slowly.

"Ok, then there is nothing I am really doing here". She said , turned and made to start walking away with the basketball.

"I have some news for you". He called after her.

Miriam paused and turned around, she then took two steps towards the man. She stopped and put her left hand on her waist in an impatient stance. But up in her head, her thought was racing. She was anxiously wondering who this man was . How he got to know so much about her, many things about her. And what the news he have for her was. She suddenly felt a new wave of panic when the thought that some unknown persons had been following her since.