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Locust Invasion

By CHIKA VICTOR ONYENEZI (Nigeria)

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  CHAPTER 4

2

THE SPILLAGE

                                                            


Amar locates the area of operation after sailing 1000 km in the right direction, first through the creek, and then joining the ocean. Deep down he could see the round yellow sun hanging at the end of the sea and the sky; glowing to its fullest, “J’ai adore la nature” he says again. He knows the pipe is inside the water at that point. 

    Onyibo is busy wearing his diver’s suit. Amar rolls out a diver’s suit from the box, puts it on, carries an oxygen cylinder on his back, and fixes the oxygen mask on. He looks at Onyibo, raises a finger to him indicating “are you ready?’ Amar opens another box, slides out a harpooner’s gun and dives into water. Onyibo follows his tail with the explosives. They sink deep into the ocean bed, take an under water stroke, moving seaweeds apart. They located the oil pipes twenty meters from their location. Three pipes lay down there. Destroying these things was dead easy. Onyibo fixes the magnetic time bomb on the middle pipe. The bomb was specially designed to blow below the sea. Amar raises a finger. Onyibo nods in agreement. They swim back to the boat. In five minutes the bomb would blow. There was no confrontation with any patrol team for none came. Amar ignites the engine and speeds off towards their return route.
      
They did not look back as a big bang exploded behind them and oil spilled into the ocean. Thousand tons of oil flows to the top, in a very high speed - OIL SPILLAGE. Unlucky fished struggled for oxygen but couldn’t get any; soon aquatic lives gave up, floating lifeless on top the oil. Fishermen sail to safety, their source of petty income has been destroyed. What they use in feeding their children has been destroyed. The oil SPILLAGE spread to their farms, destroying their last means of lively hood. The poor woman in the tiny affected village cries of what she shall use to feed her fingers. The men seemed tired and weak, looking so helpless, crying beside the rivers. Soon they police arrived and started to arrest their youths; those who donot know how to handle gun, not to talk of shoot. The air is full of pollution, government pollution, political pollution, including environmental pollution. There is no respect for human right; the soldiers were shooting directly at the innocent villagers – in their so called effort to arrest the situation .this is the dilemma of the average Nigeria – HE HAS NO RIGHT.

Continued next week...