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Alhadji Garga Innusa and his
Nasty Habit of Ritual Money

By Ndim Bernard Ngouche (Cameroon)

Alhadji Garga Innusa and his nasty habit of ritual Money

 Alhadji Garga Innusa born into an influential family; was born on the 30th of March 1956 to the family of Mallam Garba Musa, an Ardo of the Fulani community in Allat. His mother Hadjia Maimuna Debbo Musa being the first wife had three mates whose names are Rajia Yakubo Musa, Amina Mamadou Musa and Fadamatou Rabiatu Musa. These four wives are so cooperative and worked as if they are sisters. Each is blessed with eight children and life is hazard free. Their dad being an Ardo and very rich with herds of cattle and sheep plus gifts received from settling of disputes in his community developed a desire to have all his children attend good Christian Colleges so as to fit in the new dispensation.
           His children are all bright and brilliant just like their dad. Yet his first son, Alhadji Garga Innusa rejects all convention and chooses as a way out arm robbery and ritual killing.  It is a shock to his family and to his community. Their father humiliated by his son’s narrow-mindedness comes to a fast conclusion; that of disowning him.  Ardo Mallam Garba Musa summons a family meeting and declares his first son as an out cast with tears running down his heavily designed gown made of silk. He discards his son like a bag of rotten potatoes that are only worthy of the trash can. Ardo Mallam Garbo Musa in his lamenting has this comment “I do send you back to the world for you were merely a gift to me  from Allah to give you support and up bringing which you have denied. I have regrets for sure but there is no turning back. You have brought enough shame to my name and family. I hereby strip you off as my son and denounce you from using my name. I am no longer your father” The is wailing and hullabaloo from Garga’s mother and brothers who don’t believe their ears or their eyes and Garga himself still struggling to come to terms with all that had transpired.
                   He had chosen his path and now must take it all alone. Garga realising that he has no support from his family and no family to begin with resorts to dreaming of becoming a big gun in his community by hook or by crook. Capable of being a butcher and murderer because of his strong powerfully status, he forms a gang that kills and sales body parts for ritual purposes. The gang because of his nefarious connections with some bad crop police officers too willing to share in his booties commits mayhem and becomes an Alhadji as an umbrella. This new false image shades him because it projects him as strong Moslem who had just returned from the Pilgrimage to Mecca. He had lived in a phobia of being arrested and executed for that is the penalty for such crimes in Kamarun. Fate was against him when he kept on doing the same nasty things as before. The worst crime committed was the killing of two colonels and their drivers from a pay out to soldiers in Base 256 Bangadora. Well this angers the military and a search warrant is issued ordering them to bring him death or alive. Stung by anger and rage, Alhadji Garga Innusa no longer has a hiding place.
               There is this saying that» For every action there is a counter action taking place” It comes like a flash and the gang is caught in action. Fifteen hefty guys donning in dark eye glasses and carrying heavy ammunition fight for survival with a heavily armed battalion backed by a gun ship. It is the darkest day in Junga town, their place of preference for operations aimed at way laying persons with heavy money bags, jewelries and telephone gadgets that can readily give them some loose cash so as to purchase Indian hemp and hard drugs like cocaine.  The battle is vicious and fifteen gang men are cut in their prime and the soldiers equally register three deaths. Twenty five gang members are arrested and forced to their base so that their chief Alhadji Garba Innusa could be arrested to face the tedium of his folly. The attack of his heavily guarded compound with a tall fence is Rambo style and stormed like the Bastille. Alhadji Garba Innusa and other gang members are apprehended so as to face the music others have danced for years when he made nasty and dirty money.
                    In court Alhadji Garga Innusa gallantly tells the Judge this” If I have to be killed today I will die as a great guy for I have slaughtered so many soldiers as well as civilians for money and have made the money which my kids and two wives shall enjoy when I must have gone back to dust. I am happy that I had fulfilled a dream which was to make money at all cost. Taking my life and that of my gang is simply justice taking its course and we are not in any hurry to hinder it. We are not hiring the services of any lawyer or lawyers so Chief Judge pronounce your worst for we ready for it” This is the most shocking statement the chief Judge Talba Innocent out of his twenty –five years of service as a magistrate has ever heard from any criminal. On the judgment day with sweat dripping from his forehead the chief Judge; Talba Innocent passes a sentence by execution which was apparent. This marks the end of a man who rejected reason and good parental up bringing choosing the gutters of reckless living.  
                         Innusa has paid in his own coins and his father invites friends to feast with him celebrating his new found peace and esteem amongst his people. At the feast he offers thanks to Allah and hugs his conscience and duty conscious children who rejected their bad brother and his blood money. To him it is liberation and a new birth for new happenings and new events. At the gathering lots of good food and plenty of lamb is cooked for every mouth to thank Allah for this new day and for long life that he has granted them. At the end of the party he makes this remark” I call on any one of you whose son is like that criminal son of mine that will be shot like a dog to disown. The time has come for us to expose evil and shun bad company” He is noted for frank talking and straight words that come out like bullets for many who think that things should always be hidden. 
This attitude which is rigorous is highly praised by the Governor and the entire Government for being worthy of coping. I am pleased that this deadly gang has been disbanded and freedom now can reign in our community. The governor declared in a security meeting recently held in Tambang Town Hall. The killing of a large gang heavily armed and heavily equipped is great success indeed and calls for celebration.  This is the Governor’s closing remarks at the Security meeting “Today we have achieved something laudable and we wish to become more vigilant and smarter than these hoodlums so that no new gang of this magnitude should ever come up to operate. We have sealed our borders and all measures have been taken to check all bags and sacks entering or leaving our borders. This measure is our life jacket and we believe that it will bring some degree of peace and stability. It is the biggest operation against thieves of this magnitude that we have ever carried out. Our men in Uniforms had to subdue this dangerous gang using a gun boat and we lost three valiant men whose blood had to be spilled for the safety of the nation. To their wives, children, parents and pals we say take heart and accept our profound condolences. The state has assured the effective scholarisation of these kids and the financial support to these untimely widows” It was a moving remark and some soldiers wept after the speech that was heavily worded and loaded with fastidious words aimed at putting away the fears of the widows whose kids have to continue their education till they say we are done.
                          The strong arm of justice falls on Alhadji Garga Innusa when the state takes the drastic decision to impound all his wealth. The wives are thrown out and the houses sealed with firm instructions from the Minister of Internal Security. These houses are sold and his other firms so as to raise money which will be given to a fund that had been created to grant relief to families whose relatives had either been maimed, raped or butchered by this  barbaric gang. Yes there was snatching of teeth and wailing but who bothered about those crocodile tears?  Yesterday it was her place to smile and splash water and mud on people driving in the big cars afforded with blood money. Today all those things are gone like the wind and all glamour buried forever. The wives of Alhadji Garga Innusa are fortunate enough that Innusa had a secret mansion that got constructed under a phony and the wives moved in thereafter.