Today on my way to Lagos I was stopped by a Police Inspector on the outskirts of Ijebu. A rather condescending officer began rummaging through my vehicle particulars until he thought he had stumbled across a reason for extortion. He claimed the failure to state the engine number on my certificate of ownership indicated the commission of an offence. Under my sustained cross examination as to the particulars of the offence he failed to wilt.
A stalemate ensued as I probed further on how the neglect to write the engine number constituted prima facie evidence of a crime. He blustered and asked for appreciation, lest they impound my vehicle, convey me to the Police Station and compel me to swear an affidavit to support proof of ownership.
His knowledge of my membership of the legal profession failed to evince the customary deference i am used to. I prepared for the worst, rang my client suggesting the meeting scheduled for 11am may have to be cancelled and invited the Inspector into the front seat of my battered old Toyota Camry to proceed to the station.
At this stage he renewed his plea for appreciation, in other words some inducement. In the language of 'Esan' which i found out he understood i blurted out at him 'Jota' to get out of my car. My detour into Esan language came courtesy of Angela, Callistus, Slyvannus and Anthonia Okogbenin, my blossom and childhood friends of the Abule-Oja era. At this stage, like PCHN restoring power, there was a sudden dawn upon on him that he was simply engaged in time wastage, quickly he exited my vehicle in lamentation at my refusal to budge. Shaking my head in disgust I waved him off and we drove on to meet up with my appointment.
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