"Kẹ́ṣinlóró" by Ọládẹ̀jọ Ọdẹ́bùnmi

Aremu's father, Adetoye, is set ablaze with 2 of his children by thugs from
a rival political party. Only Aremu survives.

Later on, the military takes over. When the military decides to hand over
to the civilians, Aremu surprisingly goes into politics despite his wife
Funmilayo's pleadings that he remembers the circumstances of his father's
death. Aremu is the main campaigner for his party and is promised the post
of Petroleum Minister if the party wins. He meets Clara (from Edo State)
and eventually brings her in as his second wife.

Funmilayo travels to complain to her mother but is crushed to death by a
speeding trailer in front of Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife.
Funmilayo's mother, Moradeyo, dies of shock because Funmilayo is her only
surviving child.

When Ajagbe passes his SSCE in flying colours, Clara tries to poison him
several times but fails. His late mother's words of caution makes him lock
his room even when he wants to spit, thus preventing Clara from entering
his room and poisoning his foodstuffs. He cooks his own food because Clara
refused to cook for him. Eventually, Clara gets Aremu to kick him out and
disown him by lying that he has kicked her in the belly. Aremu doesn't
listen to Ajagbe's side of the story.

Ajagbe's maternal grandfather borrows money to sponsor his education,
promising to pay back 7 years later after he has graduated and gotten a
job. Ajagbe graduates as a medical doctor but can't get a job. He is asked
to get a politician's endorsement letter or give them money. Ajagbe's
grandpa's creditor gets tired of waiting and brings thugs who club the old
man to death.

Meanwhile, Aremu's party wins but someone else is made the Petroleum
Minister , with no other post for him. When he goes to the house of
Gbádégẹṣin(a party chieftain) to protest, the latter brands him a thief and
gets him imprisoned. Clara sells off all his property and leaves with her
son.

Ajagbe goes to Lagos and eventually joins a gang of armed robbers, most of
whom are also unemployed graduates. He meets Kẹ́mi , a fellow unemployed
graduate of the same university, who has become a prostitute and confides
in her. When a radio broadcast alerts them of a police hunt for armed
robbers, the gang members leave Lagos for their various hometowns.

Kẹ́mi hears of the mouth-watering price promised the informant and squeals
on the gang. Fortunately for Ajagbe, he is returning to their hotel base
after dropping his girlfriend Ṣèyí at her home. He hears gunshots and
drives away from Osogbo to Maiduguri. He gives his life to Jesus and
becomes a pastor. While doing prison tours with fellow church members, he
meets his father Aremu in prison and the latter collapses and dies on
seeing him.

As if jinxed, Ajagbe decides to return to his hometown, Èjìgbà-ìlẹ̀kẹ̀, for
politics. He witnesses the execution of his former comrades-in-crime,
"Sergeant" and "Kọ́bùrù "("Corporal") . His eyes meet Kẹ́mi's and he
discovers from her conversation with someone else that she is the squealer.

Kọ́bùrù gives a touching speech before his execution on how politicians'
embezzlement and widespread corruption pushed them into crime. According to
him (on page 92 of the book) , "Ọmọ ènìyàn ló k'ẹ́sin lóró ; ẹṣin ò níkà
nínú " (i. e. man taught a horse wickedness; a horse is not basically
wicked).

Two weeks later, Ajagbe is shot dead on the podium while campaigning for
his party. Kẹ́mi leaves the campaign venue and drinks poison on getting to
her room. Her father's efforts to save her life fails.

▪

"Ààrẹ-àgò Aríkúyẹrí" (= the war chief who dodged death), a play by Lawuyi Ogunniran.

Ògúnrìndé Ajé is the Ààrẹ-àgò Balógun of Ibadan. He has 3 wives:
Aṣiyanbí (the first wife), Fátọ́lá (the second and favourite wife) and
Adépèlé (the newest wife).

One day, Ààrẹ-àgò decides to worship his personal god. His wives and
servants sing his praises and dance in turn before him. Fátọ́lá
outshines the other wives and is publicly celebrated , and this breeds
envy.

A few days later, Adepele's twins (Táíwò and Kẹ́hìndé) die of
poisoning and Ààrẹ-àgò asks all the women in his household to help him
fish out the culprit. A few minutes later, Ìdòwú (Adepele's only
remaining child) falls ill and she cries out for help. Aṣiyanbí calls
Adépèlé aside and tells her, " I have gone to see my herbalist and he
said Fátọ́lá is behind it all because she doesn't have any son for our
husband". She tells Ààrẹ-àgò in private that she went with Adépèlé
to see the herbalist but she only hesitantly repeats the charge before
the whole household. Despite Fátọ́lá's immediate protests of
innocence, Ààrẹ-àgò shoots her dead when Idowu dies (and Adépèlé
becomes childless).

Baṣọ̀run Ògúnmọ́lá invites Ààrẹ-àgò for questioning over the jungle
justice meted out to Fátọ́lá. Only Baṣọ̀run is authorised to mete out
the death penalty. Baṣọ̀run and his chiefs (Balógun, Ọ̀tún, Òsì,
Aṣípa and Ìyálóde) all said Aje should be hanged and tell him to
bring his 2 wives the next day for questioning. During the
cross-examination, Adépèlé reveals that : (a) she didn't follow
Aṣiyanbí to any herbalist ; (b) Aṣiyanbí is the one taking care of her
children ; (c) Fátọ́lá outshone them at Ààrẹ-àgò's party and Aṣiyanbí
said she will pay for it. Aṣiyanbí, like Adepele, testifies that all
the wives loved one another before Aje chose his favourite in public.
She also admits that she went alone to the herbalist (who is of no
fixed address and she can't identify again if she sees him).

The chiefs meet and inform Baṣọ̀run of their joint decision : Aje
should be pardoned because of his past exploits in defending Ibadan
against external aggression. Baṣọ̀run then brings out 4 people who
tried to bribe him with money on Aje's behalf. The chiefs admit being
similarly approached but they have shared the money. The corrupt
chiefs and the bribe-carriers are all to be sold into slavery.
Aṣiyanbí is to be sentenced to death by public hanging for poisoning
Adepele's children and then implicating Fátọ́lá. Adépèlé is
discharged and sympathized with on the loss of all her children.

Aje is told to put his house in order as a warrior and then die in a
"dignified" way (i.e.by suicide rather than by public hanging). Aje
runs away instead, earning the name "Ààrẹ-àgò Aríkúyẹrí" (= the war
chief who dodged death). Henceforth, Baṣọ̀run decrees that all
murderers (regardless of status) will be publicly executed.