A DAY IN BARRACK: THE SON WHO BURNED THE THRONE
CHAPTER ONE — MORNING NO DEY WARN
Morning no dey warn anybody.
One minute Lagos dey yawn, next minute siren don tear everywhere scatter. Convoy dey fly like say road no get owner. Police dey shout. Soldiers dey stiff like statue. Election season dey near, and Chief Solomon Adekunle no fit afford nonsense.
For this country, image na oxygen.
Chief Solomon wake up 5:30 a.m. sharp. Habit no dey die. Khaki iron well, cap balance for head, mirror confirm say power still sit correct for his face. This na the same man wey rise from nothing — no godfather, no shortcut. Barrack train am. Hunger train am. Discipline make am.
People fear am.
People respect am.
People believe am.
But power get blind spot.
Phone vibrate.
Not the official line.
The danger line.
Unknown number, but the voice shake.
"Oga… abeg no vex. Na about your pikin."
That sentence heavy pass gunshot.
Chief Solomon pause. Clock show 6:02 a.m. Parade time. But parade don cancel inside his chest.
"Talk," he say.
The man swallow spit.
"Your son… him dey police station."
Silence.
Not shock.
Not anger.
Just that quiet wey dey come before building collapse.
Damilare Adekunle no be bad boy by birth.
He be connected boy.
From small, him dey move with boys wey surname heavy like his own. Sons of commissioners, generals, chairmen. Dem no dey fear uniform because uniform dey greet their papa.
Them call themselves The Cabinet Boys.
If one enter trouble, ten phone calls go kill am.
If dem mess up, money go wash am.
Peer pressure no dey always push person to crime.
Sometimes e dey teach person say consequence na myth.
Damilare learn am early.
When other boys dey dodge soldiers, him dey sit with dem drink. When curfew sound, him dey press horn. When bouncer talk too much, him dey slap am.
"Relax. You know who my father be?"
That sentence na anthem.
Last night, dem gather for one lounge — private, expensive, fenced with arrogance. Music loud, ego louder. Alcohol flow like say tomorrow no dey.
One of the boys — senator pikin — carry phone dey record.
"Guy, make we disturb small. Life too soft," he talk.
Damilare laugh.
Disturb na hobby.
Road block ahead. Police stop dem. Normal thing.
One officer talk calm.
"Oga, wind down. Step out."
That was mistake.
Damilare step out, chest forward, voice high.
"You dey mad? You know who my father be?"
Boys dey hype am.
"Tell am!"
"Show am!"
"Na you get Lagos!"
Slap land.
Camera no blink.
Barrack no teach am respect —
barrack teach am say power fit bend law.
Back to the morning.
Chief Solomon sit down slow.
He no ask question.
He already know.
In politics, bad news no dey lie — e dey multiply.
Outside, aides dey wait. Cameras dey ready. Nation dey expect Iron Man.
Inside, one spoiled boy dey pull pin from grenade.