Knife Edge

castle was the tallest, not due to any fault of the others, but the right castle had a clock tower on its roof. The clock tower was a tall building having a giant clock, capable of tell

letes were always eager to race. While waiting patiently for the starting gun, at the race tracks, they would be bent on one knee, and once the gun was shot, they would explode with running. He couldn't wait to stand before the judge and argue his case. He recalled big name lawyers in history who had famous

ed his car, took his briefcase and gave Usman some instructions, the only thought he was forcing to the back of his mind, was Amanda. Shola had informed him she was the lawyer representing the government, and he had pho

warrior gripping a giant sword, positioned at both sides of the courtroom doors. They gave Dagogo a chilly feeling, as if they

g on the walls were mosaics (pictures made out out of glass) and tapestries (pictures made out of textile fabric)

nited Nations with respect in his tone. “The United Nations inaugurated the International Court of Justice, with the sole responsibility to preserve world peace, by protecting human rights arou

as the front part of any courtroom, involved the Judge, the lawyers, the court clerk and others. In the litigation area, the litigants had their seats and microphone desks, directly in front of the Judge. The litigants were the participants in a case before the court, which in this case was Dagogo as plaintiff (the person making the complaint in court) and Amanda as defendant (the per

en wearing bulletproof vests with a writing of United Nations. In front of the Judge's platform, there was a line of benches, occupied by fifteen members of the United Nations, known as the jury. They represented their various countries. Which could be identified by the flags, fixed on the desks, just in front of them. On the right of the Judge's seat, the court clerk was seated behind a computer desk. Next to her, was a four cornered wooden enclosure, with a seat within,

ut a paper to read. Ten or fifteen minutes later, his side eye detected Amanda. She settled into her seat a short distance from him, and kept a book and some papers on her desk. He tried to keep his attention on the paper he was reading, but he was mixing up words. Then he touched his glas

Everyone in the courtroom stood up, as Judge Tierkney came thro

book, known as the court registry. It contained every case which the Judge would decide

rn, with his back to Amanda. He lifted his eyes to the Judge, then looked at the jury, before speaking

tion. Naturally, like in any country where there are human beings with flesh and blood, and a sense of morality, when the citizens of Naija realized what SARS had become, they protested and demanded an end to the SARS unit. For this reason the protest was tagged ENDSARS. Majority of the protesters were youths, youths who were attacked, some of them arrested unjustly, based on stereotypes created by this SARS group..." Dagogo observed the faces of the jury members, adjusted the glasses on his face, and continued speaking. "My Lord, on the 20th of October 2020, at midnight, what is now known as the Lekki toll gate massacre occurred. Soldiers sent by the Naija government, murdered in cold blood, a large number of ENDSARS protesters. Some of them luckily survived, but with life changing injuries, and the government denied the attack, claiming that it never happened. My Lord, members of the jury, what a world that we live in, what a world..." As he approached the final part of his opening statement, Dagogo paused for some seconds to bre

k encouragement in a good number of jury members, who were nodding to him. Then returning to his seat, he cast a second glance on Amanda. She had her eyes on a piece of pa

"The defense counsel wil

of the courtroom, as she stepped out to speak. Dagogo admi

t Lekki toll gate, by any organization or government institution in Naija, or any organization or institution abroad. The news of the Lekki toll gate massacre, has existed mostly on social media, and it was propagated by videos posted online, of armed men firing gun

he was upset, it wasn't because of anything she was saying at the moment, but rather, the same questions he had asked himself a thousand times, over the last three years. Why she left. Why she refused his phone calls. Why she never replied a text. Alt

ctims of the incident, but up till this day, and presently in this courtroom, no witness of the Lekki toll gate massacre has come forward. Finally, My Lord, the ENDSARS protesters were widely known to be a rowdy crowd in their conduct. They blocked major public roads and sometimes they attacked traditional rulers, therefore they could be deeemed a threat to national security. And under the Naija constitution, during a time of emergency, the government is within its powers, to put aside the rights of individuals, to protect the natio

her. Dagogo was watching them, trying to guess what they could be saying

e didn't stand upright, but he ben

" Dagogo asked, keepin

sman cleared

happ

and I was told, they sai

had a quick bol

he was...strangled by a

ollow him to America, or know about his witness, or would know where the witness was headed. Except. The suspicion of Rogers came to his mind. Except there was a spy.