12 TALES OF DIFFERENT STROKES

Description

The collection centers on the realities of societal hustle, survival instincts, systemic corruption, and moral ambiguity. Some of the notable stories featured include:

The Runs Man: The opening story follows Ignatius Ijego (who renames himself “IG. Ego”). Born into a landless family in a rustic agrarian village, he migrates to Lagos with nothing but an intense determination to succeed. He navigates the cutthroat survival of the city—transitioning from a roadside puff-puff vendor to an enforcer (agbero) for the transport unions, and eventually a bus conductor.

The Soldier: This narrative follows Okon Effiong, a man who joins the military not out of patriotism, but to use the authority of the uniform to satisfy his sadistic impulses and predatory desires at a highway outpost. His cowardice is ultimately exposed when he is deployed from the low-intensity conflicts of the South-East to full-scale war zones in the North-East.

The Gubernator: Delves into political ambition, focusing on a wealthy senator who uses a massive war chest built from “parliamentary sleaze” to campaign, only to be abruptly arrested by the EFCC and DSS.

The Receiver: Explores the criminal underworld through Mufutau Adejobi (“Ade-Job”), a man living a double life running a legitimate hardware business in the front, while operating a clandestine backyard operation dismantling stolen vehicles under the protection of bribed law enforcement.

The Last Relief Company: A gritty, action-packed military tale highlighting the tactical warfare and survival struggles of soldiers fighting insurgencies along the dangerous Bama-Maiduguri Highway.

In the Business of Death: The final story focuses on the lucrative, highly competitive, and morally complex world of modern funeral homes, private cemeteries, and commercial hearse operations in Nigeria.

Full Table of Contents

The complete list of the twelve stories contained within the book includes:

1. The Runs Man
2. The Witchdoctor
3. The Soldier
4. Ogbologbo Terror
5. The Gubernator
6. The Receiver
7. Kizito Alias Kekere
8. A Tradition of Rapacity
9. A Twisted Love
10. This Foul Deed
11. The Last Relief Company
12. In the Business of Death

Overall, the book offers a vivid, unfiltered reflection of contemporary Nigerian society, blending dark realism with the resilient spirit of characters trying to make it in a pitiless world.