The Rage Of The Mob Is More Devastating Than Fire Outbreak

DON EBUBEOGU

A classic example of misplaced anger.

 The call came from the Governor himself, directing Agbili Martin Agility to personally ensure that the new Anambra International Airport commissioned a few months ago is saved from the consuming raging fire coming from the aviation fuel deport built close to the terminal. 

When the firefighters from Awka appeared on the scene, the Managing Director of Anambra Airport Authority rushed to Agility and said, “We have 7 private jets and 3 commercial planes at the tarmac. They must be saved. He made him understand that the only way to save the airport is to stop the fire at the source by fighting it deep inside the depot. 

Without uttering a word, Agility looked into the eyes of the MD for 10 seconds to make sure he understood what he just directed – a suicide mission with the sole purpose of saving private jets belonging to Premium Anambra Men. He took a deep breath and turned towards his men, who are taking one of the biggest risks of their lives by going close to the depot that may explode any moment from now. 

Agility is not a boss but a leader of men. He always takes charge whenever the duty calls. He picked up his mobile and called his wife. She always stays awake whenever he is out there fighting a fire outbreak. He told her to pray for him and his team as they battle an inflammable depot at the new airport. This prayer request has become a routine. It conveys so many meaning to the wife, including “take care of my home and that of my men”. A responsibility the wife carries with faith and stoic. 

Agility took the lead and moved closer to the depot. But the roaring flames held him and the firefighters off.

Soon firefighters from Onitsha and Nnewi arrived as the situation became desperate. 

The explosion was loud and devastating as Agility expected. He moved the truck from Awka towards the west wing of the airport to create space for the truck from Nnewi. Another explosion hit the truck and stopped it from moving. The impact jammed the water pump, rendering the truck useless. 

He abandoned the truck and took charge of the one from Nnewi.

From a distance, the mob roared with anger and accused the firefighters of coming with a truck without water. Somebody also mentioned that it came without a spare tyre. They accused Agility of working with the opposition to ensure that the airport is destroyed. 

The first person that threw the stone at Agility was the taxi driver, who lost his shop at Ochanja market during the last fire outbreak in that market. Others joined, forcing Agility to battle both the fire outbreak and the mob outrage. 

While Agility was trying to pacify the mob, his team took cover behind their trucks as a hell of stones and bottles kept flying in their direction. The fire kept burning and gradually spreading towards the airport. 

From the distance, a lone siren was heard as another fire truck came into sight. It was the fire service truck from Asaba, Delta State. 

Without even slowing down it drove straight into the middle of the inferno, from the west wing of the airport, where Agility had tried to fight the fire from before the mob started attacking them. 

The other firemen watched as the Asaba truck drove into the inferno and the servicemen jumped off right in the middle of the fire and started fighting it back from the inside like men on a death wish. It was a performance and effort never seen before. The firemen from Onitsha and Nnewi seeing that the Asaba team may be consumed by the inferno if help is not quickly extended to them ignored the stones and bottles hurled at them and directed their water host towards where the Asaba men are standing to protect them from the encircled fire. 

Within a short time, the Asaba team had extinguished the fire and had saved the airport to the cheering of the mob and government officials. 

The elated Managing Director of the Airport Authority made a cash reward of N5 million Naira to the team from Asaba for their heroic performance. The mob was ecstatic, singing their praises. Agility and his team were ignored. 

Chief Uche Nworah, who was covering the entire activities with his team, went to the head of the team from Asaba and asked him, “What are you going to do with all that money donated by the airport authority and private jet owners ?”, “Well,” said Asaba Team Lead, “the first thing we are going to do is to fix the brakes on that our truck! the break failed when we approached and drove us deep into the inferno”.

If Agility had not taken a personal risk to ignore the stones and directed water towards the team from Asaba, we would have lost the airport and the men from the Asaba fire service department. 

When next you pick a stone against fire servicemen, think about their wives and children who are also awake praying and feeling the heat from the inferno in their various homes.

NB: this is fiction Ozii Baba Anieto, I have edited as directed Sir.