One of our fathers in the mosque who made the last Hajj narrated to us the touching story of a high-ranking retired police officer.
The officer was seen crying profusely in Makkah. Compassionate onlookers probed into why tears was gushing out of his eyes and rivers rolling down his cheeks.
He said he wasn’t sure if Allah would forgive him of a grievous sin he once committed while in active service.
Chronologically, he narrated that the child of an influential figure in Nigeria once committed a heinous crime and was correspondingly sentenced. Since justice could not be averted, the father approached him for what could be done to save his criminal-son from rotting in jail.
He charged him a humongous amount that would scare him away. He was said to have mentioned millions of naira which, according to him, would make him see the unworkability of the request.
To his dismay, the man went to his car and brought him a bag filled with wowing sum of the nation’s currency. He was obviously ready and could do anything to take his son home. Thrilled by the gesture, the man was assured of a favourable response to his request.
Without any ado, an arrangement was made with junior officers to replace the criminal with another person. The satans therefore set out in search for someone who would never be able to defend his innocence. According to him, they got a villager who was making a ride to his farm arrested and offences which he might never commit in his entire life hung on his neck. The criminal was freed, and the innocent freezed. Hmm! What a wicked soul!
The police officer after retirement went for Hajj and was crying to Allah for forgiveness. Would he be forgiven with the innocent accused rotting in jail, or might have possibly kicked the bucket?
Many people are in Nigerian prison today for a similar phenomenon: crimes they never committed, yet it is trumpeted that police is our friend. Friend or foe?
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