By Henry Akubuiro

A former police officer, Ambrose Madu is the author of the crime fiction, Raising the Dust, Crime Who’s Involved, a book that hinted years ago on the present security challenges facing Nigeria and other African countries and how to solve them. The Sun Literary Review chatted with him in the light of bizzare happenings in Nigeria.

 

How did the idea for Raising the Dust… come about?

It came from my experiences as an ex-officer of Nigeria Police. But, after mixing up with society as a social being, I discovered many undiscoverable things, starting from how people could be jailed unlawfully due to an impromptu investigation by the police. Besides, I also discovered that, at times, people also got into crime not knowing what it actually entailed but had to learn it only when they were being arrested, tried and jailed. I had to go into writing a book to educate them and the police for a change of attitude. Apart from this, I was motivated by a friend who had also testified to having gone through such pains, as well as the tragedy  of Dele Giwa.

Some of the issues treated in this novel are similar to what’s going on in the country at the moment, are you a prophet?

I am not, but reading what is going on today in Nigeria, I can say am a prophet or a great philosopher. The reason for this is because the contents of the book are actually portraying what is today happening in Nigeria in terms of insecurity. These are things the book hinted on many years ago.

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How much of this work is based on reality, or is it totally fiction?

Just look at the injustice Peter, one of the major characters in the book, went through because of not having   enough money to hire a lawyer to defend him in a state where just for the highest bidder! Again, look at why Mr. Udi, the secretary of the minister of interior, also got into the deal because of greed. Thomas, the major character, also regretted all his actions during and after his jail term. Alhaji Dauda, the big-time criminal, who owned an estate, was not accepted. Mr Kingsley, the police officer, who was supposed to halt the crime, was also killed unknowingly during the civil war. The first judge, who failed in his constitutional oath, was not also spared from the. Apart from them, the government, as a character, equally failed to do the needful to save all of them. Here, the “Dust” got so dense that it could no longer be controlled. So when these characters are carefully studied, the  solution to insecurity will be very simple.

To tell you the truth, no amount of force can halt insecurity in Nigeria. Guns can only suppress it, but it can’t solve it. So security can only be embraced on the basis of having a good education of human character.  Raising the Dust enumerates the elements of insecurity, and, when these elements are filtered, security becomes guaranteed.

Do you think a novel like this can help in solving our security challenges?

The novel was published in the UK by Authorhouse publishing and got its review by Kirkus. It has been online, and can only be ordered through international book retail outlets like Amazon, eBay, Goodreed Barnes and Nobles. etc. It’s not yet  available in any Nigerian bookshop. Obviously, I am not happy about it not being sold in Nigeria, because it has a healing balm on Nigeria’s security woes. I would be glad if I could see anyone to partner with for the project, especially the government or anyone interested in fighting insecurity in Nigeria, to make the book available to all and sundry.

Your book raises a vital question: Who is involved in high level crime? How did you go about answering it?

Yes,  that’s exactly what the book is all about. But one needs to read it to know what the contents are. When this is known, the approach of removing it would be very simple to solve. The problem again is that many people who are raising dust don’t know its contents. When it is known, the architects of the dust will know how to go about it.