By Salamatu Sule-
Title of Book: A Conspiracy of Ravens Name of Author: OthukeOminiabohs Genre: Thriller (fiction) Pages: 401 Publishers: TND Press Year of Publication: 2016 OthukeOminiabohs‘
A Conspiracy of Ravens’is a political thriller and a work of fi ction.Th e bookexposes the present cause and developments of events that can be said to be spinoff s from the Nigerian Civil War which by the way now breeds militancy and insurgencyin the South of the Niger Delta and the North East of Nigeria.
Th e novel consists of forty fi ve Chapters with a prologue and epilogue totalingfour hundred and one pages.It is set in the rich oil producing Niger Delta with coordinated actions in other areas like Abuja, Enugu, Warri and Kano. A Conspiracy of Ravens is a serious book that thrills andpoignantly raises questionsabout theconsistent political chaos, kidnappings, environmental degradation and the attendant social depravities because of corruption, both of which are internal and external.
It is a story of the ‘great paradox’ that is tied around each of the characters in the novel. Th e author tries to establish the connection between the activities of the power brokers of the Niger Delta and their use of the degradation of the Niger Delta to mobilise and arm the militants so as to use them as a bargaining chip in the politics of Nigeria to enrich themselves. Th e author, using the conspiracy theory, raises the possibility of the isolated incidence in the Niger Delta, the BokoHaraminsurgency in the North east and the resurgence of the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra as a coordinated act by a particular group of people to achieve a specifi c aims which may be detrimental to the nation. Th e acts may be just a distraction towards achieving a certain purpose. While we may not agree with the author about the use of the conspiracy theory, the chain of events can also be said to be too much for a coincidence.
Th e book brings together people of diverse backgrounds who are linked to a single objective for diff erent reasons. TariKamasuedeleader of the Niger Delta militia group is bent on liberating his people from the long suff ering caused by environmentaldegradation as a resultof the activities of the multinational oil exploration and drilling companies and the neglect of the people by the government.
Th e inability of the government to establish industries and provide infrastructures like road, schools and hospitals has led to a great suff ering as agriculture and fi shing, which by and largeisthe main source of livelihood, is been consistently destroyed by the activities of the oil companies. But unknown to him, Tari is just a pawn in a high class game of political chess.By the time he discovers, the odds were against him. “I fi ght for justice”.
Tari rose. “And this is the only way the government will listen to us”. (ACOR: Pg. 303) “Th en he remembered the phone call he had overhead in the chief ’s house: Of course Frank, we can always recruit fresh militants. Th ere are hungry youths all over” the Niger Delta youth would carry arms for a dime. We will make an army of youth to fi ght in the coming war” Shamsudeen the BokoHaramleader alsothinks that his actions are independentin the cause and defense of his religion.
Unknown to him, he is being used as a tool of distraction towards achieving the goals of his sponsors which did not tally with his own objectives.
I want the same thing as you want, but with alittle modifi cation and some sense of expediency, said the Voice. (ACOR: Pg. 23) Th e Fixer thinks he has everyone under his watch and control but soon misses it when he could not stop the Operation Ravens from taking place and save his grandson. If only he knows the vulture is not a faithful bird after all. “He had failed. He had tried to call off the attack on the creeks and he failed.
He still couldn’t reach the Niger Delta chiefs. All attempts to reach Tari proved abortive. His pilot was unavailable”. (ACOR: Pg. 371) Th e author’s build of complex characters is fl awless. Th e crafting of Taris fl aws and virtues as well as the quest for survival makes the book all engaging. Friends becoming enemies is another very striking aspect of A Conspiracy of Ravens.
TariKamasoude, Rasheed and the Fixer, while imaginary characters in A Conspiracy of Ravens, each of the characters above are a refl ection of the personality straddling the Nigerian political space. Th e fact that each of them is pursuing a diff erent objective, they have never hesitated to manipulate and exploit one another’s situation to their own advantage. Like the Ravens, the characters are all sharp witted and are preying on each other. ACOR discusses series of thematic issues; from trust tofamily ties, betrayal, deceit and retribution. While history is like an old wine that is preserved to be sweetened, Ominiabohs in this book tries to dabble into instant history, recording a fatal end for everyone while the question of the causality of events especially that of Boko Haram is still much of a contention today.
Th e chronology of events and the speed with which they occur may look coincidental, but sometimes human beings tend to miss the obvious by overlooking isolated incidences that may be the missing links in grand conspiracies. Readers can very much agree that the events in this book are too striking to be ignored. Did the author score a point after all? Sule is a former General Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Abuja chapter
