"Lights out," the correctional officer barked. "Turn off the lights let these criminals go and sleep."
The correctional facility's architecture is utilitarian, emphasizing functionality and security. The exterior, built from robust materials, creates an imposing presence. Tall concrete walls, topped with gleaming coils of razor wire, establish a clear boundary between the incarcerated world within and the outside highway. The few small windows that dot the façade serve more as functional necessities than aesthetic elements, allowing controlled glimpses of the interior.
Within the confines of the facility, a meticulously planned layout enhances security measures. The prison yard, enclosed by high fences, provides limited space for outdoor activities. Sparse patches of grass struggle to thrive amidst the constant human presence. The guard tower, a sentinel overseeing the compound, emphasizes the constant vigilance maintained to prevent any potential breaches.
The surroundings echo a sense of isolation. The distant flow of traffic on the highway becomes a distant soundtrack, a reminder of the world beyond the confines of the correctional facility. The parking lot, housing official vehicles used by staff, is organized with military precision but lacks the liveliness associated with public spaces.
As one approaches the entrance, security measures intensify. Metal detectors, high gates, and imposing checkpoints signify the transition from the outside world to the controlled environment within. The atmosphere is tinged with a solemnity that permeates every inch of the facility.
Overall, the correctional facility manifests a stark juxtaposition between societal order and the consequences of legal transgressions. The austere architecture and controlled surroundings serve as a physical embodiment of the punitive aspect of the justice system, where confinement and restriction was paramount.
But tonight, every security protocol put in place in the old facility had been compromised.
It has been two months since Chief Ikpa and the former governor had gone to the Federal capital to make their complaints against the governor of the state.
The President had decided to sit on the fence over the matter after it was brought to him. Obviously, the governor made a better argument for a president who frowned against corruption than the former governor who was being investigated by the anti-corruption agency for abuse of office.
Chief Ikpa however had other plans in mind after the President failed to come to their assistance.
"The aim is to turn the people again him," he had told the former governor. "And that is something I'm beginning to be quite good at."
Chief Ikpa had masterminded a smear campaign against a former governor of the state which led to the people turning against him and costing him reelection. Unfortunately his plan didn't work in his fabout. That was how the man who was now sitting before Chief Ikpa emerged as governor and served the constitutionally allowed eight years.
"The smear campaign I engineered against the man you took over from will not work today," Chief Ikpa said. "Our people are wiser now. We have to take more drastic steps. Steps that may lead to loss of lives, even innocent lives."
"Who is innocent?" the former governor said. "As long as it makes the state ungovernable for that fool, I'm in this with you one hundred percent."
The chain keeping her confined within the grave was never to break. Her story was passed from one generation to the other, to ensure the chain remained in tact. One generation forgot to take it seriously...
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