FADE IN:

EXT. IKOYI, LAGOS- FRONT OF THE JAJA’s HOUSE- DAY

Door opens by a man in his (30’s) who is talking to a woman also in her (30’s)(though he’s older),
he’s holding a luggage as he moves closer to the camera, we can can see the woman is holding a
little boy; he is (8). They are the JAJA’s, ISAAC JAJA and CHIOMA JAJA. A TAXI is waiting for
ISAAC IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.

ISAAC
I don’t know when I’ll be back; how long can it take to build one simple bridge.

Camera moves to chioma; she seems worried.

ISAAC turns to CHIOMA and holds her face with his other hand holding his luggage, he signs.

ISAAC (CONT’D)
Look I know it’s my first job abroad but I promise, I’ll be back before you know it.

He looks at his son CHUKWUEMEKA JAJA(CHUKS) who’s staring at him, he then roughs his hair
and smiles at him, ISAAC turns away and opens the boot of the taxi then gets into the back sit.
With the back sit windows closed he stares at CHIOMA; she waved at him softly and the driver
drives away.

INT. BEDROOM- JAJA’S HOUSE- LATE AFTERNOON

CHIOMA trying to call ISAAC but his number is not reachable according to the phones network
female voice. We can see it’s 5:15pm On the phone. CHIOMA is sitting on the bed in the bedroom
her and her husband shares; she’s covered from leg to waist with a blanket. She signs facing
upward and pauses for a while, it seems she has an idea she quickly gets up holding her phone
and walks towards a WARDROBE, it’s ISAAC’S, she bends to draws out the DRAWER LIKE
LOWER PART, it’s where he keeps his documents. She swipes through a few cards, She takes an
envelope and shakes it hoping something small would come out but nothing does.

She closes it stands back up then opens the TOP PART WARDROBE where he keeps his cloths;
we see well DRY CLEANED SHIRTS ON HANGERS, she checks the pocket of a suit and finds his
contract AGENCY CARD which is what she is looking for.

The camera focuses on the CARD for a bit and we can see the agency name(QUICK
ACCESS,CONTRACT STAFFING AGENCY) WITH TWO PHONE NUMBERS BELOW, She
quickly closes the WARDROBE and starts dialing the number on it as she turns towards the BED;
she sits at the edge with her legs on the floor and held the phone up to her ear. The phone rings
for a while.

A woman answers and their conversation goes:

WOMAN(V.O)
This is quick access STAFFING AGENCY secretary, how may I help you?

CAMERA AT HER BACK

CHIOMA
My name is CHIOMA JAJA, your company gave my husband ISAAC JAJA a bridge construction
contract in the uk a year ago?

WOMAN(V.O)
Ok!……

CHIOMA
I just need to know if it was completed.

WOMAN(V.O)
I’m sorry I can’t help.

CHIOMA
Pls don’t hang up! Signs, I haven’t been able to reach him since he left, I’m worried something bad
might have happened.

WOMAN(V.O)
Ok hold on I’ll check

WOMAN checks the computer records offscreen, CHIOMA is still holding up her PHONE, after a
while the WOMAN responds.

WOMAN(V.O)(CONT’D)
It’s says here…………. The bridge was finished two months later.

CHIOMA
And his whereabouts?

WOMAN(V.O). CHIOMA
Ma’am I……. (Softly)
Pls!

WOMAN(V.O)
I’ll call you when I get the information.

Woman hangs up, CHIOMA lowers her phone and faces down towards it, holds it with both
hands(she’s using her phone).

INT. KITCHEN, LATER THAT NIGHT

CHIOMA is chopping something up in the kitchen; she’s making dinner. We see her PHONE on the
cabinet, it rings, the caller is unknown as shown on the PHONE SCREEN, she turns to it and picks
it up to her ear reluctantly.

WOMAN(V.O)
Hello ma’am I got the information you asked.

CHIOMA
And?……

WOMAN(V.O)
Your husband got married to a woman in the uk a few months ago.
CHIOMA is silent, after a MOMENT

WOMAN(V.O)
My very sorry ma’am.

CHIOMA
It’s……… it’s fine, thanks for your help.

We can see CHUKS at the background but CHIOMA hasn’t noticed him yet, he’s staring at her,
she hangs up and leans forward on the cabinet, she notices CHUKS, stares at him then she offers
him her hand, the camera is at the back, CHUKS walks towards her and takes her hand. She
holds him close to her with her hands around his shoulder.

The camera is moving backwards slowly.

BLack, then fade in:

INT. PRESS CONFERENCE- MID DAY

We see a TABLE with MICS, it’s a hosting table on a press conference, a man walks towards it
and stands at the middle, it’s KOLAWOLE ADEYEMI (IGP) he’s about to make a speech, he looks
around a bit then:

INSPECTOR GENERAL
For many years now, this country has remained peaceful and has flourished non the less, it has
thrived and proven itself globally, we have made numerous partnerships all around the world for
the sake of development, but for some reason many people has seen fit to tarnish that
development by committing numerous unspeakable acts, Our criminal record is top tier! I call for
today’s meeting because I can now see clearly that we cannot make progress unless we wipe
these rodents from the surface of the earth. I kolawole adeyemi inspector general of the police
force with the power bestowed upon me by the president will now sign into law a special force
known as the “special anti robbery squad” who’s duty is to scour local areas in search of criminals
and bring them into custody. That’d be all!

He walks away as indistinct chatters of press asks him questions, flashes of cameras being shot at
him.

FADE OUT:

10 YEARS LATER

INT.WILLOW HILLS UNIVERSITY-OGUN STATE-DAY

We see a wide shot of chuks’s school

Chuks is sitting outside the school with his luggage by his side as he uses his phone, the camera
goes close to his phone’s screen, now we can see his texts:
WHATSAPP TEXTS

(chuks)
I’ve finished packing
I’m waiting outside

(MOM)
Ok I’ll be there in a bit
I stopped by to buy something

(Chuks)
(Currently typing)
Pls hurry!

Four peers (3boys and a girl) walk up to him while they talk indistinctly.

BOY #1
(Enthusiastically)
Yo chuks, we’re having an end of semester party at a hotel nearby, when it’s over Sam is going to
drive us together to lagos.

BOY #1 (CONT’D)
It’s going to be fun.

CHUKS
Oh! It’s fine, you guys should go ahead.

BOY #2
I told you he wouldn’t come, let’s not waste our time with this guy.

As boy #2 (Sam) is about to walk away boy #1 stops him.

BOY #1
Why’re you always so quiet and detached from everyone, you think you’re better than us?

Chuks
I do!

BOY #1
What did you say!

Just as boy #1 reaches out to beat chuks up

Boy #2 (Sam) stops him just before he made an effort, boy #1 walks away reluctantly. They all
walk away.

After a few seconds chuks’s mom reaches there, chuks gets up, gets his luggage and walks up to
the car (camera is bbehind him).

INT. CHIOMA’S CAR- CONTINOUS

Chuks and mom are driving to lagos. Chuks is at the back seat looking out the window resting on
the door, he notices a boy arguing with 2 sars officers, There’s a Mercedes parked beside them,
it’s the boy’s car.
Chioma turns on the news offscreen.

The news on the car TV catches his interest (he starts watching).

FEMALE
(Over the news)
Last week a young man was brutally shot by sars officers in public and the scene was caught in a
video that went viral, many people claim to have similar stories of these corrupt officers and not
only are people touched by this mercilessly act but as a result young people in several states has
decided to stand up to sars by running peaceful protests all over the country.

(News starts to fade)

Could this mean we are going back to the military era where soldiers unlawfully arrested civilians
and violated their rights

Chuks is caught up in the news.

CHIOMA
(Jugs him from his concentration)
INDISTINCT: Chukwuemeka
LOUDER: Chukwuemeka
Chukwuemeka!

CHUKS’S focus is broken and he turns to her, Just as she turns off the news:

CHIOMA
Are you ok?

CHUKS
Yah, I’m fine.

CHIOMA
Are you sure?

CHIOMA (CONT’D)
Anyway why’re always in such a hurry to leave school, you need to loosen up more, go out with
the guys you know now, party!

CHUKS
It’s not that I don’t like parties, but the guys at school only asks me to hang out with them when
they’re looking for someone to make fun off.

CHIOMA
All of them?

CHUKS
They’re all idiots

CHIOMA
Common dear, you can’t tell me there isn’t anyone in school you can relate with

CHUKS
Not in school
CHIOMA
Dear listen to me, you are not getting any younger , you should surround yourself with people, (in
Igbo) 1 plus 1 is 2, we all need friends we can trust in our lives.

A moment of silence.

CHUKS
I trust Jeffrey

CHIOMA
You know I don’t like that boy, he’s an outlaw, he.. he doesn’t attend a university, he started living
alone at a young age

CHUKS (INTERRUPTS)
Mom!

After a moment.

CHIOMA
Signs! I’m sorry, I got carried away, you know I’m only after your best interest.

CHUKS
I can take care of myself

CHIOMA
I just don’t want you to end up like

CHUKS (INTERRUPTS)
I know.
And I won’t.

We see an Ariel shot of the car driving.

INT. CHUKS’S HOME-NEXT DAY-MORNING

We see chuks showering through the glass door in his room’s bathroom,CHUKS has a few
basketball awards and pictures of basketball legends hanged on the walls, he turns the shower off
and comes out with a towel on and the camera focuses on a wall as he wears an underwear and a
shirt blurred in the background.

He bends to pick his phone on top of a drawer (on the drawer is a family portrait of his when he
was still a baby and one with him on basketball clothing) he starts typing on his phone then the
camera moves close to the screen and we can see what’s on, he’s applied for a basketball team
membership.

As he faces the drawer the camera moves to a close up shot of the portraits, then he drops his
phone back on top with us seeing only his hand.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Chioma is watching the news in the living room on a couch close to the Tv while drinking hot
coffee.
Chuks walks behind her to the left

CHIOMA
(Watching TV)
On the table!

Chuks changes direction to the right, he picks up his food from the dinning table and walks right
behind chioma then he notices the news and stands by to listen:

FEMALE
(On the news)
Civilians react as a body was found on the streets, it has been confirmed that it was a boy named
JOSEPH AKINLEYE.
We then see a passport photo of the boy displayed on the tv screen

FEMALE (CONT’D)
And the police are now (news fades).

CUT TO:

INT. CHIOMA’S CAR-PREVIOUS DAY

We then see the time chuks spotted a boy arguing with two sars officers. Chuks is having a
flashback, he notices it’s the same boy being announced dead.

CUT TO:

INT. BACK TO THE LIVING ROOM

CHUKS’S phone rings in his room

FEMALE
While potential suspects are being held in.

(It’s JEFFREY) He walks into his room and picks it up.

CHUKS
Whatsup

I/E.

Jeffrey is on the streets of “city”, he gets out of his vehicle and is buying food(fried and jollof rice)
at a local restaurant on the street.

JEFFREY
(Gets down from his vehicle)
(In pidgin)
Chuks nawa for you o!

CHUKS drops his food on the drawer and rests on the wall.

CHUKS
(In pidgin)
Wetin happen
JEFFREY
(In pidgin)
As you don Dey “lagos”, you suppose don call me now

Jeffrey signals the girl who sells food as if to tell her what to serve.

CHUKS
(In pidgin)
Say you be my mama?

CHUKS(CONT’D)
(In English)
How did you even know i was back?

Jeffery rests on the side of his vehicle

JEFFREY
Kehinde!

Chuks SCOFFS

JEFFREY(CONT’D)
Anyway we should meet up later, there’s so much I need to tell you

Jeffrey takes his food from the girl as he mouths “how much”

CHUKS
Sorry but…

JEFFREY (INTERRUPTS)
Practice at the usual court.

EXT. LOCAL BASKET BALL COURT-LATE AFTERNOON