AXED

Chapter one: Court room palaver

~Hey y'all..... so this is a first🙈
I feel so nervous....  but then,here goes nothing💥!~
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The court room is silent. Only the gentle whirr of the ceiling fans are heard. The tension sits like a cloud pregnant with unexpected things.  Expected things actually, for everyone knows what the verdict is going to be.
"All rise," the usher announces upon the entry of the judge, justice Zayyad Tahir. He is a burly man with thick framed glasses- typical judge-. He's a man of sixty years and a judge of twenty five years. His head carries grey hairs from age, experience and exhaustion. His beard sits on his chin in a tuft like something glued improperly. The crowd, numbering over two hundred all shuffle to their feet until the judge sits at his table.
"Present our cases for today," he booms in an authoritative voice as the crowd takes their seats. One of the prosecution council members stands from his seat,  moves toward the judge and bows a little.
"My lord, we have four cases for today. Case one, Mr  Olalekan Jabir versus Miss Munirat Abdul fatai in the case of rape. Case two, Mr Bali versus the state in the drug trafficking case, Case three, The confession of a serial killer and finally, Case four, Messers Ali, and Lado in the Yahoo fraud case."

" I don't think I can take all of these cases today. We should adjourn two cases for next week. I will take case one and three since they seem straightforward."

"Yes, my lord. Case one: Miss Munirat and Mr Olalekan. Please come forward to the witness box."
The said people make their way to the witness boxes opposite each other. Munirat is a scrawny fifteen year old with short crop of jet-black hair and fair-complexion. Her face is red with shame-probably- and tears. She holds a tissue that she brings to her nose every so often. Mr Olalekan on the other hand is a stout man with a hard demeanor. He looks calm and confident. The prosecutor moves toward Munirat with a Bible and a Qur'an.
"What is your religion?" He asks.

"Islam. I'm a Muslim." He presents the Qur'an to her.
"Repeat after me....."
After the formalities and the swearing, the case begins.
"Good afternoon my lord, my name is barrister Habib Sani, lawyer of the complainant." A tall lawyer standing says.
" My lord, my name is Mu'az Osama the defendant's lawyer." Another lawyer says. Zayyad nods faintly.

"Present the case." He says.

"Thank you my lord," Habib says. "My lord, my client miss Munirat was  mercilessly assaulted by this man standing over there. The evidence is clear my lord and as you said this is a straight forward case. Time should not be wasted. This young girl should get the justice she deserves." Zayyad picks up his pen and scribbles on a piece of paper.
"Does the defendant's lawyer has anything to say?"
"Yes my lord. I'd like to ask miss Munirat some questions with my lord's permission." Mu'az replies.
"Permission granted."  The lawyer walks up to Munirat.
"Miss Munirat, can you tell the court exactly what happened on that day?" He asks with professionalism. The girl looks across the room at her mother,as though she needed a go-ahead. Her mother nods.
"Y.. yes.." she stammers. Her eyes glisten with moist tears.
"Calm down and just narrate everything."
"It happened two weeks ago on a Tuesday. My mother sent me to the market. I was already halfway there when it started raining heavily. I couldn't go to the market then and I was stranded.
Suddenly, a black car pulled up and I saw brother Lekan. He offered to take me home so I agreed to go with him."

"So you entered a car with an unknown man?"

"No," she counters. "He wasn't a stranger. He is a close family friend of ours and he visits us frequently. So when he offered to take me home, I agreed. I never knew he was a green snake under green grass."
Mu'az smiles cynically. 
"Then how did it happen?" He enquires.

"Instead of taking me home, he took me to his house. He said there was something he needed to get, a parcel for my mom. He told me to come inside for a bit. I thought his married sister and her children were home so I didn't mind. I didn't know they had travelled the previous day. He told me to change my clothes with his sisters' so I won't catch a cold, and he went to bring me drinking water. After I drank the water I did not know what happened afterwards. I....." she falters.
"Go on." He urges her.
"I don't really remember what happened afterwards. When I woke up, I was in the hospital."