I was challenged to read a new book every week during the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic. The first I read and completed was a novel titled ‘The Secret Place’ by Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor.
The 140-page book was first published by Mazariyya Books Limited in 2015 and reprinted in 2016. It tells thye story of a boy named Emeka who lived in the big city of Abuja with his family. He didn’t like the big city so much then and told his father, Mr Chukwu, that he would like to go to his home town, obunagu, in Enugu State. There, he lived with his uncle, Mr Ikenna. While in the village, he heard rumours about a building called the secret place or the mystery place. Some people speculated that the place was inhabited by spirits while some claimed it was taken over by cult groups.
Emeka, with a friend, Ibe, planned to investigate the secret place. They later learned that fake drugs were produced there. A lot of intrigue followed and pointed at one resounding moral: You can take a risk in life and never know what great treasure lies in it.”
Suleman Yushau is a JSS 2 Student from An-nur Islami College, Ilorin
