The Cartels

In the quiet, red-soil village of Aninri—a small, dusty town tucked away in the eastern part of Nigeria—lived the Akudo Akudinanwa alias Sumodo’s family. Humble, resilient, and deeply rooted in cultural values, their story begins with the boy who bore the family’s hopes on his young shoulders.

Sumodo Akudinanwa, a lanky teenager with an ever-serious face, was born into a low income -class family. He often frowned when asked to carry out household chores, preferring instead to spend his time on the village football field. Football wasn’t just a hobby; it was his passion. In his small circle, he was known never to miss a match and rarely missed a goal.

His father, Mazi Akudinanwa, a maize farmer and animal husbandry. Who reared sheep and chicken Age wasn’t in his side any more, he already wore a silver-streaked hair and a gentle gaze. Would sit religiously on a goat-skin chair in front of the family courtyard, watching Sumodo dribble the ball like a magician with a charm. The dream he once had—of becoming a national goalkeeper—was long gone, buried in the ruins of time and fate. But he had made himself a promise: “One of my children will go abroad to play professional football.” Akudinanwa was known well in the whole village of Aninri, for his prolong speeches using the Igbo proverbs and idioms. He often say one proverb or another during each an every discussion he had with his kingsmen or during family events.

“Ndi beanyi si n’ echi di ime” Tomorrow is not promised,” he often muttered in his native tongue.

This way, he would watch his son, eyes glinting with hope, and whisper the old Igbo saying:

“Ifẹ́ agwọ mụrụ aghaghị ito ogo”— The offspring of a serpent must know how to slither.

He had a great bond with Sumodo. From sunrise to dusk, he would speak about Sumodo’s promising future. He always went with him to meetings, aligning him with his clan. Akudo alias Sumodo sometimes carried his oche ekwu, an ancient traditional stool.

He was actually one of the few people who had not yet come of age to attend meetings in the village. But because of his father’s fondness for him, he always took him along. He did not have the capacity to send Sumodo to higher institutions, nor did he have the money to send him abroad to play football. Instead, he was planning to send him as an apprentice to learn animal-skin trading in Umuahia, though he had not gotten any response since he contacted Ukaeje concerning his proposal for his son Akudo alias Sumodo’s apprenticeship. Ukaeje was the man Sumodo would serve for a period of seven years if accepted. Serving him for an extended period will cultivate Sumodo’s business acumen, transforming him into a full-scale trader. This experience will equip him with essential knowledge of the trade while also providing the necessary funding to launch his business.