Its 2004 Port Harcourt at the height of the kidnap of oil workers in the Niger Delta, a kidnapping goes awry and four lives are reconnected. Douye aka Doughboy the career militant responsible for the crime.
Amaibi the gentle university professor / eco-warrior accused. Kaniye the lawyer turned restaurateur who tries to get him off and Tubo an amoral oil company executive.
Against a backdrop of corrupt practises, failed systems and injustice, these four friends tell the story of oil in a region and its effects on local communities and the Nigerian larger society.
My Review of Tomorrow Died Yesterday by Chimeka Garricks.
I would say this is one of my favorite books of 2023. Knowing how sublime Garricks’ writing is, I didn’t expect any less.
It’s a book about the kidnap of expatriates in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, and it spans across different time frames.
I can still remember during the 2000’s when kidnapping of oil workers was in vogue in the country. Niger Delta militants would kidnap these foreign oil workers and demand for ransoms.
Some of these kidnapped men would make it out alive, while others would not.
And in their defense, these militants claim they are only taking back what is theirs. The oil belongs to the Niger Delta, but the corrupt politicians enjoy the benefits from this oil, while they abandon the original owners to suffer in penury.
In this book, Chimeka would introduce us to four friends; Amaibi, Kaniye, Doughboy (Doye) and Tubo, who would take turns narrating the story in their different perspectives.
I like the way the theme of friendship was explored in this book. Even though they are from different families and backgrounds, they would stick together till their adulthood.
Amaibi is the righteous lecturer who is principled to a fault. But at the same time he strongly opposes the injustice faced by his people in the Niger Delta. When a foreign expatriate is kidnapped and he acts as a middleman to drop the agreed ransom, he would face the greatest tragedy of his life.
He would be arrested and made to fail trial, and would depend on his lawyer friend, Kaniye to rescue him.
Kaniye is by far my favorite character in the book. In fact, he is now on top of the list of the fictional characters I’m crushing on.
He is a sweet, humorous and kind man who looks out for his friends and family. Even though he doesn’t have a great relationship with his father right from when he was a kid, he would not let that deter him.
He loves and takes care of his mother and his half kid sister like they are the only things that matter. And he would not let go of these admirable traits even when he becomes an adult.
His romance with Deola is such a healthy and beautiful one to see. And it makes more sense that they are both characters from ‘You suppose know,’ a story from his short stories collection, A Broken People’s Playlist. He is also an intelligent lawyer and would stick out for his friend, Amaibi.
Doughboy would grow up to become a militant who kidnaps expatriates and demands for ransom. According to him, he is only taking back what belongs to him. And it does not matter if violence is the only way to achieve that.
Tubo is the sly one in the group. He prefers doing things that would favor him, and has a questionable loyalty. However, even in their imperfections and strained relationships, these four friends would still find ways to have each other’s backs.
Trust me when I say this book is a worthy read. And I am recommending it to every lover of fiction and good story telling. I would rate it as 5/5.
Have you read the book? What do you think about it? Please share your thoughts with me in the comment section.
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