The Ransom by O. C. Iloeje

THE RANSOM is the saga of the ransom of the dead, a payment in life demanded by the aggrieved family for the gruesome murder of a woman with her unborn child. Our young protagonist, Izuka, an epitome of courage and selflessness, offers himself and is sacrificed as a substitute for the culprit, for a misdeed he knew nothing about. He is sentenced to a life of exile and untimely death. Set in the pre-evangelization era in what became southeastern Nigeria, Izuka and his “chi” battle all odds as his story takes us through a journey of daring adventure, love, sacrifice and fate. He eventually makes it back to his village, to his brothers and to a deserved hero’s welcome, amidst an image of him as someone who has seen and eaten with his ancestors.