Chapter 3: Negotiation No Get Head

That time, Israel Prime Minister na Golda Meir, the original Iron Lady—one of Israel founding elders.

If na Nigeria, people for call her "Mama with iron hand." Her face dey everywhere for poster, her mouth no dey sweet, but her heart dey strong.

Before Margaret Thatcher for Britain, Meir don get name for her stubbornness.

People dey yarn: "Even if you bring juju, that woman no go shake." Her stubbornness dey legendary, even politicians for Naija dey respect her grit.

Faced with wahala, she no gree change her mind.

Cabinet dey beg, but she hold ground. "If we bend today, dem go dey press us forever!" Na so she talk for cabinet, slap table. Some men dey look ground, some dey nod.

She talk say: "If we bend, Jews everywhere no go ever safe again."

Her words dey strong like thunder for rainy season. People wey dey watch news for Jerusalem dey clap, others dey cry.

She come suggest make Israel send their special operations team to West Germany to help with rescue, since dem sabi counter-terrorism work well.

Her advisers dey whisper, "Shuoo, if our boys handle this thing, e go end quick." Dem dey reason say those Sayeret Matkal soldiers no dey play.

But West Germany, wey no get experience with terrorism, no gree—dem say their law no allow am.

For diplomatic talk, dem say "We appreciate your concern," but for back, dem dey panic. Germany law no gree foreign army enter, even for rescue mission.

Instead, West Germany set up emergency command center, with all their big men dey monitor.

Their command centre na like our own situation room for Abuja—generals, commissioners, big oga for police all dey watch monitor, dey argue, dey drink coffee.

Meanwhile, news don spread everywhere. Olympics pause all events. Reporters full ground, security scatter, everywhere just dey rowdy.

Stadium empty, except camera people. For street, you go see as people gather round TV for shop front. Even small pikin wey dey sell pure water for junction, stop dey look screen.

Since dem no get better plan, West Germany start to dey drag time with different excuse.

Dem dey tell terrorists, "Abeg, give us more time, we dey arrange transport." For back, dem dey scratch head, dey look map, dey call emergency meeting every hour.

The terrorists, wey sabi say matter no go end quick, dey extend their deadline again and again.

Issa dey smoke cigarette, dey check time, dey yarn with his boys: "Make we see how dem go try form sharp."

West Germany try everything—beg, threaten, negotiate—but nothing work.

Negotiators dey talk tire, but these terrorists no dey listen. Every call na dead end, every promise na lie. Dem don swear for heart say na die or glory.

The terrorists don ready to die. Their leader, Issa, even talk: "No matter wetin, many Israelis go die with me."

If na Naija, dem go call am 'man wey don tie white cloth for waist'. Even the way e dey talk, e no get fear for eye.

By 4:30 p.m., negotiation don spoil, West German police ready to act.

Police boss, with sweat for face, talk for radio: "Operation must start, no time again." Inside him mind, e dey pray make e no lose job.

Dem send 38 police officers, disguise as athletes with submachine guns, try enter through rooftop vent.

Dem wear tracksuit, some even hold fake water bottle, but fear dey show for their eye. You go see as their hand dey shake, gun dey cold for palm.

But shame catch dem—reporters full outside dey show everything live.

For TV, Naija journalists dey shout: "See as oyibo dey show themselves! Police for TV dey try break in, terrorists dey watch dem." E turn to open secret, everybody dey see the plan.

The terrorists dey watch police for TV inside apartment.

Dem sit down dey chop biscuit, dey watch police waka for screen. Even one terrorist talk, "See those mumu for roof."

Na comedy and tragedy join together.

For street, boys dey laugh, but na laugh wey dey pain. People dey ask: "How police go dey play film for terrorists?"

Plan scatter. Around 5 p.m., Issa drop new demand: within two hours, make dem provide two helicopters to carry hostages go enter passenger plane, then fly go Cairo, Egypt.

Issa yarn: "If una no do am, I go dey kill them one by one." For ground, police dey fear, dey call embassy, dey ring Egypt phone taya.

After confirming hostages dey alive, West Germany call Egypt—but Egypt no gree; which country wan accept terrorists?

Egypt president pick call, drop am quick. Dem dey fear make Israel no carry wahala reach their door.

No option, West Germany pretend say dem accept the demand, but for back, dem plan say the plane no go ever leave Munich.

Inside boardroom, police dey plan: "We go trick dem reach airport, arrange boys there." Na so dem dey draw plan for blackboard.

This one mean say dem don give up on the hostages.

Some officers dey shake head. Na one kind sadness dey everywhere. "Abeg, we no wan die for nothing," some dey whisper.

Police come get different plan, like to sniper the terrorists as dem dey go helicopter.

Sniper team dey hide, dey wait for signal. Na only five of them, but hope dey. Some dey rub hand, dey mumble prayer for mouth.

But terrorists dey sharp—dem say make dem check everywhere first. As dem see say something dey fishy, police even shout to snipers wey dey hide: "Na practice we dey do, abeg no shoot!"

As police see say e go burst, one of them shout: "No shoot, na training!" Terrorists dey laugh, say "These ones never ready."

Na so the last hope for the hostages just die.

Inside control room, silence reign. Person fit hear pin drop. One officer wipe face, another one just stand, no fit talk.

The command center later talk true: by that time, dem know say the mission don fail, and people must die.

Later, when dem dey write report, police boss say, "At this stage, our hand don clean. Na God dey judge."

Because people full Olympic Village, dem decide to move everything go air force base, where terrorists go enter plane.

Dem clear road, dey drive with siren, everywhere tense. Even street sweepers for Munich stand by road, dey look as convoy pass. For Naija, people for dey hail: "Waka well! No go jam!"

By 10 p.m., helicopters carry hostages and terrorists reach air force base.

Night don fall, breeze dey blow. Helicopter blade dey chop air. People wey dey watch from far dey hold breath, dey pray. Some dey use phone dey record, others dey hug themselves.

Inside the passenger plane, 16 "crew members"—na police in disguise—dey wait to act.

Dem dress anyhow, one even tie scarf like Hausa trader. Na confusion, nobody sure who be police or real crew.

But dem no tell these "crew" anything before. As dem see say wahala dey, dem do secret vote, all of dem pull out.

Inside plane, you for hear: "Omo, I no dey do again." One by one, dem slip out, go hide for tarmac.

Their reason simple: na suicide mission be that.

No be small thing—dem reason say if bullet start fly inside plane, everybody go collect. Even pilot dey shake for cockpit.

First, dem no even get correct flight attendant uniform, so anybody go spot dem quick; second, if dem shoot, all the outside fire go enter plane, everybody go die.

Na so one officer talk: "Who wan die for person wey no be your brother?" Even German people no fit answer.

Since no hope, who wan die for nothing?

Some dey say, "Abeg, my wife dey wait for house." Another dey mumble prayer, "God abeg, make I see tomorrow."