Taqaddama is a Kannywood film that visualizes the lives of some politicians and their children. A film based on the life of Hassan, an only child whose eyes were made of diamond and are not meant to rain. A child who never knows how to stoop to life. A child with dirty hands washed up by Marijuana.
Hassan is the son of Alhaji Bilya, a noteworthy politician who supports his child in everything he does, either legal or otherwise. He abets him and shields him from the consequences of his actions. He always claims that Hassan is still young and can’t differentiate between good and bad.
Consequently, Hassan grew into a troublemaker who encouraged crimes in society. He befriended poor children and supplied them with drugs and alcohol. He threw parties for them and did anything that violated the law.
One night, Hassan was at a club with his friends, drinking and smoking as usual. He argued with his friend Salisu and swore to kill him. A week later, he fulfilled his threat. He confessed to his father, Alhaji Bilya, and said that one of his friends, Nura, witnessed the murder. Alhaji Bilya called Nura and warned him not to reveal the secret, or he would die too. He also assured Hassan that he would not be punished.
Nura kept the secret and did not tell anyone, especially Salisu’s brother who was a soldier. But the guilt tormented him in his dreams. One night, he dreamed that he was arrested by the police and he woke up screaming that he did not kill Salisu, it was Hassan. His brother heard him from the toilet and came to question him. He tried to deny it, but his brother did not believe him.
Nura’s brother contacted Salisu’s brother and they sued Hassan for murder. Hassan and Nura were arrested and put in jail. But Alhaji Bilya used his influence and bribed a corrupt commissioner of police to transfer the officer in charge of the case to another state. The policeman who wanted to get justice for Salisu was fired. Salisu’s brother and the new officer dropped the case.
The three men (Salisu’s brother, Nura’s brother, and the fired policeman) decided that Alhaji Bilya’s actions had to be stopped and Hassan’s crimes deserved a severe punishment. They agreed to work together and use the power of the youth to change their society from oppressed to empowered citizens. They also believed in a collective voice that could speak louder than they expected.
They worked day and night and rallied other people who had also suffered from Hassan’s crimes. They became a strong force to demand justice from the government. The honest officer, who was the first to handle the case, was reinstated and the investigation resumed. Hassan and Nura were arrested again.
Alhaji Bilya tried to use his connections to get his son out of the charges, but he realized that it was too late to undo his mistakes. The case had become too public and the authorities were under pressure. They told him that they would side with the victims and uphold the law.
The case went to court, and the judge was Alhaji Bilya’s friend. He asked him to spare his son gave him a large sum of money and promised more. The judge agreed at first and advised him to also hire a good lawyer.
Alhaji did so, and the trial began. After several hearings, adjournments, and evidence from both sides, the judge received a call from his superiors. They warned him that they were watching him closely and that if he was caught being unfair, he would lose his license.
The judge was scared, and he arranged a secret meeting with Alhaji Bilya. He returned the money he had taken and refused to help him any further. Alhaji Bilya was devastated, and he cried and regretted the life he had given his son.
Hassan, on the other hand, was unaware of how things were falling apart. He swore to kill Nura when he got out and to take revenge on the police officers who had mistreated him.
At the final hearing, the courtroom was packed with people, journalists, and other professionals from the media and human rights organizations. Hassan was sentenced to death by hanging and Nura was freed.
The three brave youths celebrated their victory, for ending the tyranny and for restoring justice to the society. They got their uniforms back and they were promoted to higher ranks. The social media, the public, the radio, and the TV stations praised them for exposing Hassan’s crimes.
Alhaji Bilya watched from home how his son was hanged and the remorseful message he left for his father for spoiling him and leading him astray. “You have betrayed me, you never showed me the right way to follow, all in the name of love, and now you are burying me in a grave of shame and sorrow.”
The film Taqaddama is a lesson for many careless parents, who do not pay attention to their children’s behavior until it is too late. It is also a wake-up call for other responsible parents to be more vigilant and diligent in their parental duties, to raise good ambassadors and heirs that they can be proud of.