THE HEPTAGON REVOLT BY BOLAJI OLATUNDE

Dog is man’s best friend, they say, but is man dog’s best friend? After he sees the film adaptation of Animal Farm by George Orwell, Bobby becomes dissatisfied with his life as a dog in Nigeria’s economic capital, Lagos. He vows to do all he can to be free from human captivity and ownership. Before he can do this, circumstances force him to create a family with Liz, a fellow German Shepherd, who, while pregnant with his puppies, is sent to Abuja.

In his quest for freedom, Bobby escapes from his human owner’s home. He also longs to be united with Liz and his offspring. He puts together an army of dogs of various breeds, promising them leadership that will provide equality, diversity, inclusion, and equity. They march with him in his fight for dogs’ independence from humans, as he searches for freedom—and his family.

Liz raises her puppies as best as she can, as they are passed from one human owner to another. In the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown in Abuja, Nigeria, in April 2020, strange events impact the lives of Bobby, Liz, and their children in ways they had not anticipated.

This story, filled with twists and turns, presents the canine community at its finest, and its worst.