Chapter 7: Devil Dey Blend for Crowd

Make we check the clues police get so far: AB blood type, two set of footprint for scene, one grey hair, and small cloth piece.

If na TV series, all these things go connect sharp sharp, but real life no dey sweet like that.

Nothing else.

Na so police dey pray for miracle.

Police don tire.

Junior officers dey resign. Some dey ask for transfer go village.

Musa no give up.

E dey drink only garri, dey wake for night, dey reason case. E dey talk to imself like say e don craze.

E believe say perfect crime no dey. The killer go miss one day, and when e miss, Musa go catch am.

E dey encourage im boys, dey tell dem, "No give up! Devil no fit win forever."

Musa decide to focus on the tenth body—the small boy wey dem find body fluid inside—because this time, people see something.

E dey read witness statement like Bible. Any small detail fit help.

Somebody see the boy, before e disappear, dey follow one tall man.

The person wey see am talk, "Oga, na one tall man, e carry glasses, e just dey waka slow."

The man wear glasses, face dry, knee stiff, leg big.

E be like person wey get small wahala for leg. Musa dey draw im picture for board.

——Police and mental health experts join hand, but killer disappear like spirit.

For meeting, psychiatrist dey explain criminal mind, but killer just vanish. Like say e dey hear their plan.

But nobody sabi the man, nobody see am again.

Town crier even shout am for street, "Anybody wey see tall man with glasses, report!" No single lead.

At this point, government no happy with police work, so dem send 12 new officers join the case.

IG dey vex, send special squad from Abuja. For town, dem dey call dem "Abuja boys."

With vigilante and informant, dem form special task force—almost 200 people.

Motor park no dey sleep again. Vigilante dey carry torch, dey check every danfo.

This time, Musa na the oga of the team.

E dey wear big badge, dey call meeting every morning. Im word na law.

E sharply make big decision: send all men undercover to bus and motor park, even put informant for remote park.

Dem dey disguise as porter, pure water seller, even as agbero. Nobody dey suspect.

Musa tell im people: dem must find man wey be 25–30 years, tall, AB blood type.

E dey repeat am like anthem, "Tall man, 25 to 30, AB blood."

Anybody wey fit this, dem go test im blood.

Musa no dey play. Even hospital dey help dem check patient file.

Musa do everything wey e fit do.

E dey walk for night, dey monitor checkpoint. E dey call informant for midnight.

Dem screen plenty suspects.

Some people begin dey run from town. Even people wey get leg pain dey fear.

One day for September 1984, two police see one man for Zaria motor park wey dey behave somehow.

E dey look everywhere, e no dey talk to anybody, but e eye dey sharp. Police dey monitor am from far.

E wear glasses, dey look for young girls to talk to.

E go stand for corner, dey try hail pikin, dey smile one kain smile. Some children dey run.

E even follow ashawo for corner.

Ashawo wey e follow talk later say, "Dat man get bad spirit. E dey ask me strange question."

Police search im bag, see knife, Vaseline, rope, dirty towel.

If na Naija, dem for don beat am before search finish. Police dey fear, but dem act normal.

Suspicious, abi? Police think so too.

Dem carry am go station, dey question am for five hours.

Remember, person describe suspect before.

Musa dey compare photo and description. Everything dey match small small.

The person wey witness describe look like this man with glasses.

Musa dey happy, but e no want show am. E dey pray say blood test go confirm am.

Police check im background, collect blood sample.

Lab dey rush, result dey come out next day.

Turns out, the man get clean record—self, e be teacher before.

For town, people dey respect teacher. Nobody suspect say person wey dey teach pikin fit do this kind evil.

Wetin person go suspect teacher?

Old women dey say, "Ah, na so world don spoil? Even teacher?"

But that na how the society be that time: people wey look responsible dey do evil, women dey hustle anyhow to survive, everywhere just scatter.

Na true talk. For street, you fit see pastor wey be thief, or lawyer wey dey do ritual. People don tire to trust anybody.

Blood test come back, clear the man. E get type A blood—not the killer AB.

Na so hope dash. For Musa, e pain like pepper. "Back to square one," e talk.

With that evidence, police release am.

Dem even buy am malt to say sorry. But the man mind don already scatter. E pack commot from Zaria.

After all the wahala, the suspect na wrong person again. Even Musa feel say everywhere don block.

E dey look sky, dey pray say, "God, show me sign."

Even if the investigation make the place safe small, wetin e change? Killer still dey free.

Musa no fit sleep for night. E dey drink black coffee, dey watch over im children.

But as Musa dey reason the case for midnight, e no know say devil dey plan next move just two streets away.