Chapter 8: DNA and Doom

The girl, as usual, use her account post video, dey lie for my head.

Her video sharp, tears full face. She dey talk like say na movie role she dey audition for.

As police talk, she say she just dey waka for river during holiday.

She use English, pidgin, even Hausa mix. The story long pass Bible genealogy.

She say na me, the beast, she jam.

She call my full name, show my picture. Her followers dey drop sad emoji.

She say I grab her from back, wan touch her. As she panic, she fall inside river, nearly die.

People begin comment, dey ask for justice. My phone dey hot.

Same time, she expose my name, work, everything.

She drop my picture for security post, tag my boss. Small time, the gist enter Twitter.

Online people rush my account. As dem see say I dey donate to students...

Some people dey reason say I fit be good. Others dey say, "Na lie, na cover up."

Many no wan curse direct, but dem dey ask for truth, say make I explain.

Comment section full. Some dey wait for my side, others dey drag me.

I upload the aunties' testimony, wey I don record.

Na only evidence fit save person for Naija internet. I upload audio join.

I try my best to prove say I no dey river.

My voice dey shake for the recording, but truth dey inside.

Her first attack, I block am.

For small time, people begin shift small. Some dey ask for more proof.

But she no gree, she come again.

She drop second video, voice loud, even add background music. This time, she dey cry more.

This time, she go straight, say I be security guard, pervert, lonely old bachelor.

She yarn, say I dey use office to chase girls, na why I never marry.

Say with dispatch rider work, my salary na just forty-five thousand naira—so how I dey support students?

She dey try paint me like fraudster. Some people begin dey doubt my screenshot.

Those transfer screenshot, she say, na payment for runs girl.

She dey add spice. Small time, people begin dey abuse me for inbox.

This one wicked—immediately, my good guy image turn to person wey dey carry girls.

The shame dey bite me for neck. Neighbour dey avoid me. One church usher stop to greet me for street.

People online, as dem see that one, just begin side the girl, dey curse me.

Some dey drop hot curse, others dey say make I go police station confess.

I enter wahala again.

For my mind, I dey beg God say, "Why you allow devil use stranger finish me twice?"

To avoid another round of cyberbullying like last time,

I dey call people wey fit support me. I dey search for sense.

I call police, contact some students wey I help.

My voice dey shake as I call Amaka, one girl wey I help pay school fee. She dey shock as she hear my story.

I no get choice—by now, I no fit handle am alone. I need their help to clear my name.

I dey beg say, "Abeg, if dem contact you, talk truth. My life dey for your hand."

Those students, as dem hear say na me, and the girl call them runs girl, dem join hand defend me.

Dem dey vex. Amaka and two others even do video call, dey swear for camera say I be helper, not pervert.

Dem stand up to the girl, show proof say I be kind donor.

Some dey post my transfer alert, dey tag her for shame.

People wey get sense check, confirm say na truth.

Small time, my support begin grow. Some bloggers begin change headline.

But wahala people still plenty online, dey talk rubbish, dey enjoy their own wickedness.

Naija online na another planet. Some people just dey look for blood.

Luckily, people wey get sense still plenty pass.

Some elders begin warn, "No rush judge person."

Then police call me, say make I come station.

My heart skip beat. For my mind, I dey pray, "God, abeg, let today be better."

I think say dem wan warn the girl make she stop.

I dey hope say dem go clear my name sharp.

But as I reach, police tell me something wey shock me.

Oga for station look my face, voice low, say, "Musa, e get one evidence wey the girl bring, you fit explain?"

"Mr. Musa, the girl bring evidence. You be suspect now."

My mouth open. I dey shake my head, dey sweat for face.

"Eh? Which evidence? How I go be suspect?"

I dey reason am, but nothing dey come.

"Mr. Musa, no vex. You be suspect, no be say you guilty. We dey do our work. No worry too much."

Officer try calm me, but my hand dey shake. I dey see myself for KiriKiri already.

"We don already warn the girl about her online posts."

Dem say dem try, but na evidence dey speak pass warning.

"Even if she no post, people go still share am. I think say una go clear my name—how I come be suspect now?"

Na true I talk. Internet no dey forget. Now, na my name dey hang for mud.

I just dey shake, my mind wan break.

My legs dey weak, I dey grip the chair. My heart dey pound.

Last time, even with all the wahala, I no be suspect. How this time come be so?

This one pass my understanding. Devil dey innovate.

I no even see her before she fall, I no even touch her.

I dey swear, my eye red. Officer dey write, dey nod.

"Mr. Musa, before I talk, I wan ask you some questions."

I dey nod, dey pray make God fight my battle.

"You know this girl?"

"No. At all."

"You ever see her before?"

"Never. She be total stranger. Why you dey ask?"

I dey answer sharp. I no wan give room for mistake.

Officer sigh: "But we see your hair for her cloth. She say na when you grab her, touch her, the hair fall."

The thing land like thunder for my ear. I dey reason which kain jazz be this.

"After the matter, you no meet again, before that, no contact. So how your hair take reach her body?"

I dey look my hand, dey check my hair. Na only God know how e take happen.

As I hear this one, my leg nearly fail.

My eye dey shake, body cold. I dey sweat for palm, heart dey pound.

How e take happen?

Na the question dey ring for my head. I dey count my step, dey try remember everything.

I no know her, never meet her.

I dey swear for myself, dey reason whether I sleepwalk for night.

I no even go river—how my hair take reach her?

E dey pain me. If person wan frame you, e no dey hard. My faith dey shake.

"She dey lie. She must collect person hair, wan frame me!"

I dey shout, but nobody dey listen. Na evidence dey rule now.

"E fit be so. Na why we need you cooperate with investigation."

Officer dey write, dey look me with pity. My mind dey scatter.

Police collect my blood sample immediately.

The thing pain me. I dey look the nurse, dey pray say make e match.

Dem say result go show tomorrow.

The wait long pass fasting. My chest dey tight, I no fit chop.

I no know why, but my mind dey shake. My right eye just dey jump.

Mama say when your eye dey jump, wahala dey come. My faith dey quiver.

As I fear, next day police call me.

My phone ring, my hand dey shake. I pick, voice dey echo for my head.

The DNA match.

I just dey look ground, my spirit waka. For this Naija, evidence fit be jazz.

My leg weak. The world turn black. I just dey ask, "Na so good dey end for Naija?"

The hair wey the girl bring, na my own.

My story turn to warning for anybody wey dey try do good. I just dey pray make God show mercy, make truth come out one day.

Na so life be—sometimes na who get clean heart dey see wahala. But God dey watch.