Chapter 4: Queen Mothers and Market Miracles

After Baba Idris kill Musa Garba, he put another of Musa Garba sons, Sani Musa, as king. But Baba Idris no like Sani Musa too, kill am join.

Palace people dey wonder, "Baba Idris, na king maker or king eater you be?" His hands no clean, even small pikin dey fear am.

Sani Musa na king wey nobody like, but he still be king—how dem go just kill am anyhow?

No be today evil dey reign. Elders begin dey fear Baba Idris fit do am to anybody.

This time, Baba Idris overdo. Elders vex, join hand, remove am, support Danladi Musa as king.

Elders use black goat, pour blood for shrine, swear, "Never again!" Dem carry Danladi Musa, put am for throne, dance round palace three times.

Danladi Musa na Musa Garba grandson, son of the crown prince wey Baba Idris kill.

People begin dey say, "Maybe new blood go change palace luck." Market women dey gossip, hope say peace go reign.

Baba Idris luck finish. As Danladi Musa get power, he cut Baba Idris into pieces, give dogs chop.

Even juju priest say dem never see such thing. For many years, no dog near Baba Idris compound.

Danladi Musa start to rule for 452, rule till 465—13 years.

Old men dey count am for finger—"Na thirteen dry and wet seasons." Na so time waka.

Ebuka become king for 453, die for 464—rule 11 years.

Historians dey mark this period as "season of long shadow"—where every year long pass the next one, but no joy.

Their time almost the same.

So, people begin dey compare: "Which king wicked pass? Which king bring more tears?" Na tough debate for elders.

During this time, north and south mostly no fight, sometimes even dey do business together.

Cow and yam dey cross border, palm oil dey go up north, leather dey come down. Sometimes, traders dey dodge war, but business no die.

If we talk am well, Danladi Musa no like wahala, different from Musa Garba wey like fight. He try make people happy, arrange the country. But Garba dynasty problem deep, so e no really change much.

Danladi Musa dey call council meeting, dey hear every chief. But palace wahala deep pass rain water for gutter, e no fit change am all.

Danladi Musa own na say at least e mean well.

Elders dey say, "Better king wey try, pass wicked king wey only dey shout."

Ebuka? Na mumu king, bad man, and woman wrapper.

If Ebuka dey waka for street, even married women dey hide face, young girls dey run go back yard. Story about am full everywhere.

As Garba dynasty stop fight, Ebuka happy—na wetin he want.

He begin dey drink palm wine, dey dance for palace, dey praise himself, "Who fit try me? War no dey!"

After he kill many brothers (so dem no go overthrow am) and strong generals (so dem no go pass am), he begin dey party for harem every day. If he hear say woman fine—married or not—he go collect her.

Even drummers tire to play for palace. Na so dance and wahala no dey finish.

If na only woman matter, e no too bad—Nigeria don get many kings wey like woman—but Ebuka pass level, break all moral law. If dem do film about am, even "Caligula" go look like child play.

Palace elders dey cover ear when dem hear Ebuka new wahala. Na so market women dey warn pikin, "No go palace o, Ebuka fit see you."

For 464, Ebuka die. Next year, Danladi Musa join am for grave.

Rain fall for two days, thunder no gree stop. People dey argue say, "Which one ancestors really carry?"

For Ogbe market, the talk na, "Who next go collect this cursed crown?"