Chapter 1: Blood and Beginnings

In 1994, for Benue State, one wicked trafficker, just to kidnap two small boys, kill their mama for broad daylight.

Dem say evil no dey far from house, sometimes e dey wear neighbour face. That year, na so one wicked soul, just for money and power, open eye, enter person house, scatter family. People for Benue still dey talk am—say that kind thing fit happen for their own backyard, na real abomination.

The worst part be say, the elder brother wey dem carry remember everything.

E pain reach bone. Even as the years dey waka pass, the memory just dey sharp for Ifedike mind like new blade. For dream, for day, the thing dey haunt am. Na true talk say, wetin pikin see for small age, e no dey ever forget.

Eighteen years later, the boy come back.

People for town begin dey whisper. "You see am? That boy wey disappear that year, e don show face again." The air for Ogoja carry small tension, as if the past wan wake up from sleep.

July 12, 1994, Ogoja Town, near Okpoko village.

Sun just dey rise, breeze dey gentle. That kind morning wey promise wahala and blessing together. Ogoja dey buzz as people dey prepare for market, and Okpoko village dey send their own too. Everybody dey hope say today go better pass yesterday.

That day na market day for town, so plenty women from Umuola village waka go market.

Market day na big deal. Na the day you go see different colour wrapper, hear gist wey pass news, and smell ogiri, suya, and fresh yam blend for air. Children dey run upandan, elders dey argue price for tomatoes, everybody dey their own lane.

Thirty-one-year-old Akunna Oche join them.

Akunna Oche, fine woman with soft voice and strong back, tie her wrapper well, adjust her headtie, ready for the day. She be person wey people dey greet with respect, because she sabi help people, her laugh dey light up compound.

She wan buy new shirt for her children papa, Terna Agada, so she carry thirty naira from house and comot.

That thirty naira, e mean plenty that time. Akunna count am, fold am inside her blouse, dey pray make e reach. Na love dey push her—she wan surprise Terna, make e happy after all the struggle.

Before she go, she branch her neighbor house, talk say her shoe don spoil, borrow one white plastic slippers from the neighbor woman.

She hail her neighbour, Mama Chika, with "Abeg, I beg you, my leg dey pain, make I borrow your slippers small." Both women laugh, Mama Chika say, "No wahala, Akunna, just bring am back before evening." Dem do small handshake, Akunna thank am well.

But before she fit waka far, her two pikin run meet her.

Children voice sharp, their feet quick. As Akunna dey adjust her load, na so she hear, "Mummy! Mummy! Wait for us!"

Na seven-year-old Ifedike Agada and four-year-old Oche Agada.

The two boys, Ifedike with him sharp eyes and small Oche wey always dey hold brother cloth, dey shine teeth. Their head dey clean, new haircut, dust for leg, but joy for face.

As dem see their mama dey go market, dem begin beg make she carry them follow.

"Mama, abeg na, make we follow you! We go help carry load!" Dem voice dey sweet, eyes dey beg. For village, na normal thing for pikin to follow mama go market, even if na just to see new things or chop puff-puff.

Akunna Oche try to calm them, but she pause small, look their bare feet, remember how her own mama dey fear crowd. But their eyes dey beg, and her heart soft. She just smile and agree.

She bend down, rub their head, say, "Una sure say una go waka reach? No complain o!" But inside her, she dey happy. She tie their hands together, laugh, "Make una hold me, no go lost for crowd."

As dem dey go, mama and her boys dey gist and dey laugh.

Ifedike dey ask question, "Mama, you go buy us chin-chin?" Oche dey drag Ifedike, pointing lizard for wall. Akunna dey answer with stories, sometimes sing small song wey her own mama teach her. The road dey lively, sun dey warm their back.

But as dem reach town, wahala burst.

Market noise loud, people dey shout price, goats dey run, but as dem waka enter, one kind cold enter Akunna mind. She hold her boys tighter. She no know say trouble dey wait for corner.

One short, fat man just hail Akunna Oche and her two pikin as dem dey pass.

The man voice rough, but e get that kind fake smile. He shout, "Akunna! Na you be this? Abeg, come!" People look small, but for market, na normal to see person hail another.

The man talk for local dialect, face dey serious, say im get people for Akunna Oche village, make she help deliver message.

The man mix Idoma and small Tiv for mouth, the way people dey do for market. "Abeg, sister, my cousin dey your side, I wan send message give am. You fit help me?" Akunna, as person wey no dey like wahala, nod head.

That time, mobile phone no dey, landline just dey enter city small small. Even if public phone dey, e cost. So people dey use fellow villagers carry message reach house.

Everybody know say, if you wan reach person for village, na to send word through person wey dey go. Na so news dey fly, from mouth to mouth, from market to farm.

Akunna Oche, wey get good heart, no refuse. She follow the man, wey dem dey call Ochuko Oviri, enter him shop.

She tell her boys, "Wait for me here, I go just come." Ochuko Oviri open shop door, e smell like camphor and old palm oil. Akunna adjust her wrapper, step inside, heart still pure.

As she enter, Ifedike and him small brother find bench for outside, sit down quietly dey wait for their mama.

The bench dey old, one leg dey shake. Ifedike swing him leg, Oche dey press Ifedike hand. Dem watch people pass, hear market women dey quarrel over change.

From outside, the shop be like draft and whot room, with plenty ludo tables inside. The air thick with pepper, dried fish, and the sweet smell of fried akara.

The place dark small, only one bulb dey shine for corner. Boys dey peep inside, see old men dey argue, "Check up! You no sabi play!" Ludo dice dey roll, people dey shout.

Men dey slap table, some dey chew kolanut, others dey sip burukutu from bottle.

Soon, the people wey dey play ludo comot.

Noise reduce, the shop quiet. Ifedike begin dey restless. E look the door, hope say mama go come out soon.

But Akunna Oche still never come out.

Ifedike check time for sun, e know say dem don wait reach. Him small brother begin dey yawn, rub eye. Something for Ifedike belle dey turn.

Ifedike begin dey fear, so he and him brother quietly push door enter, make dem find their mama.

Ifedike whisper, "Make we go find mama." Oche nod, hold Ifedike wrapper tight. Dem tiptoe enter, heart dey beat like talking drum.

As dem enter, na bloody, scary scene dem see.

Blood for ground, Akunna Oche body just dey for one side. The air choke, the whole place cold like water for calabash. Ifedike mouth open, Oche freeze for spot.

E shock am sotay e freeze, body cold like water for early morning. E no fit shout, no fit run.

Even the four-year-old brother shock, then grab Ifedike hand begin cry.

Oche voice sharp, "Mama! Mama!" E cry scatter, tears dey rush. Ifedike try hold am, but hand dey shake.

But as dem cry, na so the men notice them.

The men eyes red, like say dem dey see ghost. One shout, "Who dey there?!" Another rush come, block door.

After dem confirm say Akunna Oche don die, the three men rush the boys, carry them, throw dem for basement.

Ifedike struggle, but the men strong. Oche dey kick, dey shout. Dem cover the boys mouth, drag them like bag of beans, throw them inside dark, cold room under the shop.

The basement dey cold and damp. The two brothers hold each other, dey shake, dey watch as the men lock iron door leave them.

Water dey drip from ceiling, ground dey smell like old yam. Ifedike hug Oche, whisper, "No cry, I dey here." Both of them dey shiver, fear grip them.

After dem cry finish, dem calm down small.

Tears dry, voice crack. Ifedike wipe Oche face, whisper, "We go survive." E try think wetin mama go do if e dey alive.

Escape na the only thing wey dey their mind.

Ifedike no fit sleep. E dey reason plan, e dey look every corner, dey count how many block dey for wall, dey pray for miracle.

Ifedike begin check the basement. Even though the door lock, one square window dey on top—no glass.

He stand on tiptoe, check the window. E small, but e fit pass. Hope small dey shine for Ifedike mind.

So Ifedike and him brother use long wood stick, brace themselves, climb up with hand and leg.

Ifedike put Oche first, "Climb, hold me!" Oche struggle, Ifedike push am from under. Dem manage, hand dey scratch, sweat dey their face.

Ifedike, wey sabi climb tree and wall, quick waka pass the window.

For village, na champion for climbing mango tree. Ifedike squeeze, twist body, pass through, land for backyard.

But him brother no fit. The boy small, each time he try, he go fall half way.

Oche cry, "I no fit!" Ifedike beg, "Try again!" But Oche hand dey weak, leg dey slip. Ifedike heart dey break.

One time, the brothers manage escape basement, even reach the outer wall for shop backyard.

Na that kind hope wey dey sweet and fear person at the same time. Dem see daylight, breeze touch their face. Ifedike whisper, "We go soon reach house."

But as dem dey climb wall, one old man wey dey guard catch dem.

The old man voice loud, "Who be una? Where una dey go?!" Before dem fit run, the man grab Oche, drag both back.

The rest na as you go expect.

Dem beat the boys, flog dem, call dem stubborn. Okon use koboko, the one wey dey peel skin, flog dem till Ifedike see stars. Ifedike cover Oche, try block koboko, but pain still reach both of them.

Dem throw them back for basement, beat them well.

After flogging, dem lock door, warn say next time, nobody go survive. Oche dey sob, Ifedike dey bite lip, dey hold anger.

For the next seven days, na so dem dey locked inside.

Day and night, darkness no dey change. Hunger dey bite, only small garri and water dem dey get. Sometimes, Ifedike dey dream of mama voice, but wake up to Oche tears.

To stop another escape, the men put sleeping medicine for their food, make Ifedike weak, head dey turn. Dem mix powder for the garri, the type wey elders dey use for stubborn goat.

Ifedike chop, but belle dey pain. Sleep dey carry am anyhow, sometimes e no fit open eye. Oche dey sleep long, wake up dey vomit.

After seven days, as wahala dey near, the traffickers carry the boys comot town for night.

Dem pack the boys like load, cover their mouth, waka for back of pickup van. The road rough, star dey shine, but the night cold like harmattan.

As dem dey journey for the rough road, Ifedike begin clear from the drug.

E shake head, force eye open, begin reason wetin dey happen. Oche dey sleep for lap, small snore.

Now e sure say: these men na human traffickers.

Ifedike heart cut. E remember all the story elders dey talk for night—about wicked people wey dey sell pikin for city. Now, na him own turn.

To sell him and him brother, dem kill their mama.

E pain Ifedike, e swear for inside heart. E vow say if e survive, e go find justice for mama.

Ifedike hate them so tey, him teeth dey grind, but after days of beating, him no get liver to try anything again.

E just dey pray, "God, abeg, save us." Even as anger dey boil, fear no allow am move.

To survive na im matter pass.

Survival na the only thing wey dey important. Ifedike promise Oche, "We go see papa again. No worry."

So, as dem dey go, Ifedike just dey look window, dey try remember every road wey dem pass.

E dey count tree, dey note signpost, dey mark every bend for mind. Na hope say, one day, e go use am find way back.

He remember say the traffickers first cross highway, then enter one quiet bush road. Near the road, small station dey, one kind wey nobody sabi, where one cargo train wait.

Na night, everywhere dark. Dem waka pass farm, then reach the small train station. Ifedike see old train, rust dey body, only few people dey around.

Dem rush put the brothers inside one locked train carriage, the train carry dem go bigger station.

Inside train, no light. Only the sound of iron dey clash. Ifedike hold Oche, both of them dey hide for corner.

From there, nobody know how, the traffickers move the children reach Abuja.

Ifedike dey lose track of time. Dem pass bush, city, then reach big place wey get plenty car, big road, tall building. People dey everywhere, but nobody dey see two small boys wey dey suffer.

Two other children wey dem kidnap join them.

Ifedike look, see girl with short hair, and one small boy, both dey shake, eyes red. Dem all dey fear, dey whisper for low voice.

One of the children cry for train, so two traffickers carry am enter toilet.

The girl voice loud, "I wan go home!" The traffickers no smile, drag am go toilet.

When dem come out, their hand empty. The pikin no follow dem come out.

Ifedike eye wide. E no see the girl again. Traffickers face hard, no pity.

Where the boy go, Ifedike already know for im mind.

E know say, for this kind life, if you make noise, you disappear. E hold Oche tighter, dey pray for inside.

He swallow spit, then warn im brother softly, say make him no ever cry or misbehave again.

He bend, whisper for Oche ear, "If you cry, dem go carry you. Just dey quiet."

If not, dem go follow that other boy.

Oche nod, wipe tears. Ifedike rub him back, dey beg God for strength.

After that, the brothers do everything dem tell them, no argue.

Even if dem say sweep, wash, stand, dem obey. Survival first, pride later.

But as dem dey far from house, fear dey increase.

Every day, the hope of seeing papa and home dey small. Ifedike dey count days, but e no sure if e ever go see home again.