Chapter 2: Blood for Dining Table

Na criminal police officer I be.

No be small thing o. If you see my desk, na full file dey there—different wahala, different people. Sometimes, I dey even help settle quarrel for street, because police work for Naija na full-time gist.

On September 14, 2017, serious wahala bust for Palm Grove Estate: one whole family just vanish like that.

Palm Grove Estate wey everybody dey reason say na peaceful place. Dem build big gate, security dey, but still wahala enter. People for area begin dey ask, "How this kind thing take happen for here?" Na so rumour begin fly.

Dr. Ifedike Okafor, wey be director for St. Raphael Hospital, him wife, and their pikin all die for inside their house.

Dr. Ifedike, correct Igbo man, always dey greet me for church, dey dash boys something for Christmas, and dey wear that him native isi agu cloth every Sunday. Him wife, Morayo, na fine Yoruba woman, always dey smile, dey active for women’s meeting. Their pikin, Somto, sharp boy, dey always win school prize.

Around ten in the morning, Dr. Ifedike suppose do one important surgery, but the man late and him phone no dey go. Other doctors go check for him house, na so dem see blood everywhere and three heads arrange for dining table. Dem faint straight, na neighbours call police.

Na so wahala bust. Imagine you waka go person house, dey expect say na just late, only to see blood everywhere. The matron wey first see am, dem say she faint twice, dey shout, “Jesu! Chineke me, egbami o!” Neighbours gather for gate, dey hold their wrapper tight, dey cross themselves, nobody fit enter.

As the call land, police, CID, and forensic people rush come.

Even me, as I reach there, my hand dey shake small. CID come with their big grammar, forensic dey snap picture, everybody dey serious. The estate security dey sweat, dey answer question.

Forensic doctor, Dr. Musa, wey people sabi as 'Doctor Evidence,' first talk say dem die between 10pm for 13th and 2am for 14th, na after dem die dem cut body.

Everybody gather for parlour, dey write note, dey check everywhere. Forensic talk say blood still fresh, e never dry finish. People dey whisper for corner, dey fear say juju dey involved.

Dr. Ifedike dey forty-eight. Him wife, Mrs. Morayo Okafor, dey forty-two, dey work for First Unity Bank. Their son, Somto, fifteen, dey nearby secondary school.

All of them dey respected for the area. Dr. Ifedike dey always help people for church, Morayo dey lead women prayer, Somto na altar boy. The news scatter everybody.

The killer use knife cut off the three heads, arrange am for table, then scatter the bodies for living room, chop them into pieces, carry am commot.

Fear catch everybody. Some people say na ritual, some say na cult. Old mama begin pray, dey sprinkle anointing oil for gate. One small boy run go call pastor.

From how the place be, e clear say the killer don enter the house before. After Dr. Ifedike and wife come back, killer finish them one by one for study and kitchen. Na Somto come house last, na him die last.

The gist wey CID talk be say the killer no break door, no struggle. E mean say person wey know house code or dem trust am. Neighbours no hear shout, only say dog bark small.

Police search everywhere, inside and outside, no single trace of the killer—no fingerprint, no footprint, not even hair.

Na here everybody begin suspect say na inside job. Even our Oga for station talk say, "Na juju be this?"

We check CCTV for area, nothing suspicious—no strange person, nothing.

This one pain me. CCTV camera even dey for junction, but the day wey wahala happen, na that day network go off. Life!

By afternoon, police see pieces of the victims’ flesh for refuse dump wey dey one kilometre away. Stray dogs don already chop most, small remain.

Na small pikin wey dey pick empty can see am first. The boy run, dey cry say he see 'meat'. Forensic gather the flesh, some don already dey stink.

CID do emergency meeting to reason the killer’s motive and who e fit be.

Na meeting wey pepper body. Everybody dey argue, Oga dey knock table, say, "This kind shame must not fall on us!" We dey reason am from every angle, even call pastor to pray.

First, all the valuable things for the house miss. So dem first think say na robbery. But the way the killer avoid all CCTV, e mean say na person wey sabi the area or even know them.

Tunde, my guy, reason say the thief sabi where dem keep money and gold. The TV and laptop dem carry, but na only person wey know road fit waka like that for night.

Second, after dem kill the people, na then dem cut body. If na just thief, no need to dismember body—na extra risk and e go make police find you quick. So, e be like say the killer get beef with the victims; revenge na the main wahala, stealing just join body.

Me, I dey suspect say the person get deep anger. Na only person wey vex well fit do this kind thing, still get mind carry body throway.

Third, from the way the wounds dey for head and bone, and the blood splash, we reason say the killer na man, height between 170 and 180 cm, weight around 65 to 80 kg.

Forensic dey use all their tool, dey measure blood for wall, dey calculate like say na mathematics. Even Oga for Lagos CID call, dey give opinion.

Oga give the case to me and my guy, Tunde. This na the worst crime for our city in two years—the killer wicked, fit still strike again. We gats catch am sharp.

Everybody dey look us with hope, some dey fear. I just dey pray make we no fall hand. For our area, once murder case dey, dem dey look detective like native doctor.

Me and Tunde divide the work. Him dey check family and friends, I dey investigate Dr. Ifedike colleagues for hospital.

Tunde get mouth, sabi interview people well. Me, I sabi where to find people for their work, so we balance the investigation. Our oga dey monitor us like hawk.