Chapter 3: Blood and Inheritance

The day wey I accept the case, na so dem give me the case file – big bundle, heavy.

The file big sotey if you use am stone dog, e fit wound am. I carry am like say I dey carry yam sack.

I no waste time, I start to read the documents.

For night, I off light for my room, na only torchlight and fan dey work. The sound of rain for zinc join my thinking, make everything serious.

First, I check the statement of the person wey report the case.

I open first page, sharp sharp, dey look for loophole. Na so lawyers dey do.

Na Chijioke Okafor, the victim student, report am. E be final year student wey stay school for rainy season to do project.

Chijioke na person wey get sense. For rainy season, most people dey go house, but e stay behind because of project. Na so responsibility dey push person sometimes.

Around 3 p.m. on July 13, 2012, Chijioke begin worry say e never see or hear from e lecturer for two days. E carry one classmate go check, nobody answer door.

I picture Chijioke and e padi for front of that quiet house, rain just dey beat zinc for background. E get as the picture dey do me.

Dem see say the dustbin for door don dey smell anyhow, like say e never comot for two days.

For Nigeria, any house wey dustbin dey smell, na clear sign say something dey wrong—especially for man wey like neatness.

Chijioke say Mr. Nwosu clean well, e no dey leave dirt for house, e no go even waka without clear the bin. So, e reason say Mr. Nwosu still dey house.

Students sabi their lecturer reach that level. For Naija, person wey dey clean, e own dey show.

As e dey fear, Chijioke go find security make dem help break door.

Fear grip am. Even security sef dey reason, "Hope say no wahala dey."

Once dem open door, the smell of dead body just full everywhere – no be only dustbin dey smell. As dem open bedroom, dem see Dr. Emeka Nwosu body, lie down for bed. Because of heat, the body don dey spoil.

The kind smell wey dey from dead body, na only people wey don witness am fit describe. The whole place don spoil.

Chijioke shock sotey e fall, then call police.

I dey imagine how e take run, voice dey shake, maybe e even vomit. No be small thing.

Na so dem take find the body and report the matter.

For Nigeria, na students or neighbours dey find dead body pass. Police waka come, siren just dey disturb area.

Police ask Chijioke the kind person wey Dr. Nwosu be, and if e get wahala with anybody recently.

Police dey always like to start with character—whether person get enemy. Na so dem dey do their work.

Chijioke say Mr. Nwosu na better person, e care for students, dey serious for work, workaholic join. Sometimes e dey stubborn for work, but e no dey hard for people. No wahala with anybody.

If you hear person dey talk like this, you go know say the man try for life.

Police ask if Mr. Nwosu don dey behave somehow lately.

You know say sometimes, people dey act strange before wahala happen. Police dey look for sign.

Chijioke say everything normal, just small anxiety because project dey rush.

Normal lecturer wahala. I fit relate. Everybody dey run for project season.

Police ask who dey stay with Mr. Nwosu.

Police dey find if person fit get access to am.

Chijioke say na e papa, retired teacher, but e dey sick, dey hospital.

I dey picture the old man, frail for hospital bed, dey reason wetin happen to e pikin. E pain.

Police press am: Any other family?

I dey laugh for mind. Police no dey gree leave stone unturned.

Chijioke say e no know any. Then e remember say Mr. Nwosu get girlfriend before, dem nearly marry, but break up one month ago.

This small info go matter later. I dey underline am for mind.

Police ask if e know why dem break up.

You know as Naija people dey like gossip. But Chijioke na sharp boy.

Chijioke say e no sabi.

Omo, boy no wan talk wetin e no sure.

From here, e clear say students no know say Mr. Nwosu get younger brother, Ifeanyi. But we don know of papa and ex-girlfriend. I keep that for mind.

My lawyer sense dey tingle—secret brother matter go play role.

I check the victim profile.

Dr. Emeka Nwosu, born 1978 for Umuola village, Aba, na the best science student for 1997 WAEC, get plenty academic awards, finish PhD, dey teach for my former school. E start small business outside school. Dem kill am July 11, 2012, just 34 years old.

Na golden boy story. All those newspaper write-up about young achiever, na Dr. Nwosu type dem dey describe.

For e ID photo, e look gentle, proper scholar. I look am well, realise say I don see am before.

I dey recall one faculty party for school, I remember e dey talk soft, dey laugh gently.

Even though we no dey same department, I remember the lecturer. E fine, students like am, some girls even gossip about am.

Omo, lecturer wey get fan base. Sometimes, na fine face dey bring wahala too.

Talented, sharp young lecturer, now na crime scene report e name dey appear.

Na so life be. Today hero, tomorrow headline for wahala.

The report show say Dr. Nwosu die bad – lie down for bed, body get bruise everywhere, wound for forehead, face swell and blue.

As I dey imagine am, cold catch me. The violence too much.

E get mark for neck, like rope, with some white line; na suffocation kill am.

Na real struggle. That kain thing dey leave mark wey hard to forget.

Bedroom show sign of fight, beer bottles scatter everywhere.

You go think say na party, but na real struggle.

Dem believe say, when e happen, the killer press am for bed, beat am, drag e hair, knock e head for bed corner, then use soft cloth belt strangle am.

The description dey my mind like film. Na so person dey see death for real life.

But dem no see the belt for scene; na the murder weapon, but nobody know where e go.

For Naija, weapon dey disappear like say e get leg. This one na soft belt, easy to burn or throway for gutter.

As I dey read, I see something wey pain me –

Na that line come, my spirit drop.

Dr. Nwosu suffer sexual assault before e die, with beer bottle.

Omo, e hard for me to continue. This na evil. For Naija, this kain thing na double abomination. E pain me sotey I close file for like five minutes.

This one pass my level. Wetin make person do this kind thing? Na love, na to shame am, or na some kind craze? The reason behind am strong.

For my mind, I dey ask, 'Wetin Dr. Nwosu do this Ifeanyi?' Even elders for village go shake head, call family meeting for this kain matter.

I no fit read more, I just feel sorry for Dr. Emeka Nwosu.

My hand dey heavy to continue, but na my work. I just pause, say small prayer for the dead.

Next, I read the second statement, the one police collect the day dem bring Ifeanyi in.

My mind dey brace for wetin I go see. Sometimes, criminal go talk one thing wey go scatter your head.

Ifeanyi Nwosu no talk much, just small info –

Na the usual: name, age, background. Person wey no get mouth for station.

Ifeanyi Nwosu, born 1981, now 31, from Umuola village, Aba, no finish junior secondary, dey rent for Room 302, Block A, Palm Grove Estate, Old Town, Aba.

Na so life fit treat person. Village boy, no school, land for town, but still dey hustle.

Since e come out from prison two years ago, e work for half year for First Machinery Factory, then stop. Now e no get work, na e brother dey send am small money every six months – just to manage life. E brother treat am okay.

I dey wonder if na poverty or pride dey worry am. At least, e brother dey try.

To check how the brothers relate, dem look their phone and message record.

Police dey use all their sense—phone, laptop, everything. For Naija, na only rich people dey hide password.

For the past two years, no text or call between dem. Only some contact from two years ago, nothing serious.

E shock me. Na so blood go dey, but nothing join dem. Maybe na old wound.

Dem no even save each other number. That one strange.

If brothers no dey save number, e mean say distance dey true true.