Chapter 1: The Transfer

After dem scam me, I use my own hand move all company money go scammer account—no regret, no turning back.

For a brief moment, my hand shake as I hit send, but my spirit steady. My chest tight like akara wey dey fry for hot oil, but I no blink. For that small, silent corner of the office, my heart dey beat gbo gbo gbo, but I tell myself—this wahala, na my own to carry.

I do am on purpose.

I no fit lie say my mind no dey run helter-skelter, but I stand by my decision. As I dey watch my phone screen dey load, I remember wetin push me reach this level. Na me use my own hand choose wahala, but I do am make dem see as e dey be.

I want those big men to know: if una push me reach wall, I go use my own life take drag una down. I go use my poor, suffering life scatter your rich, rotten family.

I dey imagine the shock for their face when dem go see alert empty, their mouth open like say dem see masquerade dance for shrine. No be only my life go scatter—everybody go chop their share. Sometimes, to drag lion, you go use small goat life.

Since my family enter wahala, I never ask company for help. Instead, na the company begin use me anyhow. Oga dey force me do overtime every day, no pay extra kobo, sometimes even cut my salary for no reason.

Dem treat me like I be goat wey dem tie for backyard, dey chop slap and leftover. If person talk, dem go say na so e be for this country, make you manage am. But inside, the bitterness dey spread for my body like hot ogogoro for throat.

Anytime I try reason with am, he go just shrug say, “The economy hard now. Everybody suppose help company survive.”

He go sit for him swivel chair, dey rub him big belly, dey quote big grammar wey no concern hungry man. If you look am well, you go see say the man dey enjoy, but e dey use our own life take patch him comfort.

But me, life don already press me sotey I no fit breathe again.

Sometimes, when I reach house, my chest go heavy like say stone dey on top. I go look my children face, see as their uniform don fade, my wife eyes red with worry. Hunger no be small thing—na devil work. Dem no dey see the tears wey I dey swallow every night.

I demand the overtime money wey dey owe me, tell am say if e no pay, I go carry am go labour court.

I even call my cousin wey sabi lawyer for Alagbon. Dem encourage me, say make I no fear, but deep down, I know say court case dey chop time and money wey I no get. But at least, make oga know say I still get mouth.

Oga just raise hand, no even send me. “Go sue me na. Yes, I dey exploit you, so? You think say I no fit delay your salary for six months? Worst case, I pay small fine. But you—if you no get salary for six months, you fit survive?”

E talk am with him nose in the air, as if I be cockroach wey him fit match anytime. Even the other staff just dey look ground, nobody wan talk, fear of sack dey everywhere.

That moment, cold just catch my heart.

Na real harmattan breeze enter my soul. All the small hope I dey nurse just melt like ice block under sun. I see say the man no get pity at all.

He sabi say my family dey suffer, sabi say I no fit resign, and he dey use am take oppress me—on purpose.

The thing pain me sotey I no fit talk. My hand dey shake, my voice lost for throat. Na wickedness pure and direct, and the man dey do am with clear mind. I dey like chicken for fox den.

Normal person for just swallow am.

Many for my position go just lock up, swallow pain, dey pray say tomorrow go better. For Naija, dem dey teach us say patience dey cure everything. But sometimes, patience na chain for neck.

But not me.

E get as e dey do me. My mama always say, “If you swallow too much insult, e go turn to disease.” I don reach my own limit—no turning back again.

Because I don sabi law.

I don read book, watch case for news, I sabi say for Naija, sometimes na who get mind and information dey win. I no just dey look face, I dey reason strategy. Street no teach me finish for nothing.

As person wey dey suffer, as long as I ready pay the price for breaking law, the big man no get power for my front.

If to do the unthinkable na the only way to balance scale, make the big man feel small, then so be it. Even if na Kirikiri straight, at least I go rest from all this wahala for inside small cell.

When the wahala wey go follow crime no reach the gain, many people go just break the law.

Everybody dey fear consequence, but if hunger bite you reach bone, law no dey mean much. I sabi say police go come, I go chop insult, maybe even jail. But my oga own go worse—na total disgrace.

And me, I get my own plan.

The plan dey my mind like stubborn fly wey no wan comot. As others dey hustle for daily bread, me I dey calculate—if dem push me, I go push back. I no be mugu.

Everyday for this life na suffer. If you push me too much, I go use my wretched life destroy this wicked oga.

Dem no dey fear who get nothing to lose. As I dey look my reflection for window, I dey wonder, wetin else remain wey dem never collect?

To talk am plain: even if I spit for big customer face, worst case, na sack. But the company go lose big money.

Na small thing dey scatter big empire. Me, I be the pepper wey dey inside soup—small but hot. Even if dem throw me away, the soup go still burn person tongue.

As I dey my desk dey plan revenge, my phone buzz.

E shock me small. For this office, every beep fit mean trouble or opportunity. My hand steady, but my mind dey alert like night watchman for estate.

Text message—short, direct.

The way the message land, e sharp like pepper for eye. No greeting, no story. Na so scammers dey do—dem know say time no dey.

“I don change my card number, abeg send the money go this account, card number na...”

The tone dey urgent. Na so dem dey run their package. If na some people, dem go panic, but me I calm. I sabi the style—419 no dey ever sleep.

I stare the message, dey reason.

My mind dey do one kind. For this country, person wey no sharp go lose everything. I fit ignore, I fit report. But as I dey reason, another plan dey form.

I sabi say na scam. And as accountant for the company, I get power.

The kind access wey I get, even oga no dey suspect. If I wan move money, na just click. Oga trust me pass himself, no know say trust na two-edged sword.

At any time, I fit use my hand scatter the big man.

Sometimes, na the person wey dey close to you go give you the biggest wahala. As I dey look my screen, I dey feel the weight of that possibility.

This na my chance.

Na this kain moment person dey call "when God open door for small pikin to teach elder sense." My own door don open—whether na hellfire dey inside, I no care.

If I transfer company money to the scammer, na finish be that for oga.

E go shock dem like NEPA wire. The ripple go reach everybody wey dey form untouchable for this office. Sometimes, you need madness to balance madness.

But I still dey reason—this yeye oga really deserve am?

My conscience dey drag me like market woman dey drag customer. I dey remember my mama voice: “No carry another man wahala for head, but if dem carry you reach river, you fit swim.”

Na that time, oga waka come my desk.

E no even greet. Just enter with him shoe dey make kpa kpa kpa for tile. The air for office smell like old printer ink and sweat—everybody dey mind their own, but wahala dey hang for corner. The whole air change—the way mosquito dey run when light shine.

He come serious, ask me, “The compensation money dey ready?”

No time for fake smile. He just dey business, as if person no be human being. For his mind, na numbers, not people.

I sabi wetin he mean. Our company machine don old, dey break anyhow, workers dey fear to use am.

Dem go dey whisper for corridor, dey pray before shift start. One day, person pikin no come back—na so the cycle go.

One worker get mama wey dey hospital. Because of hospital bill, the guy force himself work.

E no fit rest, but the small change from overtime na him only hope. For Naija, everybody dey hustle even with sickness on top body.

The machine spoil, kill am for spot.

News spread for factory like wild fire. Dem call ambulance, but life don go. The air for warehouse remain cold that day.

I tell oga say the two million naira compensation dey ready.

I show am the file, put everything for table. I even prepare draft for him to sign, but I sabi say wahala go land.

He say, “No pay am. First send am to Client Musa.”

He no blink. The heart wey this man carry no dey pump blood—na stone dey inside.

I shock. “If you send am to client, how the worker mama go do? Hospital dey wait the money to save her life!”

My voice crack. I dey beg for another person pikin—e no suppose be like this. My heart dey burn.

Oga just hiss, “You dey craze? I don check their family. Na only child dem be, and the mama no go last. If we just delay, once she kpai, you think say we still go pay?”

He talk am like say e dey calculate pepper for market. No pity, just dey count how many souls fit buy him next car. This one pass wickedness. My body cold.

I just look oga, shock catch me.

I dey wait make ground open swallow me. My spirit wan comot my body. The wickedness dey raw—e cut like new blade.

But he think say na praise I dey give am, tap him head say, “To run business, you need sense. Just hold her, she no go last.”

E even smile, raise eyebrow, like say e just win lottery. For Naija, some people head no dey house at all.

That moment, I no get doubt again.

The thing clear. Oga na evil. My plan na justice. If thunder go strike, make e strike with full chest.

This kind person deserve thunder.

Thunder and brimstone join. If na Old Testament time, this kain person no go survive for market square.

Time to close work dey reach, but oga suddenly say make nobody go after clock out—meeting dey, but make we clock out first.

E wan do him usual mago-mago. Make we sign out, then stay for meeting without pay. I don tire for all these small man tricks.

Na him usual way: make we sign out, then hold meeting so he no go pay overtime.

All of us sabi the drill. E go still complain say company dey bleed, meanwhile him dey change car every two years.

Everybody waka go meeting room, head down. Me, I delay for desk, dey arrange paper. When oga enter office, I reply the scam message.

I dey act like say I dey arrange files, but my eye dey phone. Na now or never. The game don start.

I type: “Na Chairman Musa be this?”

I put am to test, make sure say the scammer dey carry the right story. Chairman Musa na real big fish—we dey use that name for anything wey fit shake table.

Chairman Musa na our biggest client, na him hand our life dey.

If dem say make company fold, na only Musa fit save us. Na why every staff dey tread careful whenever him name enter meeting.

Scammer reply quick: “Yes, I don change card number.”

No delay at all. This one sharp—na professional. My mind dey steady, plan dey move.

I just laugh. “Okay, I go send am now now.”

I smile small. Even if e no see my smile, e go feel am for my reply. Na the calm before storm.

This na the time to act—during meeting, oga no dey allow make person touch phone.

I dey use the small window wey fate give me. After now, nobody go fit trace anything—oga sef dey busy dey show power.

As accountant, if I transfer money to client without oga sign, na crime?

No two way am. Na sack plus police wahala. But as I dey calculate risk, I sabi say sometimes, you go use fire fight fire.

No doubt. Na crime.

But my own heart don strong. If na crime go set everybody free from oppression, make e be.

But I don read case like this before. One accountant transfer 2.76 million naira to scammer, company drag am for court. Court talk say employee no gain, no fit pay back, so na employer suppose bear the loss. Employee only pay 40,000 naira.

I remember the headline: "Judge say, make company carry their cross." E sweet me. Sometimes, law dey get sense pass street.

Company lose 2.72 million.

Oga no know say as e dey play with people life, him own fit spoil too. For this life, na turn by turn.

Me nko?

I reason am. If I move everything, e go pain dem reach bone. E no go be small slap—na thunder slap.

First, I send the two million wey dey for dead worker compensation. Then I move all the company money—14 million naira—enter scammer account.

My hand no shake again. I dey see the figures disappear. I even wipe sweat from my forehead. If police catch me, at least my conscience go sleep well.

I know wetin I dey do. Company don kpai, just like that.

As I dey press final send, I see my life flash. But I just pray, "God, no let my hand fail." Oga no go see alert—only tears.

Oga Prado jeep, him wife LV bag, their pikin private school—all of them, finish tonight.

Dem go know say for this Naija, even goat get teeth. If you use person play, sometimes e go bite you.

Especially as half of that 14 million na loan. Oga own don finish: total ruin.

Dem go soon drag am from bank, dem no dey pity rich man wey fall. Even if na connection, this one pass am. I dey almost pity am—almost.