Chapter 1: Dead Body No Get Secret

Dem say, "Antique and jade dey get patina—even dead body too."

That saying heavy for mouth. For Naija, especially for north, old things dey get patina—one special layer wey time dey put. But as dem dey talk am here, e mean say even dead body, after e rot, e go get him own kind patina; smell, colour, everything wey mark say time don waka.

For Kaduna, dem born one fine bobo wey get Nigerian and Lebanese blood. People for Kaduna dey call am "oyinbo wey sabi Hausa"—the kind pikin wey dey get both passport and pepper. Him fine reach say women dey craze for am everywhere.

If you see this Musa for road, e get that skin wey dey shine like Lebanese, with eyes wey sharp, lips dey always curl one kind. For mosque after Friday prayer, women dey peep from veil, dey gossip. Some dey whisper, "Na this kain fine boy dey break woman fasting." Even men dey envy. Him own fine pass oyibo, pass black, e dey somewhere in-between. Even his perfume dey enter nose—strong, like Dubai oil.

But for inside house, na real demon him be—serial rapist, killer, and e dey keep dead body like say na trophy. E dey keep am like hunter wey dey show off big bushmeat.

You fit no believe am if dem tell you wetin this guy dey do. E dey switch him face for outside, for compound e dey hail everybody; but inside, na something else dey happen. Dead body dey him parlour, e dey arrange am like say na ancient art piece. As if dem be medals for wickedness.

Police dig commot 41 corpses from him house—so tey the forensic doctor wey check am sef nearly faint from corpse wahala.

True true, na big wahala. Even the police wey get mind, dey fear to enter that house. The doctor, Dr. Oyeleke, a woman wey don see everything for morgue, almost vomit for there. The odour wey burst from that compound, na only God know how dem take manage.

Eziokwu, one small town for Kaduna:

This Eziokwu, na place wey nobody sabi before, but after this kasala, even BBC come find story. Ordinary small town, red sand everywhere, goats dey waka anyhow. Morning, you go hear cock crow, see women dey sweep compound, life just dey simple—until Musa story spoil their peace.