Chapter 3: Honey Trap for Ibadan

Ibadan—city wey fine like paradise.

Ibadan na big city, brown roof everywhere, market dey scatter, keke dey jam car. Everything dey colourful, life dey bubble. South different from North—people dey laugh more, street food dey everywhere.

For one yeye guest house, inside single room, one babe wey slim, sexy, makeup full face, dey slowly loose her wrapper.

The room get curtain wey don fade, AC no dey, but light dey flash from outside street. Generator dey hum for background, mosquito dey dance for bulb.

The skinny man for bed dey shake, e wan rush her.

E dey sweat, body dey hungry. Him own no be love, na pure wahala.

As everywhere dey hot, the babe give am one glass zobo.

The zobo red, cold, sweet—go down easy. Na street wisdom: always give man drink make him relax.

She adjust her wrapper, laugh like market woman—make the man think say na home. From wardrobe crack, two sharp eyes dey monitor the man.

You fit see shoe dey poke for bottom crack, light dey shine for Musa eye. Dem dey wait for right time.

The man drink the zobo finish, e turn press the babe, dey ready.

E dey rush her, no know say wahala dey corner.

The babe just smile one kind sly smile.

Her teeth white, lip gloss dey shine. For her mind, na business as usual.

Next thing, the man body just collapse, e faint.

Him hand slack, body spread for bed like beans sack. Zobo don do him work.

Two people crawl commot from wardrobe—one get body, one tall and fine.

Dem move like rat—Musa and Bala. For this work, everybody sabi him part.

Dem check corridor, make sure everywhere safe, then begin search the man briefcase.

Bala stand for door, Musa dey ransack. Time dey tick, but dem sure say dem fit commot before hotel staff suspect.

Inside, dem see ID card, bus tickets, and one big bundle of cash wrap for newspaper.

The money tight, fresh notes—na company cash, smell of new naira dey everywhere.

“Haha! We don hammer—at least two million naira!”

Bala dey dance small, Musa dey smile. For their mind, problem don solve for now.

Na Musa gang be this. This money go make dem flex well.

Dem go change location, buy phone, flex small babe, maybe even spray small cash for mama back home.

As Musa dey look the man wey faint for bed, him eyes shine. E bring out folding knife, dey use am trace the man body.

The knife sharp, cold for hand. Musa dey play with danger. For am, to thief no dey enough—e want taste blood.

“To just thief money dey boring. I never chop meat for long.”

E talk am like joke, but Bala shift. Musa get that hunger for kill wey be like craving for suya.

As the knife reach the man chest, Halima quick hold Musa hand, begin form baby.

She hold am with two hand, her face change. “Ah Musa, abeg o.”

“Ah, bros, this place no be our area. If person die, we no get where to hide body. Blood dey bring wahala.”

She talk am soft, but voice firm. She sabi how Musa brain dey work; once e start, nobody fit stop am unless you use style.

Musa eye blink. Halima talk sense, so e stop.

E sigh, drop knife. Bala catch breath. For Musa, na small disappointment, but e no get choice.

Halima breathe out—at least, nobody die this time.

She dey sweat, hand dey shake. Her heart dey thank God as she remember other times wey e no gree listen.

Na so her life be—if she no follow Musa talk, she fit be next dead body for cellar back North.

Every day, na gamble. For Halima, survival mean to play smart and watch Musa mood like weather.

Since dem come south, dem don rob many men with Halima as bait.

She don learn to set trap—walk like model, eye people, act shy, then lure dem come room. Dem go drop, gang go carry money.

Most victims shame, dem no report.

For Naija, man wey woman rob with love no go gree report. E dey fear laugh for station. Na so dem dey chop people for city.

But this skinny man, as e wake see say company money vanish, e run police station straight.

E get liver. Company cash na no joke; oga go sack am if e no talk true. E run go Dugbe police station with shame and fear.

At first, Ibadan police confuse. That time, camera no too plenty, clue no dey—catching thief na wahala.

Police dey scratch head, dey ask neighbor question. Hotel no get CCTV, nobody see Halima face. Na only rough description dem get.

Until dem catch Musa gang for Osogbo bus park.

Na spirit lead police—true true, after small tip from agbero, dem eye Musa crew for bus park. People for park sabi hustle; once dem see something off, dem go talk.

That day, the three wan pick new target. As dem ready, police stop dem.

E be like film. Halima dey walk in front, Musa and Bala dey drag bag. Dem no sabi say two police dey follow dem from entrance.

One babe wey wear small cloth with two men wey dey look somehow—no good for busy park.

Area boys begin shout, "See thief!" Some dey record with phone. Police dey shine torch for face. Na there dem sabi say something dey fishy.

Police don already dey eye dem, suspect say na honey trap gang.

Na wahala for park. Police dey ready, people dey watch.

True true, their bag get money, five different people ID, oral sleeping drug, and Ibadan tourist tickets.

Na big exhibit—money dey, drug dey, fake ID everywhere. Dem no fit deny am for station.

Osogbo police reason say, dem fit do crime for Ibadan too.

For Nigeria, police like connect case; once dem see clue, dem dey link city to city.

Dem contact Ibadan police, e match.

Ibadan DPO rush come, confirm say na same style. The whole team dey happy say dem get big arrest.

Further check show say dem fit even kill person.

Inspector Seyi, wey dey dig deep, notice say two of the ID people never return house since last month. Fear begin enter.

Two of the ID from North no trace—owners don miss for their side.

Family members dey search for dem. Police begin call North, try reach home town. Small world, all story dey connect.

Ibadan police set up special team—dem suspect say na big fish dem catch.

State CID dey move, every officer wan be part of case. Dem wan shine for news.

Nobody know say these three don do pass robbery and two murder.

This one pass normal yahoo. Even police begin dey fear, dey pray make e no be ritual.

Their crime bad reach to shake the whole country.

If press hear, everywhere go scatter. Na rare case, even for Africa Magic.

This shocking case make small Eziokwu town popular.

Now, journalists dey drive come dusty road. Everybody for North dey find relation. Eziokwu name enter headline.