Chapter 1: Southern Town Wahala

Wu Lie na police officer, true true.

E get as Wu Lie waka dey, you go just know say police work no be for small pikin. If you see am for road, you go adjust yourself sharp-sharp. E no dey smile anyhow, e no dey beg, and to collect bribe? Tufiakwa! Even for station, when im shoe knock ground, all them junior officers dey shift well well for passage.

A very tough police officer.

Dem dey talk say if wahala get shape, e go resemble Wu Lie—na so e strong reach. For area, if you see im name for warrant, just dey beg your mama to call pastor for prayers. Dem fear the way e take dey do im work—steady, as if na family matter.

For the southern town, three big hard men dey, but the one wey people fear pass na Stone Fist Baba Musa.

Na so the gist go round every pepper soup joint, especially those beer parlour aunties wey sabi the real gist. Dem say for this town, you fit hear about many bad men, but if e reach Baba Musa matter, even agberos go lower voice.

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Baba Musa come from the Iron Palm Brotherhood—dem talk say e fit use one blow kill ram. People dey call am Stone Fist because im hand hard like rock.

Na old men for mosque dey whisper this matter, say the day Baba Musa try e hand for Eid, one big ram fall after one slap. Im hand dey strong like say spirit dey hide inside.

Baba Musa dey control nine different businesses and thirteen unions—all na by force. If you gree for am, e go use money settle you. If you stubborn, na im fist go settle the matter.

Omo, dem say the man fit clear person from motor park for just refusing to pay loading fee. No be small thing. Sometimes, e go just smile, settle you for beer parlour; but if your head too strong, na im knuckle go do the talking.

E no tey, Baba Musa turn richest man for southern town. Im dey ride imported horse from Chad, dey live for old District Head mansion from last chieftaincy, and e even carry the most famous woman from Aba Palm Groove as im side chick. The kind money wey im dey spend daily fit feed poor man for ten years.

Im horses dey wear gold bell for neck. Im children dey school for Togo. Even masquerade for festival dey greet Baba Musa with two hands, and market women dey whisper im name like secret. Some say na im dey buy diesel for police station generator.

But as dem talk, better thing no dey last—because Wu Lie show face.

Some nights, for that their local bar, when men don drink burukutu finish, dem dey argue say as Baba Musa dey chop life, na so im downfall go loud. True to talk, na that Wu Lie carry im wahala come.

Wu Lie tall and straight, skin dark like bronze, eyes sharp like angry tiger. E stand for Baba Musa gate.

Na so e take stand gbaladun for that big iron gate, hands behind back. Sun dey shine for im head, e no even blink. Boys wey dey look from inside dey wonder if na juju man or police be this one.

The houseboys wey dey see guests off don already dey ground like dead goats. Baba Musa house dey for the heart of the town, so crowd gather sharp-sharp to watch.

Women wey dey sell roasted corn begin peep from corner, children dey use stone climb fence, old men dey tap each other. For Naija, better drama dey make everybody leave work join look.

Everybody wan see how the person wey get mind challenge Baba Musa go take collect.

Even okada men dey park bike, dey watch. Some dey pray make dem see fight story wey go last for months.

Baba Musa vex comot, face strong like thunder. E big pass Wu Lie by one head. For im mind, this small boy no fit last one blow.

The way Baba Musa waka comot, im wrapper shift, chest wide. E look Wu Lie from head reach foot, hiss like angry snake. For im mind, na just stubborn recruit.

So e throw punch—im fist roar for air, land for Wu Lie chest. All the people wey Baba Musa don ever hit before no dey ever stand up after.

Some women cover mouth, others dey shout "Jesu!" Children run go hide, but still dey peep from corner.

The ground shake, but Wu Lie just stand gidigba, eyes no blink, chest still dey rise and fall like nothing happen.

Na so people begin whisper, some dey shout 'Ewo!' because dem never see this kind thing.

"Dem talk say your hand hard like stone?" Wu Lie ask am.

Wu Lie voice na one kind—calm but sharp, like wetin pastor dey use drive demon during night vigil.

Cold sweat begin run for Baba Musa forehead. Even though na im throw the punch, e be like say na im own finger wan break. E feel like say e punch iron.

Im boys dey look am, dey wonder whether na Baba Musa body dey shake so or breeze just too strong.

"I never punch stone before. I dey wonder which mumu go use im hand take fight stone." As Wu Lie talk finish, e suddenly punch Baba Musa for belle—no be say e use power, but Baba Musa just hold im stomach, drop for ground.

If na movie, people for shout 'Cut!' but for real life, na real silence dey ground. People dey hold breath, dey look as Baba Musa body touch earth.

No be only kneel, snot and tears begin run from im face because of the pain. People wey never chop beating for long dey always look more pitiful than those wey dey used to am.

Even the town madman shout, "Kai! Baba Musa don enter!" Small children begin dance, dey mimic as Baba Musa dey roll for sand.

Wu Lie bring out arrest warrant, use Baba Musa blood press fingerprint for the blue paper, then drag am go police station like dead goat.

As Wu Lie drag am pass, the whole town know say new wahala don land—who go be next?