Chapter 1: Border of No Return

May 2018. When wahala choke me, I waka enter Benin Republic alone. Rain dey threaten for sky, my slippers dey slap wet sand as I cross, heart dey beat like drum for village festival.

The kind wahala wey fit make person leave im fatherland no be small matter. My people go talk say, "Na when breeze blow, fowl yansh go open." Na so my own yansh take open as everything scatter for my side. As I waka cross border, na only my small bag and heavy heart follow me. The air for that Seme border different—na fear and hope dey mix for my chest as I comot from Nigeria ground, step enter another man land. I just whisper, "God abeg, cover me for this journey."

For 527 days, I see gamblers wey dem cut their fingers with my own eyes. I see girls dey drag like goat for market, tears full their eye, dem no fit talk. Dem dey traffic dem anyhow.

As I dey for there, some nights, I go just dey reason how life fit cheap like sachet water. Dem no dey pity person. I remember one day for roadside, I see one small girl, no reach sixteen, dem dey push her inside tinted bus. My hand just dey shake. I no fit do anything, because na their own people dey run the street. Men dey gather, dey chop suya, as if say nothing dey happen. My chest go dey heavy, I go just pray make God no let my own pikin waka this kain road.

The stories wey dey fly for this border area fit make person fear, but no TV show fit show you the real wickedness wey dey here.

E get as you go hear gist for night: how dem dey chop people eye for ritual, how police dey collect bribe, how some boys wey no get mama again dey sleep for container. All the films for Africa Magic no fit paint the kind wahala wey dey this border town. The real life na ogbonge horror film—person fit hear shout for night, everybody go lock window, mind their business.

Everybody dey talk say the industrial parks for Benin Republic na hell for Nigerians. For my mind, even devil sef go fear to stay for that kind place.

Dem say make you no lose guard for those places, if not, dem go use you test juju. People wey dey look for better life go just enter kpof-kpof—before you know, story don change. E get some factories wey even the Beninoise sef dey fear. If you hear the tori of people wey don disappear, you go know say even devil dey run when e see some streets for here.