Chapter 4: The Box of Death

Musa carry us go one abandoned building for area, point one small hole for ground, "Na there she dey."

The place dark, bushy, smell of rat dey everywhere. Some neighbor carry torchlight, others dey call God name.

Police dig the sand, come see one foam box—the type wey people dey use deliver things—dem bury am inside the ground.

Everybody hold breath. As police open am, fly just burst come out. One mama faint for ground, her son dey fan am.

Dem open the box, see Zainab curl up inside. Her eyes wide open, mouth small open, fear full her face.

Tears just roll for my eye. My leg weak. Aunty Hanatu scream sotay voice crack. Area boys grip her before she fall. One woman kneel for ground, dey pray in Hausa, tears dey flow. Somebody dey shout "Allah ya isa!"

Aunty Hanatu collapse for ground. She rush go attack Musa, but police hold am back.

One policewoman hug her, dey talk, "Take heart, e go dey alright," but wetin be alright for this kain wahala?

Police come make Musa talk how everything happen. The boy talk am with mind wey cold, e shock me well.

E no blink, e no even look us eye. "Na game I wan play, nothing dey inside," e talk. Even police look am like say e no be human being.

Musa say as e see the hole for one construction site, na there the idea enter am head to "bury something alive inside."

One man near me sigh. "God punish devil! Pikin wey never reach twelve, see as e get evil mind."

At first, e wan bury stray cat alive, but cat run, so e no fit.

Another neighbor whisper, "Thank God say cat get sense run. See as dem dey save themselves."

Na so Musa change plan, say e go use "children" instead.

The gist dey spread among neighbors, everybody dey nod head in disbelief.

But the hole small, so Musa tie two shoelaces together, use am measure. Any pikin wey fit, e go try carry.

You fit see the shoelace for ground, dirty, still dey for police hand. Some children wey dey look begin cry.

E talk say when e dey pick, e dey choose small girls because dem no dey too struggle, plus their body soft, easy to fold.

Women dey cover their pikin face, drag dem close. Some dey shout, "God forbid! No be my portion!"

"You kill am before you bury am?" one person ask.

Musa shake head. "I just tell her to lie down inside."

E voice low, no emotion. Even police dey look am with red eye. You go fear!

E set trap. First, e bring two big carton, tell Zainab make she lie inside, give her chocolate, make am feel say na play.

Area boys dey curse under breath, one even say, "Chai, na so dem dey trick children."

Later, e tell Zainab crawl enter the foam box wey e put inside the hole, she no suspect anything.

Children dey play, think say na hide and seek. Nobody suspect evil fit dey inside pikin mind.

"As she lie down finish, I put plank on top, press some floor tiles, then cover am with sand..."

Everybody mouth wide open. Some men dey wipe sweat, others just dey stare ground.

Musa say as e dey do am, Zainab dey struggle, so e jump on top the plank, press am well—na there Zainab stop to move.

The silence for the place fit make you hear pin drop. Women dey sob, some people dey pray, "God abeg, save our children."

Aunty Hanatu faint before she hear finish. Police rush carry her go hospital.

One nurse wey dey live two streets away help carry her, spray her face with water. Everybody dey shout, "Abeg, make una check her well o!"

I hear two police dey talk for corner, "Chei, I don do police work for years, never see this kind devil. If no be say him parents dey here, I for beat am die..."

Another officer reply, "Oga, this one don pass human being matter. Only God fit judge."