Chapter 4: Forced Confession

I hold my anger. “Madam, you need evidence before you accuse person. You no fit just talk anyhow. Who molest your pikin? Talk am clear. You no fit just call person bad name like that without proof.”

My voice dey shake, but I try stand my ground. "No be so dem dey do for this country. Wetin I do you? Bring evidence, make I see. If I touch your pikin, may God judge me."

"Na you!" The woman face bend with vex. "You be animal, you suppose die!"

She spit for ground, her voice sharp like broken bottle. People dey nod head, some dey clap hand, dey say "Na true!"

Police try calm her down.

One policewoman talk, "Madam, make you cool down. We go investigate. Allow us do our work." But the woman just dey shout, voice dey echo for the whole station.

She start dey shout, dey cause wahala. “My pikin don suffer! If una no hurry arrest this rapist, e mean say justice no dey! Una dey collect bribe, na why una dey delay, no wan open case. Una wan use power bully widow and orphan!”

She fall for ground, roll body, dey wail. "My husband don die, nobody dey for me. Na so una dey treat widow? Na so una dey do for Nigeria!" Police dey look each other, some dey vex say she dey disturb their night.

As police face change, she know say she don pass boundary, she quick point me again. “You fit harm small pikin like this. You no dey fear God?”

Her eyes red, nose dey flare. She dey shake, spit dey fly for her mouth as she talk. The crowd dey restless, people dey wait for police to do something.

I no want argue with her again. I turn face talk to the officer wey stand near me. “Oga police, I no do am. She dey spoil my name.”

I use low voice, try calm myself. "Abeg, I get family. This kain lie fit scatter person life. Make una check everything well."

“You dey talk say no be you?” The woman drag her pikin come, dey force her to point me. “Na him? Na him carry you go backyard?”

She dey kneel down for her pikin front, shake her by the shoulder, force the small girl to look my face. For Naija, everybody sabi say if mama dey shout, pikin go talk wetin she want hear. The girl face dey swollen, tears full her eye, she dey bite her thumb, fear catch her.