Chapter 1: Gambles and Betrayals

To be honest, throughout the whole struggle for the throne, Prince Danjuma was just gambling with his life—he never truly believed he fit win.

Sometimes, when evening breeze dey blow, you go see am for palace balcony, just dey look sky like person wey no sure of tomorrow. E go squeeze him face, rub back of neck, mutter, “Na wah, how I waka enter this wahala?” But as the elders dey talk for our side, ‘If river pass your waist, na to swim remain.’

Because, for all the big kingdoms before, which prince ever succeed when he raise army against the throne?

E get the way our people dey reason am—no matter how your chest broad, to challenge the stool na heavy matter. Only stubborn goat dey follow masquerade enter evil forest. All the gist from grandpapa side, na so rebellion dey end in tears.

Plus, old Musa (Musa the Great) na correct old fox. To make sure after he die, no prince go try wahala like the "Rebellion of the Seven Princes," he set strong rules: princes only fit command soldiers when dem dey go war. For normal days, dem no get authority over any soldier.

Na the way old Musa arrange am dey make people still dey respect am till today. No be small thing. The kind eye wey e take look dem princes that time, e be like say, ‘Any smart move, I dey see you o!’

Na only the guards wey dey their side na im dem fit call their own personal army.

Those guards na just face; dem no fit move like real soldiers. Sometimes, dem go even dey drink burukutu for corner, dey gist about old Musa wahala, say, “If to say na our papa dey, we for dey enjoy better life.” One go add, “Even goat for village sabi better king pass this one.” But everybody just dey manage.

Na this one give Sule Prince mind say he fit control the princes.

As e dey shake leg for council chamber, e go dey smile with that kin kingly pride, dey wave ring finger for air, “Who dey follow me drag? Na me be oga for here.” You go just know say the thing dey sweet am for body.

With hundreds of thousands of palace soldiers under am, why e go fear your small twenty thousand personal guards?

E go look dem like pikin wey dey carry catapult, dey threaten lion. Palace soldiers, everywhere! Even the way dem dey parade for palace square fit make your heart skip. The drum, the songs, the stamping—na power show.

So wetin Danjuma fit do? He sef no get power. See me now, just small Kano Prince. If to say you reduce our power small-small, truly show say you get good mind, I for no need risk my life like this.

Sometimes, as Danjuma dey reason for him small compound, e go wonder, “If Sule Prince just play am soft, even dash us small land, which fight I for dey fight?” But wahala no gree end.

But as you wan finish me, wetin remain? I gats bet everything.

E go look im hand, squeeze am like person dey calculate odds for ajẹlẹ. Las las, na do or die.

With all the military sense wey e get since e small, Danjuma find road where road no dey. Why e win the struggle—apart from Sule Prince wey just dey make mistake up and down, and luck wey dey change anyhow—na because of Danjuma himself.

People dey talk for market: ‘Danjuma head strong.’ E no be person wey dey talk plenty, but e sabi see road where everybody see bush. Even him enemies dey fear am small small.

The man sabi fight.

If na for war front, e dey like panther—quiet, sharp, no dey waste movement. Some say e get small jazz, but na true heart dey win fight.

Make we start from beginning. That year, King Sule just enter throne, he never even balance, he start to dey do reforms.

You know as e dey be, new king go always wan do shakara. No be just to sit for throne—e wan make people remember am. People for court dey whisper say, “This one no go wait make chair cold o, see as e dey rush things.”

When Musa the Great dey ask am about how to rule kingdom, Sule Prince go dey humble, dey answer correct correct. Old Musa ask am, "If, for future, your uncles dey plan bad thing, how you go handle am?"

The way Sule Prince bend head, dey answer with respect, you go think say humility dey inside e bone. E go talk with small voice, as elders dey like.

King Sule give am textbook answer: "First use respect, then use force."

E just recite am like wetin dem teach for palace school, the type of answer wey dey make elders nod head, dey tap walking stick for ground.

Use good character to influence dem, use big ceremony to hold dem, reduce their land, cut their guards, and if e no work, then send soldiers to suppress dem.

Na the way e talk am, everybody for palace dey feel say, “This one get home training.” If to say na other princes, dem for rush talk strong thing. But e calm.

Old Musa happy. "Not bad, the boy get sense."

The old man even smile, show that broken tooth wey everybody sabi. “Kai, this pikin go reach somewhere,” e go say, and the whole council go agree.

But as old Musa die finish, na there wahala start.

Palace turn cold. All the respect and old promise vanish like smoke for Harmattan breeze—light, forgotten. People dey whisper, dey fear say new king go show true colour.

Sule Prince just dey ginger. I know the answer, but I no go follow am. Abeg! I go do my own—who the princes be? Just clear dem.

“Na me be king, na me talk last. All these uncles—clear dem!” Na so e dey carry face like police officer wey catch thief for market.

Whether you dey plan bad or not, as I talk say you dey plan bad, na so e be. Who get time for good character or big ceremony? Who dey follow process of reducing land or soldiers?

People begin dey fear, dey hold children close. All the small princes begin dey beg God, “Make dem no remember my name.” Even chief cook dey hide, dey check if e name dey list.

Just clear dem.

No mercy, no second chance. To be prince na like hold burning coal.

Carry the princes go capital by force, seize all their property, collect their title, demote dem to ordinary people, come push dem go border.

Dem no even allow dem carry personal bangle, na so dem strip all dignity away. If you see the way palace guards dey drag dem, you go pity.

If Musa the Great hear this one, e for wake up from grave dey vex.

Old Musa spirit go dey restless for the ancestors’ place. As my grandmother go talk, “Na person wey plant yam know how yam dey pain.”

But to be wicked and strong no be the problem. The problem be say, if you wan wicked, you need sense and power. King Sango of Oyo wicked, but e get soldiers. Wetin King Sule get?

Even small pikin for village know say, to dey wicked without muscle na just empty noise. If you no get strong hand, na better disgrace dey wait.

King Sule get book people.

Na those ones wey dey carry big grammar, dey write sense for paper. E get as dem go dey walk around with big turban, dey correct people for corridor.

For his time, apart from chasing the princes, he come promote plenty reforms—he raise ministers of Six Councils from second to first rank, dey promote book people anyhow, at the same time, dey reduce the number of military officers for Five Army Command.

Even the soldiers dey grumble for barracks, dey ask, “Shey na to dey read book we come, abi na to defend land?” But nobody fit talk am for king face.

So the military people wey remain, how dem wan take rise?

Dem dey waka like goat wey lose mother. Hope just dey fade. Some go dey sell small thing for side, dey pray say maybe e go better.

King Sule no send. He and Malam Yakubu still dey discuss how to bring back the communal land system.

Some elders go dey nod, say “Yes, our fathers do am before.” Some young people go roll eye, say, “Abeg, na hunger dey ground.” But King Sule and Malam Yakubu just dey reason am for council chamber, dey map land for slate.

Malam Yakubu, na correct scholar, get big dream, e dey hungry am to bring back olden days. E believe say if the communal land system come back, everywhere go peaceful like before pre-colonial times.

E go quote Qur’an, mix am with old Hausa proverbs, talk say, “If community dey share yam, nobody go hungry.” But for market, people dey talk say, “Make dem share work first.”

With mind like that, to clear princes no get hope.

All the intellectual people dey palace, dey toast theory, dey forget say na real people dey outside dey vex.

From beginning, the order of clearing the princes no correct. Everybody know say Kano Prince Danjuma na the strongest, get better soldiers. Sule Prince think am, say make e no touch the real wahala first.

E wan play safe, dey do try your luck. But for this kind matter, sometimes na first blow dey win fight.

Start with the weak ones, build small respect.

You know, some people go reason am: “No go fight the lion first, clear the sheep.” But for palace, na respect dey finish that way.

I mean...

You be king already, you still dey pick the softest person to bully. Apart from shakara and fear wey dey your mind, which respect you wan get?

People for beer parlour dey laugh, dey gist, “King with big agbada, dey fear small breeze.”

The first wey fall na Bida Prince and Jos Prince. These two overdo—dem dey oppress people and maybe dey plan rebellion.

Na dem wey own hand dey dirty, so as e touch dem, people no too vex. But the palace still dey shake—everybody dey fear.

But see Benin Prince Bala, wey dey do traditional worship, call himself Oghenero. E help fight rebels before, at most e just mint small kingdom coins for himself—no be big crime.

The coin self, na small tin-cup change for market. E just dey use am do form. People for Benin dey respect am as traditional man.

But our guy Sule Prince send people make dem carry Bala come capital answer for crime, and same time send soldiers wey disguise as traders go invade Benin.

E still dey like play. Soldiers go market, dey price kola nut, but dem dey wait signal. Na pure film trick.

Bala dey reason whether to go or not, before he know, palace soldiers don surround palace. Na that time e understand say king no need reason to kill.

For that moment, e mind don clear. “So na like this dem dey finish man?” E go talk small, but nobody dey listen.

He know wetin go happen to him and his brothers.

Na so e just accept fate. For this world, if king don point finger, to struggle na waste time. People around just dey pray inside heart.

Demote to ordinary people, push go border—wetin go remain for palace?

Na serious disgrace. From high seat to bush path. The women, the children—all go lose status. Palace elders dey cry silently.

Outside, soldiers dey shout: "Prince, abeg open door, tie yourself, make we go together."

Na as if na market money dem dey collect. But for inside, fear dey everywhere.

Bala no answer. Wetin go remain for palace?

E just look around, see him mother, see sisters, see all the people wey dey trust am. “Omo, na so dem wan run us down.”

He don fight war, he know say once dem seize palace: women go suffer, his people go die finish. So-called prince, na just stray dog.

For old Benin, na better abomination for prince to end like stray dog. E rather die with dignity than carry shame go farm.

Under that dull sky, Bala just begin laugh.

Laughter wey pain full am. Some elders say na spirit don enter. Others say na true warrior dey face own end.

Him eyes red. He turn to him family and people: "I don fight for king, never lose—how I go let small people disgrace me today? To live with shame, I no fit."

The words heavy. Even the guards for door dey hear am, begin reason whether na so prince suppose end.

Everybody dey cry, but Bala just dey laugh, tears dey fall for him face. He order make dem bring all the best palm wine for palace. Even as people dey shout and curse outside, dem drink together.

Na that kin sad joy wey people dey share when dem no get hope again. Women dey wail, men dey force laugh, but the pain dey deep.

He make the children drunk, everybody eyes red from cry. Bala scatter the wine calabashes, set everywhere on fire.

As fire catch, the smell of palm wine and burning cloth fill air. Bala stand like king for last time, even as wall dey fall.

He wear prince robe, carry bow and arrow, shout make dem open door, shoot the officer wey dey curse outside—guy fall like star.

Na that arrow make everybody freeze. Even palace guards no believe wetin eye see. One prince fit still fight reach last breath.

Then, still dey laugh, he ride horse enter the fire, burn himself die. The scream from him mother pierce the air, and his sisters collapse on the ground, wailing like rain dey fall for their heart.

Some say the ancestors carry am. For Benin, e name go last.