Collection of short stories

e was doing is a pretty risky one. If any of his would-be-victims happens to discover h

that diplomacy can be used to handle. Every crime involves investment of precious time, money, intelligence, energy and tools. None must be

nd McClean white teeth always showing whenever he deliciously beams a cunning smile; none of his victims would ever think he is a devil incarnate. Always carrying a white o

in Emeke village looking for young girls and boys to take to major cities in Nigeria and Europe in the guise of

l of illiteracy in the country. That is why I have come to meet you to ask for your consent to release your daug

ddenly, Mrs. Iroro Igho-Igho, Ekeme's mother sprang from the ekpeti (small local stood) she was sitting on, under an orange tree where Adew

eague of youths of this village who have been traveling to the white man's country. Hey, idolla-ay, idoll

and said further "Idolla-ay, idolla-ay. It is not only dollars,

ughter travelling out to further her education to make us enjoy in future?" sh

are happening in this country these days. I don't have money to give to anybody to procure any document we will not see the head or tail at the end of the day,

daughter for the trip. Once you agree, I will come along with a photographer to snap a passport of hers to do he

sponsible for the sponsor

Adewale

erything will g

her. It is after the international passport has been obtained that you will need to contrib

d that Adewale may be trusted. Adewale was very glad that the somehow sensible looking Iroro was beginning to fall into his

here they choose to go worldwide. Anyway, back to your question. It will only cost N300,000 to get the documents. But never mind if you don't have the money now; I will use my own money to procure them within a week but you will pa

own money to get the documents for my daughter so I can pay later!" he

HTPP for, if I cannot use my position to

soon as Adewale had assured them he would get the documents for Ekeme's father to pay later, her mother jumped like a panther from w

e," she had said, and started singing a melodious song in vernacular thu

t the reason for their celebration. In a twinkle of an eye, the news of Ekeme's luck to travel to Italy swept the entire village, like t

begging him to show them the same kindness he had shown to the Iroros. He was mesmerized by the way they rolled on the ground and begged

icate were based, Adewale was hijacked by ten of the village elders. When they appeared from nowhere along a footpath to the river side, he was frightened. "Oh damn it!

used his right fingers to feel the bulge of the gun tucked in-between his right hip and the dirty brown jean he wore. Using his eyes, he calculated the number of the villag

rning Italian Dollars?" he queried himself inwardly, as he jettisoned

lated when eight young bare busted virgins with ripe inviting breasts came from behind the ten elderly men he had presumed must have come to deal

ies, they have failed. I can't fall for their trap," he further thought inwardly, while contemplating whether not to

ence, we came to cordially waylay you on your way to the city. We heard you will be coming back tomorrow with a photographer to take Ekeme's passport photog

lso brought out some bundles of money and made it clear to him that they were asking him to sleep with the eight girls immediately though they

for you. You can sleep with her even right now if you like. I want her to be well educated to earn my family the much talked about Italian dollars many of our folks who have people overseas

ointed breasts, curvy hips, long mammy-water hair and chocolate skin. You should know many men prefer a lady with smooth, big breasts to ladies that are light in

the innocent girls from one to the other, and swallowed saliva of libidinous excitement. He did not believe at first if what he was seeing was not a figment of his own imagination. He used his right palm to clean his face to be doubly sure what he was experiencing was real. Having convinced himself that he was not day-dreaming at all, he re-assured them he would come back the following day with the photographer. To make him loo

the elders said, as they were returning f

ghters' beauty did not even also sway him too. Such men are hard to find these modern

dollar for them is regarded as local and uncivilized in the community. Hence, Adewale's visit to the village to assist Ekeme's parents to educate her in Italy was seen as a situation of God coming down to them in the likeness of man. The whole village was agog. Some offered sacrifices to their traditional gods

. E be like gun," one of the elated village girls on Adewale's l

rom any of them then, to create the impression he was really God-sent. But before he departed from them after their pictures, he made sure they gave him all their correct first, middle and surnames, which h

Those who could not raise the amount before the day Adewale promised to come and take them to Benin and later to Lagos en-route to Italy, bewailed their financial handicaps; cursing an imagina

thered around him under the orange tree at Iroro's compound which had assumed a kind of status as a loca

camp to another in the middle of a desert?" Ekeme had boldly asked when it started dawning on her that A

mes, you will learn not to be

and documents he claimed would land them in Italy. What made Ekeme begin to start suspecting him was his change of attitude from the God-fearing airs he had put on back in her village, to that of a bully and gangster kingpin as soon as th

ng day. In order not to draw attention of security agents in the city, he chartered eight taxies to take his human cargo to Seme Border, in Benin Republic. Ekeme had wanted to call her parents when sh

ublic. There, the immigration officers of Benin Republic demanded for the international pa

ale lied to the leader of the Beninese immigration ser

the visas in the passports are f

said, admitting to the fake visas d

,000 US Dollar,"

settle other immigration officers at other countries borders. We are actua

ou so heartless, dealing in human trafficking? Anyway, that is your own proble

he sum of $20,000, he handed it over to the immigration officer, who is known as Mr. Ojajara. The officer counted the money and was furious a

s, "Call the anti-human-trafficking agency's number in Nigeria. Inform them

jajara, pleading; "Please, Oga, Oga, don't do me like that. I am read

ginning to understand

eria brought them face to face with death. Armed desert-robbers attacked their entourage, robbing them of their food items, water and jewelry. Adewale had managed to escape the bandits attack on many occasions,

he lorry. The desert weather was very unfriendly as the harmattan wind was bitterly cold which penetrated into the young feminine bones of the ladies. Sensing that the ladies needed warmth, two out of three Arab guides Adewale had employed their services to ferr

in the desert and you won't be the last. Don't worry, as we travel along, you will

s. Is this the same Adewale who came to our village acting like an angel?" she pondered. She was panicky and

ogether in groups to keep warm, after the Arab guides had taken advantage of some of the girls. He sat close to Ekeme and placed his right hand across her shoulder. She resisted him and cursed him for being deceitfu

going to airlift us to Italy?" She

r hair, pulling her from the presenc

t. He brought out a pistol and put the iron point on her nose. She closed her eyes, praying silently for God to receive her soul. He then ripped the V-shape light green blouse she wore earlier in the afternoon due to the hot

ive it to you if you want it anytime we arrive Italy," she said, trying to be diplomat

slap across her face which caused stars of differe

e wore. He pulled it off her, throwing her legs apart to expose her sacred reproductive organ no man had ever touched be

came to us, Adewale?" she had asked him as he penetrated her and contin

to pick us in the middle of the desert," he managed to say as

e that day. When he released into her, she was surprised at the warmth that began to spread everywhere in her inner grooves, banishing all atoms of the p

die in the middle of the desert like some other ladies who were previously difficult to handle during his past expeditions. They traveled thro

in the middle of nowhere in the sea. Luckily for her and some few others, they were rescued by some sailors from a fishing trawler that happened to be nearby when the boat was capsizing. Some of

street where she was assigned to practice prostitution by a black lady Adewale had supplied her to, for

sion in Italy. This led to a drag net to apprehend Adewale and his gang. It was two years before he was finally caught and sent to jail after being convicted on c

some are still giving their children to such scouts, though they are seeing Ekeme with an unwanted pregnancy, and her dejection about how she is going to m

22nd Janu