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"...I heard him moving around in the inner room."
"I'll just pop in and say hello, even if it's brief." She started walking up the stairs, but Mamy quickly stopped her. "But you know he strictly forbade us from going up there, right? Have you forgotten that he said whatever it is, we should wait until he comes out first?"
"How can I wait for him, Mamy? Honestly, I really need to see him before I head out. I'll just speak to him from the doorway; I won't actually go inside."
With that, she climbed the stairs without waiting for Mamy to stop her again. He wasn't in his main bedroom, just as Mamy had said, but rather in the inner room, as she could faintly hear his voice. Approaching with a smile on her face, she touched the door with the intention of pushing it open and entering, but she froze dead in her tracks because of what she heard him saying on the phone. Crouching down, she pressed her ear tightly against the door to hear better.
Suddenly, her heart dropped into her stomach, and her eyes widened completely in sheer terror. The final statement she overheard made her clutch her violently pounding chest with both hands as she backed away from the door. In a frantic rush, she fled the area and headed downstairs, taking the steps two at a time. She bolted across the living room at a breakneck speed, completely ignoring the people gathered there.
She threw herself into the car and gripped her head with both hands, repeating the words, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un (To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return)." "Oh Allah, please let it be that my ears misheard. How could Daddy do such a thing?" she asked herself, her chest continuing to heave violently.
By the time they arrived, she didn't even realize they had reached their destination until she heard someone speaking close to her, causing her to snap out of it with a start. Slowly, she swung her legs out, stepped out of the car, and headed inside. She merely waved her hand dismissively at anyone who spoke to her until she reached her office, opened the door, and went in.
Propping her chin on both hands, she plunged into a deep ocean of agonizing thoughts.
She was completely oblivious to the moment Zaitun walked in and began speaking to her. "Nuratu," Zaitun said, gently shaking her shoulder. Startled, Nuratu looked up at her, then let out a heavy sigh. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. What makes you ask?" she replied, forcing a fake smile to her face.
"How can you say it's nothing when your face is completely drenched in tears—something I've never seen before?"
"Tears?" she asked, touching her face. True enough, she was crying without even realizing it. She let out a bitter, painful smile and looked away before saying...
WOMEN OF WORDS
Writers Association
(WOW)
TURMIN DANYA
BY FATIMA UMAR KAS (HILFAT)
(19)
She let out a dry smile before saying, "You know, when something happens that you never could have imagined in your wildest dreams—whether you see it or hear it—it is bound to utterly devastate you."
"What did you see? What happened?" Zaitun asked again in complete confusion.
Shaking her head, Nuratu replied, "I just hope that what I heard turns out to be untrue, or that my ears were simply playing tricks on me."
"May Allah ensure it isn't true, whatever it may be."
"Amen," she said, tilting her head sorrowfully.
"We really need to go to the police station right now to get the report before anyone beats us to it, since I noticed no other media house has published the full story yet," Zaitun noted. "Yes, that's very true. In fact, that was exactly my intention when I set out. Let's just go." She stood up, gathered the materials she would need, and followed Zaitun out, locking their door behind them as they prepared to leave.
They got into the car, but when she noticed her security escorts opening their own vehicle to follow, she leaned out of the window with a stern expression. "There's no need. Don't follow me. Stay here for now; I'll be right back. You too, wait here, I'll drive myself," she added, turning her gaze to the driver who was about to start the engine. They all stood frozen and bewildered, staring back at her. "But why? You know this is our job, to ensure your safety," one of the escort guards protested. "Whether you are here or not, I am always protected because the Almighty protects me. From this day forward, I do not require an escort from anyone; besides, you've been doing nothing but suffocating my freedom." With that, she revved the engine and drove off, leaving them standing there with their mouths wide open.
One of them immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Daddy. Zaitun turned to look at her and said, "But why would you do that? You know full well Daddy hired them specifically because of you, right? And out of nowhere today, you just tell them to stop following you?"
"Yes, I've canceled it. From today on, I don't want it. Just leave me be. Before they were around, who was protecting me if not Allah? Even now, I only need His protection, not that of some hulking guards." Zaitun opened her mouth to argue further, but Nuratu raised a hand to silence her. Zaitun was forced to shut her mouth and drop the subject, noticing that her friend was completely out of sorts today.
Upon arriving at the division, they were in luck; they were granted permission to see the suspect after presenting their ID cards. They found a place to sit, and Nuratu unzipped her bag, pulled out her voice recorder, and placed it on the table in front of her. Shortly after, the suspect was brought out. It was obvious he had been severely beaten, as he could barely even stand straight. They both watched him intently. The police officer forced him to kneel on the floor. "Hello, my good man," she said. He didn't answer, only breathing heavily.
"We would like to know your name," she said, adjusting her recorder. "My name is Rabilu Baba Abubakar."
"Why were you brought here?"
"I am a fraudster."
"How long have you been operating in this business?"
"For at least three years."
"Why do you do it, and what methods do you use to defraud people? Furthermore, what is your reason for targeting men specifically, rather than women?" He let out a deep sigh before answering. "Well, I grew up in the town of Kunkurawa. My parents and I all lived there. However, through my mother's sheer determination, I managed to get an education here in the city, barely managing to graduate. My dream was to get a good education, secure a proper job, and support them. But a job was impossible to find because my father is a nobody. Everywhere I went looking for work, I was rejected. Ultimately, I gave up, returned home, and broke the news to them. I noticed they became completely demoralized because all their hopes were pinned on me, especially since my father's strength had failed him and he was just sitting at home, and Inna could no longer even grind grain due to old age.
Later on, she fell ill. We kept administering traditional herbs, but it was all in vain—it felt like the illness was only worsening. I was forced to gather my certificates once more and return here to try my luck again, hoping to find a way to bring her to a proper city hospital. But day after day, the story remained the same; I failed to find a job. Dejected and empty-handed, I went back home only to find Inna's condition critical. That was how we brought her here. I then switched strategies to begging for financial assistance from those I saw living in luxury, but they only humiliated me and rejected my pleas.
The doctors said she is suffering from kidney disease and that we must raise the money for treatments and other expenses before the illness deteriorates to the point where she can't make it...
"Shorten the story due to time constraints," she told him. He nodded and continued, "I once approached an Alhaji whom I saw arriving at the hospital in a car, begging him to help us. But in the end, he just pulled out a single one-thousand-naira note and handed it to me. As I reached out to take it, I noticed his attention wasn't even on me; he was staring at a young lady standing by the hospital gate. He slammed his car door open, rushed over to her, and began talking to her, but she completely ignored him. I watched as he pleaded with her, but she simply turned around and walked out of the hospital. He returned to his car and drove after her. I sighed heavily and then approached another Alhaji whom I saw coming out, also dressed in a grand robe. He had already walked past a young lady, but turned back upon seeing her wiping away tears with the edge of her hijab. 'Young lady, is everything alright?' he asked. She looked up at him and said, 'Our father is terribly ill and we brought him to the hospital. He needs surgery, but we haven't been able to raise the money yet. My older brother went out to find the remaining balance, but he hasn't returned, and our father's condition is worsening.'
'Oh dear, I'm so sorry. May Allah grant him healing. Take this to add to what you have; I'm in a hurry, otherwise, I would have gone in to check on him.' He handed her a bundle of one hundred thousand naira. She bowed down in immense gratitude and turned inside. Seeing this play out made me realize something: women are given preferential treatment wherever they go. That was when I decided to start disguised as one. Ultimately, we packed up and returned home after buying what little medication we could afford through contributions from relatives. One morning, right after the dawn prayer, I returned home while my father was still at the mosque and Inna was praying. I went into the livestock pen, untied a ram and Inna's prized breeding ewe, and slipped out with them. I took them straight to the market, sold them, and boarded a vehicle back to the city.
Upon arrival, I rented a small shop and went into the market to buy all sorts of women's cosmetics and accessories. That very day, I began applying bleaching creams to lighten my skin, and I started wearing a large hijab to move around town. Within a single week, my skin transformed beautifully, and I fixed artificial white teeth. On the exact day marking that week, I picked up a native dress I had sent for tailoring and put it on, after carefully sculpting padding for my front and back. I did my makeup, put on earrings, wore a wig, tied my headwrap, and draped a veil over myself. When I looked at myself in the mirror, even I was shocked by what I saw; no one looking at me would ever suspect I wasn't a woman. I put on heels, grabbed a handbag, sprayed some perfume, and locked up the shop.
That very day, I made a massive catch. While standing on the street, a wealthy-looking, prominent man stopped his car right in front of me and began hitting on me. I turned my head away, playing hard to get. It wasn't until he practically begged that I got into his car and we left. We went to a restaurant, and throughout that time, I didn't utter a single word; I merely gestured to indicate that I could hear but was mute. He didn't mind, and we continued like that until he took me to one of his farmhouse properties. It was there that I stole my share of wealth and escaped the house while he was in the restroom.
From that moment on, I dove headfirst into the business, operating completely unchecked because the profits were massive. Within a short period, I acquired numerous properties and wealth. I bought a house and moved into it, and I even found an intermediary through whom I sent money to my parents, claiming I had secured a lucrative job. Because I knew how to carry myself, absolutely no one ever figured me out—until this time, when some kidnappers stormed my house at night and snatched me. I guess my run of luck finally ran ou...!"
"Stop right there!" Nuratu cut him off abruptly, her breathing turning shallow and heavy the moment he mentioned kidnappers. Instantly, the raw emotional wound deep within her soul was ripped wide open. She utterly loathes those people; she couldn't stand to even hear their name mentioned in her presence without her blood boiling. She felt that if she were given a gun and told to choose who to execute, she would hunt them down starting with their bosses, killing them over and over again...
WOMEN OF WORDS
Writers Association
(WOW)
TURMIN DANYA
BY FATIMA UMAR KAS (HILFAT)
20
They all stared at her intently. "Is everything alright?" Zaitun asked, trying to read her erratic behavior. Nuratu merely shook her head to indicate it was nothing. "Well, if you're done with him, let him return to the cell," the police officer interjected. "No, we aren't finished yet. Just five more minutes, please," Zaitun requested. Seeing that Nuratu remained silent and frozen, Zaitun turned her attention back to the suspect. "What happened next after they abducted you?"
"They came right into my house and snatched me in the dead of night. At first, I thought they were law enforcement agents who had uncovered my identity, so I started desperately swearing oaths to them. But it was only after they brought me to their camp that they demanded I ransom myself with every single penny in my bank accounts. They stripped me of all my real estate properties too; as I speak to you now, I have absolutely nothing left—they seized everything. And they didn't even stop there; they exposed my true identity to the world, despite promising they wouldn't interfere with my life. I was incredibly cautious, to the point that any phone line I used even once, I would throw it away or discard it immediately."
"Thank you very much, Officer. He can go back now," Zaitun said, looking at the policeman. "For the sake of God, since I've confessed the truth, please grant me a lenient sentence. By Allah, I am deeply remorseful," the man begged. "You will have to face the music, because the number of plaintiffs filing complaints against you is enormous, and everyone is ready to reclaim their stolen rights," the officer retorted, shoving him by the neck back toward the holding cells. "This kidnapping angle is a whole separate case on its own. How could they just seize everything from him, almost as if they were tracking his operations from the inside?" Zaitun mused. "Hmph, if it's those ruthless criminals with hearts like Pharaoh, an inside job is nothing to them because there is absolutely nothing they cannot do. Cruel tyrants... I utterly despise those people. By Allah, I am actively planning against them; I will expose them and unmask their identities, because what they did to me is permanently etched into my soul. I live and breathe this vengeance," Nuratu spat out with deep bitterness.
After returning the suspect to his cell, the officer walked back out to them. By then, they had already stood up to leave. "Thank you so much, Officer, for granting us enough of your valuable time. May Allah continue to guide your efforts in catching these predators who live off the sweat of others," Zaitun said. "Don't mention it. May Allah assist all of us," he replied, and they turned and exited the building.
They both froze dead in their tracks upon seeing their driver leaning against their car, with her security escorts standing off to the side. "Talk about stubbornness, they actually tailed us here," she muttered, glaring at them. Zaitun smiled and said, "Let's just get in. After all, since it's their job, they couldn't just leave you wandering around unprotected; that would be a dereliction of duty on their part."
Nuratu didn't say another word. She approached the car and climbed into the back seat, completely ignoring the driver. Zaitun walked around to the other side and sat down beside her. On the way back, despite Nuratu's tense silence and visibly brooding expression, Zaitun turned to her and said, "You know, yesterday when I informed my Uncle that the suspect had been caught, he went down to the division and heard everything, then filled me in last night. It turns out he defrauded a very prominent public figure, who pulled major strings to track the phone line he used to chat with his victims, because the amount of money and real estate he swindled him out of was massive—including funds meant for orphans. Even though the suspect claimed he discarded his SIM cards, my uncle told the tech team to keep monitoring it because they realized the line had merely been deactivated, not destroyed. Lo and behold, after months of hopelessness, they suddenly detected that the line had gone active again! That was how they instantly traced the location of the phone to his house and moved in.
But the biggest shock was finding out that it was a man posing as a woman. They even found all his cross-dressing gear inside the house.
After they arrested him and gave him a severe beating, he confessed to absolutely everything yesterday. Wow, this world is truly something else—if you live long enough, you'll see it all. Honestly, I believe degenerates in this world will never cease to exist. They said that with his female disguise, absolutely no one, no matter how sharp, could ever tell he wasn't a woman. May Allah protect us; some people will stop at absolutely nothing for the sake of money, by Allah. He came here feeding his parents with forbidden wealth."
"Amen to that," was all Nuratu muttered, holding her throbbing head, which prompted Zaitun to stare at her, wondering why she answered such a detailed explanation with a mere 'amen'. But she decided to leave her alone, seeing that her friend lacked even an ounce of joy or vitality that day.
That evening, they compiled the report and aired it, but Zaitun had to read it because Nuratu's head was pounding. Afterward, Nuratu requested an early release and headed home.
Like someone stripped of all vital energy, she walked into the living room, murmuring a faint greeting. Mamy answered her, observing her closely. Nuratu collapsed onto a sofa, closing her eyes tightly. "What's wrong?" Mamy asked. "I'm just not feeling well, that's why I came home to lie down."
"Subhanallahi, I'm sorry. Is it the headache again?" Mamy asked, placing a hand on her forehead. Nuratu simply nodded in affirmation. "There is medicine. Make sure you eat something first, then take the medication and rest."
"Alright, Mamy. Is it just you at home? Has Daddy gone out?" she asked, making an effort to sit up. "He went out briefly and said he wouldn't be long. He came downstairs earlier asking for you, and I told him you left while he was asleep. By the way, what happened earlier? I saw you come downstairs looking completely frantic and bolt outside?"
"Zaitun called me telling me to hurry over so we could go get the report on the fraudster. We went, and he gave us all the details we needed. If it weren't for my pounding headache, I would have broken it all down for you right now."
"No, no, just leave it until you recover properly first. For now, do exactly what I told you." Nuratu simply nodded and headed toward her bedroom, asking, "Where is big brother?"
"Big brother indeed! He's locked himself in his room throwing a tantrum because he was grounded and forbidden from going out. Goodness knows what he's doing in there." Nuratu managed a faint smile and slipped into her room to lie down.
Meanwhile, a high-level security meeting was underway in a large conference hall packed with top dignitaries. Everyone sat around a massive table, and the atmosphere was thick with tension; it was clearly a critical deliberation. "This is an absolute embarrassment to all of us! To think that a major metropolis like ours is beginning to be overrun by the menace of kidnappers—something we used to only hear about in neighboring regions. And yet, you have completely failed to take decisive action, or are you waiting until the crisis escalates to an unmanageable level? A disease must be nipped in the bud!" the speaker barked furiously, his eyes locked onto two high-ranking security officials dressed in full uniform.
"We apologize, Your Excellency. We will redouble our efforts; we are currently doing everything within our power, but we absolutely require the cooperation of the public for things to run smoothly."
"It's not a matter of 'trying'! You must exhaust every single resource, deny your eyes sleep, and devise strategic frameworks to completely dismantle this network before it gains any more ground," he fired back harshly.
"Your Excellency, as the Minister of Defense, it is your absolute duty to strictly oversee their operations, follow up constantly, and if you notice the situation is slipping away from them, deploy alternative tactical units to reinforce the operation. But we must act now; continuing to sit around and allow things to proceed like this is completely unacceptable."
A heavily built man sitting at the table added, his voice laced with burning anger. Instantly, the floodgates opened, and every official in the room began venting their frustrations regarding the security crisis. They debated the issue extensively before the meeting finally adjourned. Journalists present gathered all the key statements to publish across their various media platforms.
Within a blink of an eye, news of the cross-dressing fraudster's arrest spread like wildfire across the city, becoming the main topic of discussion everywhere. Because he had confessed to his crimes during the police investigation, they finalized the paperwork and arraigned him in court. A massive crowd jammed the courthouse, pushing and shoving to catch a glimpse of how the trial would unfold. Many desperately wanted to see him in person, since everyone had only seen his photos—specifically, a viral composite image showing him in his glamorous, heavily made-up female persona from his social media pages (where he had built a massive following by deceiving men) side-by-side with his mugshot taken in police custody. The courtroom was packed to maximum capacity, with not even standing room left. He sat in the middle of the dock among other accused persons, and as always, his face was masked tightly with only his eyes visible.
Nuratu had just arrived at the venue alongside two male colleagues who had been assigned to cover the trial live. The moment they walked in, the suspect's eyes locked onto her, and he found himself completely unable to look away. When she casually scanned the room, her eyes crashed directly into his intense, unblinking gaze. Her heart violently dropped into her stomach, and she stared back at him intently, just as he was staring at her...
WOMEN OF WORDS
Writers Association
(WOW)
TURMIN DANYA
BY FATIMA UMAR KAS (HILFAT)
21
She quickly averted her gaze as her heart hammered violently against her ribs, forcing herself to focus entirely on her assignment. Without wasting time, the court proceedings commenced in accordance with the law. Since he had already pleaded guilty while in police custody, he didn't waste the court's time and confessed to everything. Consequently, the judge handed down a prison sentence matching the severity of his crimes, after acknowledging that the stolen funds could not be recovered since the kidnappers had wiped him completely clean. Only his house and the properties within it were ordered to be auctioned off to mitigate the losses of the victims he had defrauded.
As they escorted him out, journalists swarmed forward, pushing microphones into his face to get a statement, but he remained tight-lipped and silent. From the sidelines, Nuratu continued her work; she had already secured all his statements firsthand at the station, so her primary objective here was broadcasting live footage of the scene to the public to provide closure, since not everyone could attend and many victims were too ashamed to step forward publicly.
Suddenly, a woman pushed through the crowd with immense arrogance and an air of supreme authority, violently shoving people out of her way. "Move out of the way, for goodness' sake! Everyone clear a path, we don't have time for any of this! And what on earth are you all standing around here for anyway?" she barked, shouting at the crowd. Nuratu lowered her camera, her eyes tracking the woman in absolute astonishment. She stared at the woman's face, then slowly scanned her entire body, completely paralyzed with shock.
The woman's aggressive shouting and shoving successfully cleared a path through the crowd. Leading the way, she escorted the convicted criminal whose hands were bound in heavy handcuffs, flanked by two armed police officers leading him from behind. They marched him straight to a waiting vehicle, and once he was seated inside, the officers climbed in after him. Turning around, the woman cast a venomous, look at the gathered journalists and spat out, "Vultures! Obsessive, nosy pests. By Allah, I utterly despise journalists!" With that, she slammed into the vehicle, and they sped away.
2. Summary of the Original Story (Updated)
This fast-paced segment of Turmin Danya deepens the overarching mystery while introducing an dark parallel plot.
- The Shocking Discovery: While visiting her father's wing of the house, Nuratu overhears a disturbing phone conversation through his door. The revelation shatters her world, throwing her into severe panic and tears, as she begins to realize her wealthy, highly respected father ("Daddy") is deeply entangled with the very criminal underworld or kidnapping rings that terrorized her.
- The Fraudster's Confession: Nuratu rejects her security details to reclaim her autonomy. She and Zaitun interview a high-profile suspect, Rabilu Baba Abubakar. Rabilu explains his tragic backstory—poverty, an ailing mother with kidney disease, and systemic rejection—which drove him to become a masterful cross-dresser to swindle wealthy men out of millions. However, his criminal career ended when Aliyu’s ruthless kidnapping ring targeted him, torturing him and forcing him to surrender his entire fortune as "ransom." Hearing the mention of her former captors triggers an intense, vengeful rage within Nuratu.
The Climax at Court: The state government holds emergency defense meetings to combat the rising kidnapping epidemic. Rabilu is brought to trial, where his assets are liquidated. At the courthouse, Nuratu's eyes lock onto a mysterious figure (Aliyu), causing her heart to race. The story ends on a cliffhanger when a fierce, highly aggressive woman arrives to clear out the press, projecting a deep hatred for journalists, suggesting a cover-up or a powerful shadow network pulling the strings.
3. Character Descriptions (Updated)
- Nuratu: A resilient radio journalist whose emotional trauma from her kidnapping has hardened into an intense craving for justice. She undergoes severe psychological turmoil upon discovering her father's hidden criminality, prompting her to dismiss her security team and rely solely on divine protection.
- Daddy (Alhaji Tahir): Nuratu's father. Formerly seen as a doting, hyper-protective elite parent, his facade begins to crack. The phone call Nuratu overhears positions him as a potentially massive underworld figure or collaborator with the syndicate.
- Rabilu Baba Abubakar: A complex, desperate criminal. Driven by systemic neglect and his mother’s failing health, he utilized elaborate female disguises to manipulate and rob wealthy elite men. He represents a victim-victimizer cycle, having been entirely cleaned out by the primary kidnapping ring.
- Aliyu / Gadanga: Present at the courthouse, his piercing gaze unnerves Nuratu. He continues to monitor her, establishing a dangerous psychological link between hunter and prey.
The Arrogant Mystery Woman: A newly introduced agent of authority. Brash, powerful, and deeply hostile toward the media, she aggressively manages the suspect's transport, signaling a hidden apparatus shielding corporate or state-level crime.
4. Literary Analytics (Updated)
Dynamic FeatureTextual Evidence & Analytical ImpactThe Dual Sieve of DeceptionThe text masterfully layers themes of disguise. Rabilu uses physical cross-dressing to manipulate elite men, mirroring how the elite (like Daddy) use societal prestige, philanthropy, and clean grand robes (babban riga) to mask their horrific criminal connections.Vengeance as ReconstructionNuratu’s trauma transforms from passive fear into an aggressive pursuit of vengeance. The author uses internal monologue (ina tsani waɗannan mutane... sai na gano su) to show that investigating the kidnapping rings is no longer just a journalistic job, but her absolute mechanism for reclaiming her shattered identity.The Structural Breakdown of State ControlThe high-level Ministry of Defense meeting exposes the absolute impotence of institutional security forces. By contrasting the useless political bickering of the elites with the raw efficiency of the kidnapping ring, the author comments on the failed security infrastructure of contemporary urban centers.Linguistic Shifts in HostilityThe introduction of the mystery woman introduces sharp, urbanized Hausa insults (Mayu iyayen naci — Vultures/parasites of persistence). This shifting register underscores the hostile environment modern Nigerian journalists face when threatening to dismantle structural corruption.
