Doko town is a place full of people with different occupations — some are farmers, some are traders who travel to different towns for business. The people of the town speak Hausa, so most of them are Hausa people, with only a few Fulani living there. The town is under Garki Local Government in Jigawa State.
Tonight is the fourteenth night of the lunar month, and the town is bright with the shine of the full moon. Even if your flashlight falls to the ground, you can still see it easily because of the moonlight. Teenage boys and girls between the ages of ten and fifteen are roaming about, jumping, and playing different games, obviously enjoying the pleasant weather of the night. The moonlight shines beautifully, and a cool breeze is blowing.
Suhaif, a young man known for his knowledge, good looks, calmness, wisdom, and smart dressing, came out from his grandmother’s house and sat on a small platform at the entrance. He watched the children play different games, smiling to himself. He remembered the past, when he and his friends used to be like that, playing all kinds of games. Some boys were playing “langa,” while others played “hide and seek.” The girls were playing the “gada” game. One energetic girl with a loud voice suddenly raised her voice and began singing the “gada” song:
“Uwar miji ta zageni, na durkusa ina ta neman gafara. Uban miji ya zageni, na durkusa ina ta neman gafara. Da kishiya ta zageni, na lillisata na kai ta ofishin ‘yan sanda. Sun lillisata sun juyata sun kaita lahira sai ga ta a duniya. Iyaraye nanaye, aiye raye iye nanaye ‘yan mata.”
Suhaif burst into laughter and said aloud, “Ah, women! A woman does not like a co-wife at all.” Just then, a group of women escorting a bride passed by on their way to take her to her husband’s house. They carried trays of traditional pastries and gifts. One of the women carried the bride on her back while her friends sang bridal songs. Suhaif watched them until they passed.
Near him sat his younger cousin, *Yar Hajja, selling boiled eggs by a lantern. The rule was that whoever cracked an egg would eat it and pay for it. *Yar Hajja called out loudly:
“Ta soyu da manda rangadau, Tayi arewa da filin dakata amaro.”
Then she switched to another song:
“Goro goriye goro daushe, Goro dan Kano dan Kaduna, Wanda bai ci ba yaci sabo!”
Teasingly, Suhaif said to her, “Hey, noisy girl, close your mouth before mosquitoes enter! *Yar Hajja, you love money too much. In the morning you sell koko, in the afternoon you sell bean cake, and at night you sell goro, eggs, and groundnuts! Let me come and eat some ‘alakoro.’”
He stood up and came to her tray. She replied, “No, I don’t give ‘alakoro’ for free — you must buy it! Wallahi, Babangida, you are too stingy. All the money you make when you go to Kano, you refuse to buy anything except ‘alakoro.’ You don’t even pity me!”
He laughed hard and said, “Listen to her! Acting like I’m a thief bringing stolen money from Kano. And you claim I’m stingy when you’re the one who loves money more. They call you ‘lashe money’ for a reason!”
He reached to take an egg, but she quickly pulled the tray away. “These eggs are mine, but the groundnuts and goro belong to our grandmother, and she won’t complain if you take those.” He said, “I’m not an old man; I don’t chew goro. And I don’t eat groundnuts unless I’m starving. I’ll eat an egg.”
She handed him one egg, but he gave it to a nearby child. Then he grabbed the entire tray and told the children, “Gather round! I will share these eggs for free. Then you all must sing for her!”
*Yar Hajja burst into tears and ran inside to report him. He called her back and offered to pay for all the eggs. She returned angrily, arms on her waist. He brought out three brand-new ₦100 notes and gave them to her. “How much are your eggs? I know they are not more than ₦200 — here is ₦300. Take it, money-lover!”
*Yar Hajja beamed with joy as she counted her unexpected profit. He shared the eggs among the children. Then he noticed a young girl sitting alone with her bag beside her. He asked:
“Who is that girl sitting far away by herself?”
*Yar Hajja said, “We don’t know her. She’s not from this town. She came and sat there watching us. We spoke to her but she stayed quiet.”
Suhaif approached the girl and handed her two eggs. She collected them silently. *Yar Hajja came closer with the lantern to look at the girl, but she hid her face. Suhaif scolded *Yar Hajja and sent her away with the lantern.
He knelt down in front of the girl and asked gently:
“What is your name?”
She stayed silent.
“Which town are you from? We don’t know you.”
Still no answer. Suddenly, she burst into heavy crying. Suhaif panicked and tried to comfort her. When she calmed down, she lifted her face, revealing bright, wide, innocent eyes. In a soft voice she said:
“I want water… please can you help me with drinking water?”
He said, “I will help you, my sister.”
He called *Yar Hajja to bring fresh water from their grandmother’s clay pot. When the water arrived, the girl drank almost the entire bowl, showing that she was very thirsty. She also ate the eggs like someone who was hungry.
Suhaif asked, “Now that I have helped you, can you tell me your name and where you are coming from?”
She whispered:
“My name is Fatima, but they call me Iman. I boarded a vehicle at Yankaba to Gumel, but my money wasn’t complete. The driver dropped me here and told me this is where my money ended.”
Suhaif asked, “So you wanted to go to Gumel but ended up in Doko? If we give you transport money to Gumel, will that solve your problem?”
Iman started crying again.
“Even if I go to Gumel, I don’t know anyone. I don’t know where to go. I don’t know anybody in this world.”
He asked, shocked:
“Where are your parents?”
Still crying, she said:
“I was born in Makkah. My mother recently died. My father died when I was a baby. We lived in Makkah. The police caught me because we didn’t have residence papers. They deported me to Nigeria, but I don’t know anyone here.”
Her pain touched Suhaif deeply. Tears welled up in his own eyes.
He asked:
“Which place are your parents originally from?”
“Sokoto… they said we are Fulani from Sokoto. But I don’t know anyone there. I don’t know my relatives. I’m alone.”
Suhaif sighed and said, “Oh my God… come with me. Let me take you inside to my grandmother. She will help you.”
He lifted her bag and took her into the house. *Yar Hajja and her friends watched curiously, whispering gossip.
In the house, Suhaif explained everything to his grandmother, Hajja. She welcomed the girl warmly and told her:
“Let me touch the head of an orphan so I may earn reward.”
After hearing her story, Hajja said they must help her. Suhaif insisted that abandoning her would expose her to danger — she could fall into the wrong hands. They agreed to let her stay.
Iman thanked them and asked to pray before eating. Suhaif showed her the place for ablution and left.
CONTINUATION OF THE STORY
When Suhaif reached home, he met his father, Alhaji Hayatu, sitting outside with a visitor. After helping serve the visitor grains and money, his father noticed Suhaif looked disturbed. Suhaif explained that he was thinking about the suffering of poor people in the country.
They discussed poverty, kindness, and the responsibility of wealthy people to help their neighbors. Alhaji Hayatu encouraged Suhaif to complete his degree and maintain good grades so he could get a good job and one day help his people.
Suhaif agreed and then informed his father about the mysterious girl he found. He narrated her situation fully.
His father was shocked:
“Suhaif! Who told you it's safe to pick a strange girl at night and take her to an old woman’s house? You should have taken her to the village head or to the authorities!”
This evening, Najib arrived in the town of Doko from Kano. He found Suhaif in his room sitting on his mattress, leaning on a pillow which itself rested on the wall. His mind was troubled with thoughts of Iman—switching between one thought and another, unable to settle.
Najib’s greeting interrupted his thoughts. Suhaif responded softly, his attention fixed on the person entering. Because it was already evening and there was no electricity, the room had become dim. Suhaif couldn’t recognize the face of the person entering, although he tried to identify him by his voice. He doubted it could be Najib—he wasn’t expecting him that evening. Najib had said he would go to Bauchi and return later.
Najib walked closer to the mattress where Suhaif sat and held his hand in greeting. Only then did Suhaif recognize him. Surprised, he said,
“Teacher Najib, it’s you! Do you know I didn’t recognize you? You really surprised me.”
Najib laughed and sat beside him, saying,
“What? You mean you didn’t recognize me since I entered? I thought you would know my voice.”
Suhaif answered,
“I tried to catch the voice but then I thought it wasn’t you. When did you return from Bauchi? Or have you gone to bring us a Hausa girl from Bauchi? You’re always traveling there!”
Both of them burst into laughter.
Najib said,
“You’re something else! Haven’t I told you I went for Aliyu Bauchi’s wedding—my course mate? You know me, it’s only Samira Tukur I’m after. And even she, I haven’t gotten through to her. How can I then chase another girl? Samira is too full of herself.”
Suhaif smirked and replied,
“That’s exactly how she is. Before she speaks, she pouts her lips and twists her face. That’s why I don’t bother going near her. What level is she now?”
Najib answered,
“She’s in level two, studying Microbiology at B.U.K Old Campus.”
Najib adjusted his sitting and said,
“I actually brought you some hot news. I planned to come tomorrow, but I decided to come today and give you this good surprise. You know how eager I’ve been for our NYSC posting—so we can go, finish, and get jobs. My father has friends in government. Last week he even called me to his sitting room and said, ‘You and your brother Suhaif, when will you go for NYSC so that you can start working? I have already spoken about you two to my friends.’ I told him, ‘We’ll be leaving very soon, Baba.’”
Suhaif frowned and said,
“You greedy money-lover! You can’t survive a bank job. You still haven’t told me the news you brought.”
Najib replied,
“When I returned from Bauchi, I went to the school and found the NYSC posting list pinned up. Everyone’s assigned state was displayed.”
Suhaif jumped up, clutching his chest.
“Tell me mine!”
Najib said,
“No need to panic. Before checking mine, I checked yours—you’ve been posted to Ogun, and I’m posted to Kaduna.”
Suhaif jumped to his feet.
“No way! Why would they send me to the land of ‘Inyamurai’? I already told Baba that if it's the South, I’m not going! So keep quiet, don’t let Baba hear this because I’m not going.”
Najib stood up and walked towards the door saying,
“You’re unbelievable. I’m going to tell Baba myself. You must go!”
Suhaif grabbed him, trying to stop him, while Najib tried to pull away. Baba happened to pass by and saw them struggling. He shouted,
“What is this? Are you children wrestling?”
Najib burst into laughter, knelt down and greeted him, then explained what was happening. Suhaif stood there sulking, glaring at Najib.
Baba became angry, hit Suhaif with the stick in his hand, and scolded him harshly,
“You will go, I swear! Even if I die, I’ll leave instructions that you must be sent. You finished school and NYSC is what’s troubling you? You think you can insist on only the North? You will go to the South, by force!”
Najib greeted Baba and said he would not be spending the night before taking his leave.
BEGINNING OF THE STORY
Doko town is a place full of people with different occupations — some are farmers, some are traders who travel to different towns for business. The people of the town speak Hausa, so most of them are Hausa people, with only a few Fulani living there. The town is under Garki Local Government in Jigawa State.
Tonight is the fourteenth night of the lunar month, and the town is bright with the shine of the full moon. Even if your flashlight falls to the ground, you can still see it easily because of the moonlight. Teenage boys and girls between the ages of ten and fifteen are roaming about, jumping, and playing different games, obviously enjoying the pleasant weather of the night. The moonlight shines beautifully, and a cool breeze is blowing.
Suhaif, a young man known for his knowledge, good looks, calmness, wisdom, and smart dressing, came out from his grandmother’s house and sat on a small platform at the entrance. He watched the children play different games, smiling to himself. He remembered the past, when he and his friends used to be like that, playing all kinds of games. Some boys were playing “langa,” while others played “hide and seek.” The girls were playing the “gada” game. One energetic girl with a loud voice suddenly raised her voice and began singing the “gada” song:
“Uwar miji ta zageni, na durkusa ina ta neman gafara.
Uban miji ya zageni, na durkusa ina ta neman gafara.
Da kishiya ta zageni, na lillisata na kai ta ofishin ‘yan sanda.
Sun lillisata sun juyata sun kaita lahira sai ga ta a duniya.
Iyaraye nanaye, aiye raye iye nanaye ‘yan mata.”
Suhaif burst into laughter and said aloud, “Ah, women! A woman does not like a co-wife at all.” Just then, a group of women escorting a bride passed by on their way to take her to her husband’s house. They carried trays of traditional pastries and gifts. One of the women carried the bride on her back while her friends sang bridal songs. Suhaif watched them until they passed.
Near him sat his younger cousin, *Yar Hajja, selling boiled eggs by a lantern. The rule was that whoever cracked an egg would eat it and pay for it. *Yar Hajja called out loudly:
“Ta soyu da manda rangadau,
Tayi arewa da filin dakata amaro.”
Then she switched to another song:
“Goro goriye goro daushe,
Goro dan Kano dan Kaduna,
Wanda bai ci ba yaci sabo!”
Teasingly, Suhaif said to her, “Hey, noisy girl, close your mouth before mosquitoes enter! *Yar Hajja, you love money too much. In the morning you sell koko, in the afternoon you sell bean cake, and at night you sell goro, eggs, and groundnuts! Let me come and eat some ‘alakoro.’”
He stood up and came to her tray. She replied, “No, I don’t give ‘alakoro’ for free — you must buy it! Wallahi, Babangida, you are too stingy. All the money you make when you go to Kano, you refuse to buy anything except ‘alakoro.’ You don’t even pity me!”
He laughed hard and said, “Listen to her! Acting like I’m a thief bringing stolen money from Kano. And you claim I’m stingy when you’re the one who loves money more. They call you ‘lashe money’ for a reason!”
He reached to take an egg, but she quickly pulled the tray away. “These eggs are mine, but the groundnuts and goro belong to our grandmother, and she won’t complain if you take those.”
He said, “I’m not an old man; I don’t chew goro. And I don’t eat groundnuts unless I’m starving. I’ll eat an egg.”
She handed him one egg, but he gave it to a nearby child. Then he grabbed the entire tray and told the children, “Gather round! I will share these eggs for free. Then you all must sing for her!”
*Yar Hajja burst into tears and ran inside to report him. He called her back and offered to pay for all the eggs. She returned angrily, arms on her waist. He brought out three brand-new ₦100 notes and gave them to her. “How much are your eggs? I know they are not more than ₦200 — here is ₦300. Take it, money-lover!”
*Yar Hajja beamed with joy as she counted her unexpected profit. He shared the eggs among the children. Then he noticed a young girl sitting alone with her bag beside her. He asked:
“Who is that girl sitting far away by herself?”
*Yar Hajja said, “We don’t know her. She’s not from this town. She came and sat there watching us. We spoke to her but she stayed quiet.”
Suhaif approached the girl and handed her two eggs. She collected them silently. *Yar Hajja came closer with the lantern to look at the girl, but she hid her face. Suhaif scolded *Yar Hajja and sent her away with the lantern.
He knelt down in front of the girl and asked gently:
“What is your name?”
She stayed silent.
“Which town are you from? We don’t know you.”
Still no answer. Suddenly, she burst into heavy crying. Suhaif panicked and tried to comfort her. When she calmed down, she lifted her face, revealing bright, wide, innocent eyes. In a soft voice she said:
“I want water… please can you help me with drinking water?”
He said, “I will help you, my sister.”
He called *Yar Hajja to bring fresh water from their grandmother’s clay pot. When the water arrived, the girl drank almost the entire bowl, showing that she was very thirsty. She also ate the eggs like someone who was hungry.
Suhaif asked, “Now that I have helped you, can you tell me your name and where you are coming from?”
She whispered:
“My name is Fatima, but they call me Iman. I boarded a vehicle at Yankaba to Gumel, but my money wasn’t complete. The driver dropped me here and told me this is where my money ended.”
Suhaif asked, “So you wanted to go to Gumel but ended up in Doko? If we give you transport money to Gumel, will that solve your problem?”
Iman started crying again.
“Even if I go to Gumel, I don’t know anyone. I don’t know where to go. I don’t know anybody in this world.”
He asked, shocked:
“Where are your parents?”
Still crying, she said:
“I was born in Makkah. My mother recently died. My father died when I was a baby. We lived in Makkah. The police caught me because we didn’t have residence papers. They deported me to Nigeria, but I don’t know anyone here.”
Her pain touched Suhaif deeply. Tears welled up in his own eyes.
He asked:
“Which place are your parents originally from?”
“Sokoto… they said we are Fulani from Sokoto. But I don’t know anyone there. I don’t know my relatives. I’m alone.”
Suhaif sighed and said, “Oh my God… come with me. Let me take you inside to my grandmother. She will help you.”
He lifted her bag and took her into the house. *Yar Hajja and her friends watched curiously, whispering gossip.
In the house, Suhaif explained everything to his grandmother, Hajja. She welcomed the girl warmly and told her:
“Let me touch the head of an orphan so I may earn reward.”
After hearing her story, Hajja said they must help her. Suhaif insisted that abandoning her would expose her to danger — she could fall into the wrong hands. They agreed to let her stay.
Iman thanked them and asked to pray before eating. Suhaif showed her the place for ablution and left.
CONTINUATION OF THE STORY
When Suhaif reached home, he met his father, Alhaji Hayatu, sitting outside with a visitor. After helping serve the visitor grains and money, his father noticed Suhaif looked disturbed. Suhaif explained that he was thinking about the suffering of poor people in the country.
They discussed poverty, kindness, and the responsibility of wealthy people to help their neighbors. Alhaji Hayatu encouraged Suhaif to complete his degree and maintain good grades so he could get a good job and one day help his people.
Suhaif agreed and then informed his father about the mysterious girl he found. He narrated her situation fully.
His father was shocked:
“Suhaif! Who told you it's safe to pick a strange girl at night and take her to an old woman’s house? You should have taken her to the village head or to the authorities!”
This evening, Najib arrived in the town of Doko from Kano. He found Suhaif in his room sitting on his mattress, leaning on a pillow which itself rested on the wall. His mind was troubled with thoughts of Iman—switching between one thought and another, unable to settle.
Najib’s greeting interrupted his thoughts. Suhaif responded softly, his attention fixed on the person entering. Because it was already evening and there was no electricity, the room had become dim. Suhaif couldn’t recognize the face of the person entering, although he tried to identify him by his voice. He doubted it could be Najib—he wasn’t expecting him that evening. Najib had said he would go to Bauchi and return later.
Najib walked closer to the mattress where Suhaif sat and held his hand in greeting. Only then did Suhaif recognize him. Surprised, he said,
“Teacher Najib, it’s you! Do you know I didn’t recognize you? You really surprised me.”
Najib laughed and sat beside him, saying,
“What? You mean you didn’t recognize me since I entered? I thought you would know my voice.”
Suhaif answered,
“I tried to catch the voice but then I thought it wasn’t you. When did you return from Bauchi? Or have you gone to bring us a Hausa girl from Bauchi? You’re always traveling there!”
Both of them burst into laughter.
Najib said,
“You’re something else! Haven’t I told you I went for Aliyu Bauchi’s wedding—my course mate? You know me, it’s only Samira Tukur I’m after. And even she, I haven’t gotten through to her. How can I then chase another girl? Samira is too full of herself.”
Suhaif smirked and replied,
“That’s exactly how she is. Before she speaks, she pouts her lips and twists her face. That’s why I don’t bother going near her. What level is she now?”
Najib answered,
“She’s in level two, studying Microbiology at B.U.K Old Campus.”
Najib adjusted his sitting and said,
“I actually brought you some hot news. I planned to come tomorrow, but I decided to come today and give you this good surprise. You know how eager I’ve been for our NYSC posting—so we can go, finish, and get jobs. My father has friends in government. Last week he even called me to his sitting room and said, ‘You and your brother Suhaif, when will you go for NYSC so that you can start working? I have already spoken about you two to my friends.’ I told him, ‘We’ll be leaving very soon, Baba.’”
Suhaif frowned and said,
“You greedy money-lover! You can’t survive a bank job. You still haven’t told me the news you brought.”
Najib replied,
“When I returned from Bauchi, I went to the school and found the NYSC posting list pinned up. Everyone’s assigned state was displayed.”
Suhaif jumped up, clutching his chest.
“Tell me mine!”
Najib said,
“No need to panic. Before checking mine, I checked yours—you’ve been posted to Ogun, and I’m posted to Kaduna.”
Suhaif jumped to his feet.
“No way! Why would they send me to the land of ‘Inyamurai’? I already told Baba that if it's the South, I’m not going! So keep quiet, don’t let Baba hear this because I’m not going.”
Najib stood up and walked towards the door saying,
“You’re unbelievable. I’m going to tell Baba myself. You must go!”
Suhaif grabbed him, trying to stop him, while Najib tried to pull away. Baba happened to pass by and saw them struggling. He shouted,
“What is this? Are you children wrestling?”
Najib burst into laughter, knelt down and greeted him, then explained what was happening. Suhaif stood there sulking, glaring at Najib.
Baba became angry, hit Suhaif with the stick in his hand, and scolded him harshly,
“You will go, I swear! Even if I die, I’ll leave instructions that you must be sent. You finished school and NYSC is what’s troubling you? You think you can insist on only the North? You will go to the South, by force!”
Najib greeted Baba and said he would not be spending the night before taking his leave.