I sat down in the cab with anticipation! I wanted to prove it. It was a huge debate and i knew my life was at stake but i cared less. It was like heading straight into the middle of the Lion's den to count their teeth without a tranquilizer gun. But if what i heard about these radical and fanatical Northerners was true, it was worth a try.

I got there and motioned the cab man to stop. I payed the agreed fare and alighted from the vehicle. The cab drove away leaving me transfixed there while i battled with my thoughts. I looked around me, there were lots of them going about their normal business.

The arena was a beehive of activities. I prodded round and saw many of them. Some had their transistor radios attached to their ears listening to BBC Hausa, some were drinking "fura" purchased from milk maids, others were tending to their wares which was littered all over the place like onions, tomatoes, peppers etc. I saw a very stern looking suya vendor with blood-shot eyes gingerly cutting beef in skewers and laying them on the open fire to roast. I looked at the curved sharp knife he had at hand and an ugly thought flashed through my brain but i waved it aside.

I could hear that inner voice within me clearly, "Lawanson, it isn't late now...just turn back and go home! Forget about this task. Save your life now", it said. But with that strong and vehement determination, i thought aloud to myself, "A man can only die once! I must do it", i was here already so going back would be cowardice.

I realized that all these while, i was walking and now i was in the middle of the market square. I feebly scanned the area to see if i could sight any probable persons who might rescue me it things turn out to be ugly but saw no one. No armed police man or soldier not even a Civil Defense officer.

I decided it was time! I closed my eyes and muttered a short prayer and then took a deep breath! Then I SAID IT! At first, it came out of my mouth like my throat was parched but i believed some of them close-by heard it. I decided to say it louder and SHOUTED this time. There was a deafening silence. "Ok! Things were about to get bad now", i thought to myself. I closed my eyes waiting to feel a heavy object land on my head or sharp blows descending all over my body but nothing happened! Though my eyes were closed, it felt like they were staring menacingly at me.

Then suddenly, they chanted in unison with excitement. I opened my eyes now and saw them pointing towards me with many of them giving me the "Thumbs-Up" gesture with their hands. They were elated and happy. The stoic suya man was no longer frowning this time and with smiles all over his face motioned me over to his stand and brought out 2 big sticks of suya and cut the meat to pieces, wrapped them up and handed it to me. I was receiving friendly taps on my back. I walked away proudly from the market square with little kids trailing me and waving their goodbyes with smiles on their mucus stained faces.

I waved a taxi to a halt and got in and was about to tell him where i was going when suddenly one of them rushed to the window by my side, i looked at him in horror! Did he decode what i said? I just gazed into his eyes and waited for the worst! Seconds later, his face gave way to a grin revealing his brown kolanut caffeine-infested teeth and he muttered something in hausa to the driver. I turned to the driver and looked enquiringly at him. "He wants to pay for you", the driver said. I was like, "Oh, no problem". The driver asked me where i was going and i told him i was going to Area 11 and he said N700. The man brought out some squeezed up notes from his agbada and shoved them to the waiting hands of the driver. I muttered a feeble "Thank you" to the man and he responded by saying, "Ba damuwa, Aboki na" (Don't mention, my friend" ) and the cab man zoomed off.

I looked back and saw that all was still calm behind me and heaved a sigh of relief! The cab driver said, "Seems those hausa people back there like you o", i looked at him and nodded in the affirmative. I was getting a free ride back home though i said what i shouldn't have said. If only they knew what i said back there, perhaps i would have been lying dead with sticks and stones all over and probably set ablaze. I smiled to myself and couldn't help but wonder how uneducated these people were. They thought i gave credence to their political god-father by saying "SAI BUHARI!" "SAI BABA!!" when what i actually said was "INSANE BUHARI! INSANE BABA!!".