Writers 
Chapter 6: The Phone Repair Shop - My First Skill
I did not know that Computer Village has its own language.
For danfo, na "Enter with your change! Oshodi Oshodi!"
For Computer Village, na "Original charger! Follow come! Which phone you dey use?"
My first morning as apprentice for CHUKS GLOBAL GADGETS, I came 6:45am. Shop never open. I sat on pavement, ironing my only good shirt with my palm.
Emeka came by 8:30am. He did not greet me. He just open shutter and said, "Enter."
Inside shop na small box. Two tables, one glass showcase full of phone pouches, chargers, powerbanks wey dust don cover. One big carton of dead phones for corner. One small fan wey dey make noise like generator.
"Your work for today," Emeka said, pointing the carton. "Arrange all those phones. Clean them. If any phone ring, na your mama dey call you."
There were like 50 dead phones. Tecno, Infinix, Nokia torchlight, some iPhone 6 wey screen don break.
My job? Use spirit and cloth clean them make them shine, even if them no dey work.
I cleaned from 9am to 12pm. My back pained me. Kemi called me for phone.
"Tunde, how the work?"
"Na cleaning I dey clean dead phone."
She laughed. "Na from there dem dey start. No worry."
By 1pm, customer came. One man carry Infinix Hot 8 wey no dey charge.
Emeka collected am. He opened it in 2 minutes, removed charging port, blew dust, put new one, and phone start charging. He charged the man ₦5,000 for work wey take 5 minutes and port wey cost ₦500.
That was when my eye open. This work na money.
Emeka saw me looking.
"You want learn?" he asked.
"Yes sir!"
He carried one dead Tecno and gave me screwdriver set - tiny screwdriver like for eye doctor.
"Open am."
My hand dey shake. I open first screw, second screw. I remove battery. Inside phone na dust full am like Oshodi gutter.
He said, "You see that black pin there? That na charging pin. If phone no dey charge, na that one spoil. You go learn how to change am."
For next two weeks, I no touch customer phone. Na dead phone I dey practice. Open, close, open, close. Sometimes I go spoil the pin, Emeka go slap my head.
"Your village people dey your hand? You dey tear phone?"
But by third week, something happen.
One small boy, like 14 years, came crying. His small Itel phone fall for water. Na him mama phone.
Emeka said, "Water damage? That one don spoil. Make e buy new one."
The boy started crying. Emeka no send.
I whispered, "Oga Emeka, make I try?"
Emeka looked me like mumu. "You? You wey never sabi open Tecno? Oya try, if you spoil am more, you go pay."
I collected the phone. My heart dey beat. I remembered one YouTube video I watch for Kemi cousin phone at night when we dey charge for her auntie house. The man for video said: for water damage, remove battery, dry with dryer, clean board with spirit.
I did exactly that. I removed battery, used small hand dryer wey we get for shop, cleaned board with spirit and toothbrush. I dried for 20 minutes.
I put battery back. Press power.
Phone vibrated. ITEL logo show. The small boy shouted "E DON ON!"
The boy hugged me. Emeka stood up from chair.
"Omo, you do am?"
I smiled for first time in Computer Village. Not because phone on. Because for first time since Baba Sadiq slap me for Oshodi, somebody looked at me like I be useful.
That night, Emeka gave me ₦1,000. First money for 3 weeks.
"You try today," he said. "Tomorrow I go teach you how to change screen."
I ran to Kemi corridor that night. I bought gala and Coke.
"Kemi! I repair phone today! My hand don get skill!"
She danced. "I tell you! From danfo to mansion, na skill dey carry person go!"
I slept that night on floor of shop - because Kemi auntie said I must find my own place soon - but I slept like king. For inside dead phone carton, I don find life.
My first skill. Phone repair. Na that skill go later give me first mansion.
But I never knew that next week, that same skill go make my oga plan to dupe me.
Chapter 7: First Big Loss - When My Oga Dupe Me
After that Itel phone wey I repair, Emeka started trusting me small.
He let me sit for front desk. He let me talk to customers. He even let me hold money sometimes. I thought I don become staff.
I was mumu.
See, for Computer Village, there is difference between apprentice and oga pikin. Apprentice dey work, oga pikin dey chop money. I was apprentice. Emeka was oga pikin because na him brother get shop.
End of month, Chuks never return from China. Emeka was in charge of everything. And Emeka had girlfriend - one fair girl wey dey do lashes for Ikeja. That girl money no dey finish.
Emeka needed cash.
One Thursday, one big customer came. Alhaji. He wanted 10 pieces of iPhone 11 Pro Max, UK used, for his children. That na big deal. One na ₦280k, ten na ₦2.8 million.
Emeka called Chuks for China on video call. Chuks said, "Emeka give Alhaji discount, sell 10 for ₦2.6m."
Alhaji transferred ₦2.6m immediately. Emeka was happy. He told me, "Tunde, pack 10 phones from carton inside."
We packed 10 phones. All clean. Alhaji left with his driver.
That evening, Emeka called me inside small back store.
"Tunde, you be good boy," he said. He brought out ₦50k cash. "This na your commission. Oga Chuks give you from that deal."
₦50,000! I never hold ₦50k before in my life. My highest na ₦5k wey that man for traffic give me. I wanted to shout.
But my spirit told me: Tunde, calm down. Why oga go give apprentice ₦50k for just packing phone?
I collected am with shaking hand. "Thank you sir."
That night I ran to Kemi. We jubilated. I gave Kemi ₦10k. I paid Mama Nkechi complete ₦9k wey I dey owe. I still had ₦31k left. I bought second-hand shirt, trouser, and one small Tecno phone for myself.
I felt like Oga.
Three days later, wahala burst.
Oga Chuks returned from China. No announcement. He just entered shop with two big Ghana-must-go.
"Tunde! Emeka! How market?" he shouted.
Emeka froze.
Chuks opened system, checked account. He saw ₦2.6m alert for 10 iPhones.
"Emeka, where is the remaining ₦200k? I told you to sell ₦2.8m, you sold ₦2.6m, okay, but where is the money for cost price? You were supposed to keep ₦2.2m for me and take ₦400k profit. Where is my ₦2.2m? Account shows only ₦2.0m came in."
My blood cold.
Emeka started sweating. "Ah oga, na network... bank charges..."
Chuks shouted, "Don't lie to me! Where is my money?"
Emeka looked at me. And that look, I will never forget.
"Oga na Tunde," Emeka said. "Na Tunde sell the phones when I comot go toilet. He told Alhaji ₦2.6m instead of ₦2.8m. And he collected ₦50k commission from Alhaji behind. Ask am! He just buy new phone!"
Everything turned.
I said, "No sir! Na Emeka give me ₦50k! Emeka sell am!"
Chuks looked at me, my new shirt, my new phone.
"You think I be mumu? You wey dey sleep for corridor? Where you see money buy phone and shirt if you no thief my money?"
Before I could talk, Chuks called two big boys from next shop. They held me, searched me. They saw my remaining ₦18k.
"Thief! You thief my money!" Chuks shouted.
I was crying. "Oga I no thief! Na Emeka!"
Nobody believed me. Because Emeka na him brother. I be nobody.
Chuks said, "You must return ₦200k before tomorrow or I go lock you for Area F."
₦200k! Where I wan see ₦200k?
They pushed me out of shop. Collected my screwdriver set. Collected the small table wey I dey manage.
I sat outside Computer Village for ground, holding my small Tecno. Kemi came that evening and saw me.
"Tunde wetin happen?"
I told her. She cried.
That night, I did not go back to her auntie corridor. I carried my bag and went back to Oshodi bridge. The same bridge where I started.
I opened my phone, saw ₦18k balance. That was all that remained from my first big loss.
And I learned rule number 2 of Lagos:
*Your oga fit be your biggest enemy. When money enter, brother go sell brother.*
I slept under bridge that night. But this time, I was not pure water boy. I was phone repair boy with skill for hand. And I swore, I go get my own shop, where nobody go fit dupe me again.
*Chapter 8: Back To Zero - Sleeping In Shop*
They say when you go back to zero in Lagos, na two things fit happen. You go give up and become area boy, or you go use zero take draw new circle.
I went back to zero that Friday.
After Chuks chased me, I went to Oshodi bridge. The same spot where I first slept when I came from village. The agberos still there. Baba Sadiq danfo still dey pass.
One boy wey know me, Small Money, saw me.
"Tunde! You don come back? I hear say you don blow for Computer Village?"
I no answer. I just sat. My bag na one nylon bag. Inside na my two shirts, my screwdriver set wey Emeka no collect, and that small Tecno phone.
Night came. Cold enter my body. For Computer Village shop, even though I dey sleep for floor, at least fan dey. For under bridge, na mosquito and police be your fan.
Around 1am, police raid came. Operation sweep all street boys.
"Oga we no be thief! We dey sleep!" we shouted.
Police carry 7 of us enter Black Maria. Go dump us for Area F, Ikeja. Same police station Chuks threaten me with.
For cell, I met one man. His name na Baba Printer. He dey repair printer for Computer Village, but his shop rent expire.
"Why you dey here?" he asked me.
I told him my story.
He hissed. "That Emeka na thief. Everybody know am for village. He don dupe 3 apprentice before you. Chuks know, but na him brother."
He looked me. "You sabi repair phone?"
"Yes sir."
"You go like sleep for my shop? My shop small for 15, Otigba Street, opposite Chuks shop. I no dey sleep there. You fit sleep there for night, but for day you go help me. I go dey find printer work, you go dey find phone work. No salary, but you get roof."
Roof. That word sweet me for ear. After bridge and police cell, roof na mansion.
I said yes.
Next morning, police release us after we pay ₦2k each - my last ₦2k from the ₦18k. I follow Baba Printer go him shop.
Shop na 3 by 4 feet. Smaller than Chuks shop. One table, one chair, darkness. No light. But it had shutter. And it had key.
First night I slept inside, I locked shutter from inside. I spread carton for floor. I slept like baby. No mosquito, no police, no rain.
For day, Baba Printer go out to find customer for printer. I sit for front with my small signboard wey I write with marker:
*TUNDE - PHONE REPAIR - SCREEN, BATTERY, CHARGING PIN - CHEAP*
First day, nobody stop.
Second day, one woman stop. Her Tecno Spark screen crack.
"How much to change screen?" she asked.
I knew price from Chuks shop: screen na ₦8k, we charge ₦15k.
I said, "₦12k madam."
She said, "₦8k."
We agreed ₦9k.
I did not have screen. I ran to my old friend for Chuks street, begged him to give me screen on credit. He gave me because he knew Emeka duped me.
I changed screen inside 30 minutes. Hands shaking, but I did it.
Madam paid ₦9k. I paid my friend ₦7k for screen. Profit ₦2k. My first profit as my own oga.
I shouted inside shop alone. "I don make am!"
By end of that week, I repair 4 phones. Profit ₦8,500.
Baba Printer came one evening and said, "Tunde, you dey try. But this shop rent go expire next month. ₦300k for one year. If we no pay, we go comot."
₦300k! I had ₦8,500.
But for first time, I was not working for oga. I was working for Tunde.
I looked at the small shop, carton for floor where I sleep, my screwdriver, my signboard.
Back to zero, yes. But this zero get shop.
And that night, while sleeping, my small Tecno phone rang. It was that fine girl Blessing, the influencer from Chapter 6.
"Tunde, na Blessing. You still dey Computer Village? I get iPhone for you to sell. Come TikTok."
Chapter 9: The TikTok Video That Changed Everything
Blessing called me by 11pm while I was sleeping on carton inside Baba Printer shop.
"Tunde, you dey sleep?"
"No aunty, I dey awake," I lied, standing up fast.
"See, I get 3 iPhones my ex buy for me when we dey date. I don break up with am. I want sell am quick. iPhone 12, 11, and XR. But I no want go Computer Village make dem price me nonsense. You fit help me sell am? You go get commission."
My heart beat. 3 iPhones! That na over ₦800k market.
"Aunty I fit! I fit sell am!"
"Okay, come my house tomorrow for Lekki. And... do video. My followers like phone content. Make we do TikTok together."
Lekki. I never enter Lekki before except for inside danfo window. She sent me address: Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1.
Next morning, I borrowed Baba Printer shirt - big Ankara shirt wey reach knee. I entered danfo from Ikeja to CMS, CMS to Lekki. Transport ₦2,500. Na all my profit.
I reached her estate. Gate man stop me.
"Where you dey go? This na private estate."
"I come meet Blessing," I said.
He looked my Ankara, my slippers.
"Oga abeg, Blessing no dey do charity. Comot."
I called her. She came out with security. When she saw me, she laughed.
"Tunde na you? You be phone repairer like this? You look like pastor!"
She let me in. Her apartment fine die. AC, fine couch, ring light, iPhone everywhere.
She brought 3 boxes. All original. iPhone 12 128GB, iPhone 11 64GB, iPhone XR 64GB.
"Help me sell am. If you sell, I go give you 10%."
10% of ₦800k na ₦80k! My rent problem don solve.
"But first, make we do TikTok," she said.
She put ring light on. She said, "Okay so guys, this is Tunde, the most honest phone repairer in Computer Village. I met him when he sold me phone cheap. Now he is my phone plug. If you want original iPhone, contact him. He no dey scam!"
Then she pointed camera to me. "Tunde, talk!"
My mouth dry. I never do video before. My English scatter.
"Ah... good morning... good afternoon... if you want phone... come meet me for... Computer Village... I no dey thief..."
I wanted to die.
Blessing posted it. She had 52k followers. She tagged: @BlessingTheBaddie
I left her house with the 3 iPhones inside nylon bag, shaking. If I lose this bag, na prison direct.
I reached shop by 5pm. Baba Printer saw phones.
"Tunde! Where you see this? You don start thiefing?"
"No sir! Na customer give me to sell!"
We posted them on WhatsApp Status. I posted on my small TikTok wey I just open: @TundePhoneDoctor
That night, I slept with iPhones under my carton. I could not sleep. Fear.
By 2am, my phone started vibrating. Non-stop.
_PING! PING! PING!_
I checked. Blessing video don get 11k views.
Comments:
"Where is his shop?"
"Abeg I need iPhone 11"
"This boy looks real, no be like those Computer Village scammers"
"Location?"
By 6am, video don reach 48k views.
My WhatsApp: 73 new messages.
"Aunty Blessing give me your number"
"How much for iPhone 12?"
"You dey deliver to Abuja?"
I could not reply all. My small Tecno hang.
Baba Printer woke up, saw my phone buzzing.
"Tunde! Wetin happen?"
I showed him.
He shouted, "Omo! You don blow!"
That day, we sold all 3 iPhones before 2pm.
iPhone 12 - ₦380k
iPhone 11 - ₦210k
iPhone XR - ₦150k
Total: ₦740k
Blessing commission 10%: I sent her ₦74k. She was happy.
My own profit? Blessing dash me extra ₦20k for video.
So I had ₦94k cash in hand.
Plus my phone started ringing. Not one, not two. Ten people want phone.
That TikTok video that I thought was embarrassment became my billboard.
For first time, customers dey find me, I no dey find customer.
That night, I did not sleep on carton. I sat on chair, watching my TikTok go to 100k views.
From danfo conductor to TikTok phone doctor.
Lagos can change your story in 24 hours.
But I still had ₦300k rent to pay, and Emeka was watching me from his shop opposite, with vex for eye.
*Chapter 10: First 100k - I No Go Forget That Day*
I have hold money before. ₦50k wey Emeka give me then collect back. ₦94k from Blessing phones.
But I never hold ₦100k wey be my own. Clean money, no debt inside, no fear of police.
That day na November 14. I remember because na Kemi birthday.
After Blessing video hit 100k views, my DM full. But most people na window shoppers. "How much?" then they ghost.
One guy messaged me by 9pm: "Bros, I need 5 iPhone 11 for my workers, office gift. Can you supply tomorrow? My budget is 1M. I dey watch your video, you look honest."
I thought na scam. For Computer Village, if customer say "I look honest", next thing na "send account make I pay half" then story.
I told Baba Printer. He said, "Call am video call."
I called. The guy was in office, suit, big office for Victoria Island. He showed me ID card: Kunle, HR Manager for one logistics company.
He said, "If you deliver 5 iPhone 11 before 12pm tomorrow, I go pay cash, plus dash you something."
5 iPhone 11. Where I go see 5? I get zero stock. I get ₦94k.
I ran to my old supplier friend, Musa, for Computer Village. Musa dey import UK used.
"Musa, abeg, I need 5 iPhone 11, 64GB, clean. Pay you tomorrow after delivery."
Musa laughed. "Tunde, you dey mad? You wey Emeka say na thief? You want make I give you phone ₦1M on credit?"
I knelt down. For middle of Computer Village, I knelt.
"Musa, if I no pay tomorrow, carry police come my shop. Lock me. I swear with my mama name."
Musa looked me. He knew me from when I dey clean dead phone. He said, "Omo, you get mind. Okay. I go give you 5, but you go pay ₦185k each. That's ₦925k total. If you sell for your customer ₦1M, your profit na ₦75k. Bring my money before 4pm tomorrow or I go scatter your shop."
I carried 5 iPhones that night inside nylon bag. I slept with them under my chest, not carton. If thief enter, thief go need kill me first.
Morning, I wear Baba Printer Ankara again, ironed well. I took bike from Ikeja to VI - ₦3k. My heart dey cut for road.
I reached office by 11am. Kunle and his oga dey wait.
I brought phones out. All clean. Kunle tested all 5. All good.
Oga asked, "How much?"
I said, "₦1,050,000 sir." I added ₦50k on top because I don learn.
Kunle looked oga. Oga said, "We budget ₦1M."
I wanted to agree quick, but Baba Printer don teach me: "For business, keep quiet after you price. Let customer talk."
I kept quiet. Sweat full my back.
Oga said, "Okay, we go pay ₦1,020,000. Last."
I said, "Thank you sir."
They transferred ₦1,020,000 to my Paga account. My phone showed alert. My hand shake.
₦1,020,000.
I had never seen 7 digits for my account.
I took bike back to Ikeja like mad man. Go meet Musa. I transferred ₦925k to him immediately. He checked and smiled.
"Tunde, you be correct boy. You don pay."
Remaining: ₦95,000.
Plus the ₦94k I had before from Blessing deal wey I never touch.
Total for my account: ₦189,000.
Remove ₦3k bike, ₦2k food.
₦184,000.
For first time in my life, I had more than ₦100k that was mine.
I sat inside our small shop, locked shutter small, and I counted zero. I opened Paga app, checked balance again and again.
₦184,000.
I called Kemi. "Kemi, today na your birthday, come Computer Village."
She came. She saw alert. She screamed inside shop.
"Tunde! You don make am! You don make am!"
She was crying. I was crying. Baba Printer was crying.
I gave Kemi ₦20k for birthday gift. She said, "I no want money, I want you to keep am."
I gave Baba Printer ₦30k for rent support. He held my head and prayed for me in Hausa.
That night, I did not sleep on carton. I bought small mattress for ₦8k for Ikeja market. First mattress of my life.
I lay on it inside shop, looking at ceiling, with ₦134k still in account after gifts.
I whispered to myself: "From conductor wey dey shout 'enter with your change', to boy wey get ₦100k for account. Tunde, you no go ever go back to zero again."
But Lagos heard me and laughed.
END OF PART 2
