500 Words 2025/26: read a finalist's story from the 5-7 category

This story was chosen as a finalist for 500 Words 2025/26.

Remember, spelling, punctuation and grammar are not taken into account for a 500 Words story, therefore all the top 50 stories have been published how they were submitted.

The Jollof Code by Annalise I.

In the bustling heart of Lagos, tucked between a tailor's shop and a chaotic danfo park, sat Mama Titi's restaurant-a humble joint famous for its legendary jollof rice. But on one sweltering Thursday afternoon, something strange happened. The jollof vanished.

Not just a pot. All of it. Every grain. Gone.

Mama Titi stood in her kitchen, staring at the empty cauldron like it had betrayed her. "Jesu!" she cried. "Who stole my jollof?"

Her nephew, Kunle, a tech-savvy 12-year-old with a knack for solving puzzles, adjusted his glasses and stepped forward. "Aunty, this is not ordinary theft. This is sabotage."

Mama Titi blinked. "Sabowetin?"

Kunle pulled out his tablet and began scanning the kitchen. "No fingerprints. No rice grains. No sauce stains. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

Outside, customers gathered, murmuring and clutching their empty plates. The jollof was supposed to be the centerpiece of the annual "Taste of Surulere" competition. Without it, Mama Titi's reputation-and her chance at the ₦500,000 prize-was toast.

Kunle turned to the crowd. "We need suspects."

First up: Uncle Bayo, the plantain vendor. He'd always been jealous of Mama Titi's fame. But his alibi was solid-he'd been live-streaming his new dance challenge on TikTok: #PlantainShuffle.

Next: Iya Bose, the puff-puff queen. She'd once accused Mama Titi of stealing her secret ingredient (nutmeg), but she was seen arguing with a delivery man over yam prices during the time of the theft.

Then Kunle noticed something odd. The CCTV footage showed a shadowy figure entering the kitchen at 2:13 p.m.-wearing a hoodie and carrying a suspiciously large cooler.

He zoomed in. The hoodie had a logo: "Rice Raiders."

Kunle gasped. "It's a secret food-stealing syndicate!"

He traced the logo to an underground foodie forum where rogue chefs traded recipes and sabotage tips. One user, "JollofSnatcher99," had posted: "Mama Titi's rice will be mine. Watch this space."

Kunle set a trap. He posted a fake recipe titled "Mama Titi's Secret Jollof-Revealed!" Within minutes, JollofSnatcher99 commented: "Fake. Her real recipe uses smoked crayfish and burnt onion oil."

Gotcha.

Using IP tracking (and a little help from his cousin who worked at MTN), Kunle traced the culprit to a nearby cybercafé. He stormed in, flanked by Mama Titi and two okada riders.

There sat the thief: a disgraced chef named Remi, banned from cooking competitions for using powdered egusi.

"I just wanted to prove I was better," Remi muttered.

Mama Titi raised an eyebrow. "By stealing rice?"

Remi shrugged. "It was really good rice."

The police arrived, and the jollof was recovered-still warm, still perfect. Mama Titi entered the competition, won first prize, and gave Kunle a lifetime supply of puff-puff and free Wi-Fi.

As for Remi? He was sentenced to community service-peeling onions for Mama Titi every day at dawn.

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