y wife, 12-year-old son and I had arrived Lagos through Addis-Abbaba on an Ethiopian Airline (ET) flight on the afternoon of Thursday 5 June 2008. We would not travel to the hinterland until the following day, Friday.
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With all the inundating stories in the newspapers of the frustration and hardship, which road-users undergo any weekend when a meeting holds at any of the Churches along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, I made up my mind that I was going to beat it by hitting the road as soon as the day broke.
Before going to bed, all luggages have been parked inside the trunk (booth) of the car. I looked at my wristwatch, it was 06 17 when the house-gate of my host was flung open and we drove out. My adult son was by the steering. I sat with him in the front while my younger son was at the rear. My wife had gone with our daughter who lives with her family at another part of the city to pass the night. They had their plan, well mapped out, as how to beat the frustration of the expressway, should there be any. They would join us in the evening at our final destination.
It was a beautiful morning, very cool, the sky was cloudy with threatening rain underneath. We were enjoying it until we were to join the Lagos-Ibadan expressway at Berger Bridge, approaching from Isheri Road. Some Policemen numbering about 6 or more stood on the right side. They had an SUV vehicle parked by the same side. They did not interrupt the flow of vehicles, so it was smooth but slow, not unexpected of a working day. All of a sudden, one of the corps, who I later identified as Collins by his nametag, shouted "Park" Neither my son by the steering nor myself was sure, which vehicle the command was meant for. But another corps held his gun towards us, so we were sure that the command was for us.
Collins approached us.
"Driver park properly"
"He is not a driver. He's my son"
"Open the glove box" I did. Collins pulled the vehicle license by himself and held on to it. It was the only thing inside the glove box.
"Come down" I did.
Collins started to ransack and feel the whole of my body. He reached my trousers (native) and felt some currency notes in the right pocket. He took them out. They were all Naira notes in N1000.00 denomination. He handed them back to me. All these, happening in the public and I became embarrassed as passers by may imagine me as a criminal being caught by Policemen. So I asked in a frightening voice "What is happening?" "We are "Stop and Search" I was just hearing that nomenclature for the first time. I became sympathetic for my 12year old son, who was very young by the time he left the shore of Nigeria and wouldn't have known much. I pitied myself because when he told his friends in the U. S that his father would be taking him home soon as the school breaks, they laughed at him at what his father wanted to achieve by such an adventure bearing in mind all the negative stories they have been hearing about Nigeria. Now the boy is experiencing it practically as an eyewitness.
Collins was not finished. "Open the booth" I did. He found the booth filled with suitcases. He went straight for my brief case, which also was not under lock. He opened it by himself and turned the box upside down, so everything inside the box and inside the pockets of the case fell off. I knew instantly that this fellow in Police uniform is experienced in another business other than policing. He must be a highway-armed robber with the precision and swiftness with which he was conducting himself and the search. I had two regular postage envelopes, each containing dollar (U.S) currency notes. One had the money, which a colleague at work wanted me to exchange into Naira value and to be paid into his First Bank of Nigeria account. The account number written on a small sheet of paper was inside same envelope. The other envelope was mine.
The moment Collins found dollars, I knew I had it, for the greed inside any Nigerian Police corps will want to share in it, even if it would mean death for the owner.
Collins saw our three travelling Nigerian passports, but was not after those. He saw a pocket size wallet and took it. He unzipped it. He wasn't bothered with my American green card inside it. He pulled out two other Identity Cards (they were old ID cards, which I had used in the past) and held on to them.
"Explain how you come about the dollars"
"I work abroad"
"Where is the yellow paper issued to you after you declared it?"
"I do not have it again because we arrived yesterday and we have shoved things around while re-packing for the local travel, having left the airport premises"
"If you do not have it there is a problem"
"What is the problem, Collins?"
"I will have to take you to EFCC"
"Are you saying that people do not carry foreign currencies around in this country?" "Could I not have dollars on me even if I do not work abroad" Do all who have dollars or pounds on them work abroad?" Is it not possible that I live in Nigeria and someone abroad has sent this money to me through another traveller, which I have not collected through the airport?"
One, I started the journey early enough in order to beat any presumed traffic congestion along the expressway, being a Friday, now I am being held up by uniform men.
Memories of past incidences started to fickle into my head one after the other. Those, which I had experienced personally and those I read in the newspapers. If I agreed that we should head towards the EFCC, certainly I do not know my way round Lagos again, they can take us to some hideouts, shoot my sons and I, cart away everything inside the booth, hoping they would be valuable things, take the dollars and hit the press the following day with the following news lines " Some criminals, money launderers were apprehended under Berger Bridge, they were shot as they tried to escape arrest" Or they can dump our corpses in a remote place and burn my car. Nothing is beyond the Nigeria Police. In fact, Collins said sarcastically at a stage "How am I sure that the dollars I saw is all you have?" So, following them to EFCC, where they can have opportunity to do some dastardly acts along the way is not an option. People have been saying it that it might be preferable to take the Nigerian Police off Nigerian roads and we shall have a safer environment.
My April 1991 experience, which could have ended in a nasty way but for God's intervention flashed into my memory. I will narrate that later.
Accosting me was not anything I envisaged, so I was not prepared for any line of action to rescue myself. For sometime now when I was stopped and after the corps assessed me as a respectable gentleman, the response is "Oga, na you people keep us for road o, make you na give your boys something for chop" I always think it over within myself, what their salary amounts to, so I part with whatever my spirit dictates. But I always knew that they are only sober, when they have nothing to accuse one of.
The moment U.S dollars was found on me and realizing that I reside overseas, I knew it would be like a camel trying to pass through the eyes of a needle for me to be let off the hook of Collins without him taking some shares.
"Collins, What next, I can't find the papers you are asking for". Sensing that it was too glaring, in the purview of the public, with many passers by inside their vehicles and other pedestrians, he led me away a bit from the road. He asked me where I was coming from. I told him I was a health worker somewhere in the Middle East. "Where is that?" I told him. I knew what he wanted and dipped my hands into my pocket. He knew it was only Naira notes I had in the pocket, having taken them out initially by himself. "Naira?" He taunted. "Ok. I will give you $100.00" "No, I will take $300.00 if acceptable by my commandant"
I have in the past read news report by those who have been attacked by armed robbers that the armed robbers speak impeccable English language. Collins had good command of the English language. This also flashed into my memory. Yet Collins is only a Corporal, I suppose.
As I returned to the car to bring out what my God will turn a poison and gravel in his and colleagues mouths and stomachs, because he cheated my grey hairs, which is a curse in my Bible, I noticed that some of them were suspicious of who I could be and were in a dilemma of whether to actually take the money or not. But one of them summoned courage and said "Take it from him"
As I was closing the booth of the car, the corps who had earlier pointed the gun towards us came to me and advised "Next time oga, never leave your money so loosely where Policemen can easily see it" He said it in the Yoruba language after he sensed I am Yoruba.
After we entered the car to continue with our journey, my adult son referred to the comment of the corps as mischievous, their usual prank of trying to be nice to their victims after they have duped them. He told me of an experience he had only 3 days earlier before he came to welcome me in Lagos. It was yet to be 900pm, he and his friends were just enjoying the evening breeze outside the gate of the house of the parents of their host friend when a police vehicle came, swooped on them and bundled them away. The policemen would not even allow the boys to call the parents of their host to ascertain that they were not rogues. They threatened to blow their heads if they talked and boasted, "And nothing will happen". These boys are all University graduates and have their jobs. One of the boys was released to withdraw money in an ATM machine close by. They got themselves released from the police station with N3,000.00 after which they (Policemen) started to joke with them.
Sir Mike Okiro, with the appellation of "Sir" that goes with your name, I want to believe that you are a knight of the Catholic Church and that honour is bestowed only on noble members of the Church. I am writing you today, to find out the corps of "Stop & Search" that manned the Isheri Road end that linked with Berger Bridge of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on the morning of Friday June 6 2008. This is the usual practice in the civilized world and you do not need to be told. Those corps are rotten eggs in the establishment or outfit, which you sit on as the Inspector General. They must be brought to book. They are a disgrace to the Nigerian Police and to the country. The harassment, which those Police corps, especially Collins subjected me to that morning will linger on for many years in the brain of my little 12 year old son and he will relate it to all his friends when he arrives the U.S. Why can your Corps not keep their eyes off other peoples belonging? It is a shame.
And if you like, you may ignore my complaint and say, "Who is he?" or even find me guilty with the story I narrated. I know the Nigerian Police sufficiently enough to be in the habit of roping the innocent in a case he knew nothing about or justify the guilty and condemn the just. But remember that there is someone above who is watching everything under the sun. I am quite aware that if a relation of a highly placed Nigerian went through the ordeal I narrated above, the Police Corp, Collins will be fished out and be disciplined appropriately.
Mr. Marvel Akpoyinbo, Lagos State Police Commissioner, you have a responsibility to fish out Collins and let us know what measure of discipline you gave to him.
I promised I was going to relate a 1991 experience in the hands of same Nigerian Police. My entire family of six exited Atlanta on Saturday 20 April. I had gone on a study fellowship awarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The U.S. Academy of Sciences, National Research Council was my host. We were in Atlanta for almost 4 years. We had 18 luggages, all accompanied on a British Airways flight. We travelled 9 hours from Atlanta to Gatwick, London, transited 6 hours before boarding for Lagos, another flight of 6 hours duration (approx).
We arrived Murtala Mohammed Airport on the evening of Sunday 21. I was surprised to find the huge crowd, members of our Mission, who had come to recieve us. Other friends also came. As we were exchanging banters and greetings, one kind fellow approached one of us to alert us that thieves have surrounded us. Evangelist Samuel Balogun said he knew what to do to dislodge the thieves and that the entourage should just follow him. Balogun led the long convoy. He led us out of the airport and later returned inside the airport before we finally exited on our way.
After sometime, we started hearing the blast of police siren in deafening sound. They were in three full load vans armed to the teeth. We heard their usual command "Park" A brother, then a "Wing Commander" in the Nigerian Air force was in the same car I was. He asked me to be calm. After we parked, the commandant of the team came down to announce to us that we are under arrest as they suspected that our luggages were "Stolen goods" The Wing Commander calmly came out of the car, introduced himself, flung his ID card to their eyes and boomed on them " I was a witness when the Custom checked all these luggage" Really he was. In fact he had been at the Airport Commandant's Office before our flight arrived and he came with a Warrant Officer and two 'other rank' Officers to help us. The Wing Commander continued " Does a citizen not have a right to return to his country without molesting him? Get out of my sight" See how force surpasses force.
It was the second time I saw my brother in the fury of a soldier. The first time was in Kaduna in 1977. Yet in the ordinary, even till now as an Air Vice Marshall (retired), he is so gentle and amiable, who you will think can hardly be offended. The Policemen, all, saluted him one after the other and left in ignominy.
One of the sisters raised her voice in a chorus of praises to God "A wa l' Oba giga kan-----" meaning "We have one King who is so high------" and others in the convoy joined and we worshipped the Lord right there in the open.
Anyone can imagine the hardship we would have under gone in the hands of those thieves in uniform, had God not sent His angel in the person of the Wing Commander. Members of our Mission told us that after we get to their station, they would seize all the luggages and put us to endless interrogations and we would have to beg for our release. Can any one imagine what anguish it would have been for people who have been on a journey for over 24 hours, especially my then young children?
We were told that by the time we would return the following day, the person who keeps the key to the store where the luggages were kept will not be available and it will be the same story, day after day and we would be eventually frustrated and abandon the luggages. That is the Nigerian Police corps for you readers.
It appears that the Government itself makes laws as if it is blind to the happenings in the country. They ask people to declare what money they bring in as if the government is unaware that the same people will organize those who will trail after you and dispossess you of all the foreign currencies. Who hesitates or entertains any fears of declaring whatever you have while entering the U.S?
Now to my fellow citizens abroad, the next time you visit home, look for any of the banks that operate domiciliary accounts. I have gone round within my 4week stay and I can confirm that Guarantee Trust (GT) Bank does. It will keep your money in the same currency that is remitted and charge 1%. 1% seems high for amount in excess of $U.S3000.00 compared with what American Banks charge when money is remitted into them from abroad but it proves safer, when you remember Collins and his likes in the Nigerian Police and the men of Customs.
An elderly man and his wife were robbed on a bright Sunday afternoon inside a certain city in a Southern state. Their daughters who had come home from England and the U.S to celebrate Christmas with them were also involved. The elderly man was intimate with a retired top ranking Police Officer and the case was reported to him. The retired Officer in turn reported the case to the Commissioner of Police of the state. The following afternoon, the armed robbers drove past the scene of their previous day operation and flung the carcass of the Suit Cases they had forcefully taken away and other items, which had not been shared by them.
In future, I hope to tell few more stories of the baptism of fire, which I have been going through with what I have been describing as "The jungle way of life" which pervades our nation and which I have committed myself to fight through the power of the pen, sensitizing religious leaders and through other means in the bid to make our nation like other nations of pride, where there is sanity. The devil is doing those to me to discourage me but I will not be deterred nor intimidated. Those experiences, like the story I told today are only empowering me to continue the fight.
My closing remarks as a Preacher in response to all the evil practices in Nigeria, which is giving us a bad name, world over, cannot be better emphasized than what the John Baptist admonished the people of his time:
"If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry. To the corrupt revenue officers, he told them "Be honest in your dealings, do not collect more than what you are required to" To the Police and Soldiers, he charged them "Extort no one, Do violence to no man, Do not accuse people of things you know they did not do. And be content with your pay" (Lk.3:10-14).
