I de go Nigeria!

28/12/2010 - Nigeria

They say: “don’t go to Nigeria.” “Dangerous – corruption – don’t trust the police.” “Everywhere is filled with bandits.” Even the Niger border police were reluctant to let me cross over to Nigeria alone and had to call two of their senior officers for clearance. There may be some truth to the warnings – even Nigerians will agree prudence is necessary – but they have to be taken with a grain of salt. So after swallowing the butterflies the Niger police, the media, and other West Africans had given me, there was no choice but to cross the bridge over the Lake Chad river and into Nigeria, coaxing myself by remembering to trust in the unknown. Needless to say, getting to the other side of the bridge I was warmly and cheerfully welcomed with no problems by the border officials on the other side. Bribes and corruption? – they fed me a free lunch and stamped me into their country with an extra two months gratis in my passport. 

Full article is hosted at my old blogging website: Travelblog.org