Welcome to Nigeria

Yep i got scammed!!

I am somewhat loath to define Lagos by one bad experience, but it happened to me and it can happen to you so forewarned is definitely forearmed.

I had only been in Lagos for two hours (after a night flight I might add) and having nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon I ventured out for a walk. I was aware of the warnings and Lagos’s mean reputation but after two hours of a pretty uneventful walk to find the Terra Kulture art center which was sadly not what appeared to be a 15 minute walk away I was about to congratulate myself when disaster struck. A man appeared out of nowhere and told me I was under arrest. My first thought was not on my supposed crime but how I was ever going to survive a Nigerian jail. I didn’t have long to wait to find out as I was lead under a tree where 3 more men sat ominously waiting to deliver my fate. I was told I would be taken to the police station and I should call my embassy to meet me there. My crime. I had supposedly taken a photograph of a nearby sculpture which was of immense importance and of a very sensitive nature. My response was a complete meltdown. I offered to delete the picture between completely hyperventilating. Fearing I was a heart attack about to happen I was finally released with a warning and asked to delete the offending picture. I returned to my hotel still trembling with fright and told the girls at reception what had happened.. Their response was laughter and in unison they said “welcome to Nigeria, you were just scammed”. After establishing I had not been harmed they explained that this is not an uncommon occurrence and had things gone to plan I would simply have been asked for money not to take the matter any further. Worse still had it been after dark they would not even have had the courtesy of asking. Sadly this type of scam is not uncommon in Nigeria. I was given some useful information. Generally it’s not advisable for tourists to go out alone at night. The police apparently take this matter seriously. Had the men who approached me really been police they would have been wearing a uniform. If this happens to you then threaten to call the police or better still shout “police” at the top of your lungs.

Tinyteddy’s feedback: “Heck, heard the commotion alright, stayed put in my little box. Didn’t feel it was appropirate to get involved. Yeah trembling like the proverbial leaf.  We had a good laugh about it later though”.

And here is the same picture I had taken earlier verified as totally harmless.