Today while heading to the hospital, I saw the craziest sight.
There was a young man in a shirt and light blue boxers frog-jumping while
holding his ears as a soldier looked on holding army fatigue shorts in one
hand, and a koboko (A long flexible whip made of cow skin or horse tail) in the other hand shouting at the young man.
A group of
people had gathered to look on at the spectacle happening before us. When I got
to the hospital I ran and told a doctor what I had saw, and she just started
laughing hysterically.
The doctor informed me that the young man must’ve been
wearing army fatigue and was clearly not a part of a military unit, as a result
he was reprimanded by the army soldier. She then ended by saying “YOU DO NOT
WEAR ARMY FATIGUE FOR FASHION PURPOSES IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT IS A NO GO AREA.”
The first thing that came to my mind was my own army fatigue shorts that are neatly
folded in my dresser at home. I made a mental note then and there to NEVER EVER
wear those shorts out while in Nigeria.
Though Nigeria is no longer under military rule, it has been
made very apparent to me that they still have some power and it must be
recognized or one will have to face their day of reckoning. I’ve witnessed on
two other separate occasions while riding in a car, people who have been parked
my military men by either knowingly or unknowingly doing something that
offended the military men while on the road (ie. Cutting off a soldier while
driving, or not allowing a soldier pass them). They were then subjected to very
embarrassing acts by the soldiers such as “dirty slaps” (slaps so hard you can hear a mile away :-p) to the face, being
whipped with a koboko through their car windows and doors while begging for
forgiveness!!!
After witnessing this last display, I have advice for anyone
visiting Nigeria, DON’T annoy a military man or prepare for EMBARASSMENT, dirty
slaps, and maybe even some frog jumping!
I was too much of a punk to get close to the scene and take a picture of the frog jumping individual in light blue boxers, so this pic from the web will have to do!
