Page 44 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10

CULTURE

were all his own fault. Concerning been arrested. He said that some- me. Which was very surprising to me
his flight ticket, his office in Nairobi one reported that I was involved in because he was the one we were taken
made some mistakes or something terrorism, money laundering and in- to the moment we got to the station.
like that, so the airline's system did ternet fraud. I laughed. He was very I went to the OCS (Officer in Charge
not recognize his ticket. Concerning surprised that while he was reading of Station) to ask the same question.
his credit card, he did not alert his his charges, I was busy laughing. He said the very same thing that he
bank in Nairobi that he was travel- Eventually, for whatever reason, was not aware of who had called for
ing, so he could not use it. But who they decided to lock us up and we my arrest. It was like magic. Every
did he insult and called useless for his had to spend the night in the police police officer in that section of the
woes? Nigeria and Nigerians. In fact, cell, which was the very first time in station denied having any knowledge
the article was titled "Lagos woes". both of our entire lives. It was such of who had called for our arrest or
You see what I mean? Let me ask an unusual situation that the officer why. Someone overheard one of the
you, is it a crime for a public bus who wrote the booking sheet was policemen that came to our house
to break down on the road? I live asking us what the charge against for the arrest saying that it was a ma-
in Nairobi and I see matatus (pub- us was that we were to be locked up licious report from someone who
lic buses) break down frequently. for - we told him over and over again hated the fact that I am Nigerian.
So why is that of Nigeria differ- that we had not been charged with So you see how the story played
ent? People only see and blame anything and that no one was telling out? We later understood that the
what they want to see and blame. us why we were being held. Frus- so called "someone" who made the
trated, and somewhat irritated, he report was actually a group of se-
My personal experience wrote something down for the sake niors (I mean, men and women who
I am not writing this part of this ar- of it, because - as he pointed out - are above sixty) who came together
ticle to call out anyone, but to make we could not be held without charge. and plotted for my arrest. What was
someone understand that when I say my offence? I am Nigerian or what-
people just see and blame what they But, as God would have it, I became ever else they think I did to them.
want to see and blame, I know what the pastor praying for the guys I met
I am talking about. The story is long in the cell who were going to the court Imagine how many innocent Ni-
but I will bring out the main points. the next morning, while my wife was gerians have had malicious allega-
busy having a prayer and worship tions leveled against them globally,
Sometime in 2018, my wife and I session with the women in the wom- simply because it makes sense to
were arrested at our home in Nairo- en's cell she was taken to. It became a some people to do so. Just like the
bi. In fact, I was the one the police good avenue to minister hope to the story of Amy Cooper, who called
came for, but she joined me in the people we met in the police cell. And the police on a black man named
arrest. You know, seeing police men to learn a few things about what goes Christian Cooper, who was bird
enter your compound with guns and on sometimes, behind the scenes. watching in a park, simply because
with no warrant can be quite shock- the black man asked her to leash
ing. They confiscated our phones Our brother (lawyer) came the next her dog. The question is, why would
and laptop and those of our hosts morning and because the law does she think it was ok to do that? She
and my passport. Anyway, we drove not permit the police to keep us for must be aware that a deep stereo-
to the police station (accompanied more than twenty-four hours with- type was already in place against all
by a police officer) even though the out any charges, we were asked to go blacks and that the white police men
policemen kept saying that we were home but to keep reporting to the would respond to her call to come
not under arrest and even though police station for the next two weeks, arrest a "criminal black man". So
they came in two police vans. We got while whatever investigation they when you hear talk about Nigerians
to the station and the OCPD (Offi- were doing was done. Before leaving and crime, please do your research
cer in charge of Police Department) the station I asked the OCPD again to know what is true or lies. There
was saying all manner of things and why I was arrested and who called is a deep stereotype already in place.
threatening to deport me. I was just for my arrest. He said he did not
looking calmly at him without saying know and even went ahead to deny What is Culture?
a word. I had another phone with accusing me of terrorism and all the According to an online source, culture
me, so we sent an SMS to one of other accusations they had so boldly is the ideas, customs, and social behav-
our brothers who is a lawyer while spoken of the day before. He told me ior of a particular people or society.
we waited to know what the issue to my face right there that he was not From this definition of culture, let
was. I asked the OCPD why I had the one who asked his boys to arrest us look a bit further at some societal

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