Abuja to Lagos: Aren’t you just miffed when people eavesdrop?

Have you followed this Djeregbe trip religiously? Then you’ll know there’s a post from London to Lagos and Lagos to Djeregbe (in one), the one on devotions, the one with the story about the madman, pictures from the entire trip, Djeregbe to Lagos and Abuja, Abuja back to Lagos, and a final Lagos to London post. All of this in seven days. Phew!!!

Officially available to do travel writing, this trip (and all the other trips I’ve made this year) keep screaming out to me that I should take it up professionally. Don’t even know if Booski will buy that but hey, let’s put out the ads first!

Ok, so all good things have to come to an end right? My girl Wumi and I went to Abuja together, and for the trip back to Lagos, staying true to who I am, we raced all the way to the airport! After we’d checked in, dropped our luggage, and started walking to the security gate, we saw the flight had been delayed and so we didn’t have to run.

When we got upstairs though, I was taking off my belt to place in the basket for the scanner when I was told to take off my slippers as well. Now I try not to wear belts or anything else I’d have to take off when I’m traveling because the ‘stripping’ (I’m exaggerating I know) in front of complete strangers just irks me.  Me taking off my slippers here was doubly annoying because the carpet was filthy and what on earth could I have concealed in flat slippers? Not like they would have noticed if I had concealed anything (because the bottle of water in my bag wasn’t detected) but let’s just move on.

While I was grumbling within myself, I noticed a guy wearing a kaftan who came and waltzed through the screening thing (actually walked beside it), while the officials took a break from their duties to chorus, “you’re welcome sir, your people are here sir, have a safe trip sir”, and all that rubbish.

I turned to Wumi and said (to her, not via a public address system to the entire airport, “looks like some animals are indeed more equal than others. That man wasn’t searched, these people are even hailing him.” In Bible speak, ‘while I was yet speaking’, a lady official tapped my shoulder twice (startling and then thoroughly annoying me), and the conversation that ensued is below

Lady official: Why are you talking like that? Do you know who he is?

Me: I don’t know who he is and I was talking to my friend. You shouldn’t listen in on other people’s conversations.

Lady official: Instead of you to ask, do you know he is the D-I-G? (Deputy Inspector General)

Me: I don’t want to know, and you really shouldn’t listen to conversations not meant for you.

And I walked away, ticked off.

We were walking to board,  and I asked Wumi if I said anything wrong (again talking to my friend and not via any device to the entire airport) when another person in uniform (apparently carrying the said DIG’s bag) turned and said, “how can you not know the DIG”?

By this time I was almost smoking from the ears. I raised my voice and said, “what is it about today that everyone’s eavesdropping on my conversations? Was I in any way speaking to you? Please leave me alone!”

He slunk away.

SMH. There should be no exceptions to the rules, especially in a very unsafe, insecure Nigeria. It is this ‘different rules for the goose and the gander’ that have fed corruption to the point of obesity.

And people shouldn’t eavesdrop!

Related articles

• Tales from Djeregbe: The ‘not-so-mad’ madman (fairygodsister.wordpress.com)
• Let me confess: what will be will be (hemaginations.wordpress.com)