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Since the door of colonialism was closed, Nigerians in their numbers have continued to throng to and take London, United Kingdom, as their second home. On account of the close diplomatic relations that exist between both countries, many have seized the advantage and have not only attained citizenship but have also acquired qualitative education, health and vacation as wll as training in all aspects of human endeavour from various institutions of learning littered across the UK.
Even as Nigerian youths legally and illegally navigate their way to the Nigerian ‘gold’ city known as London, the desperation for the golden fleece is further fuelled by the increasing economic instability in Nigeria. The youths can no longer endure the plasticity and ‘failed’ educational situation in the country. A visit to any of the Commonwealth countries’ embassies would clearly paint a gloomy picture of the country. Successful emigrants celebrate as if they have won a jackpot. And many who could not access the visa through legal means from the foreign embassies usually resort to illegal means, while many others take to the deadly route of the Sahara desert.
The pathetic stories that emerge from these sources most times send cold shivers down our spines and one expects that this method of migration by our desperate youths would be a source of concern to the Nigerian government and its institutions. It is this desperation that is dressed in indiscipline and nonchalant disregard for constituted authority that was clearly displayed recently in the city of London. The barbaric display by a Nigerian youth named Jeffrey Ewohime made negative headlines in all the foreign media. According to media reports, Mr. Jeffrey Akpovweta Ewohime, aged 31, was born on August 5, 1987, and has reportedly been residing in the UK for quite some time.
Not much is known about his occupation. It is also unclear if he has a history of violent behaviour or a mental condition. He was said to have arrived the Nigerian High Commission in London on Monday, June 17, 2019, at about 2pm for his passport but was told to produce his collection slip as a pre-condition for being handed his passport. He stormed out to a nearby hotel in a fit of rage and returned to the embassy armed with a long implement to smash the windshields of seven gleaming cars worth millions of pounds.
A well-known Yoruba proverb says “Ile lati nk’eso r’ode,” meaning, “Charity begins at home.”
Reports say that, upon his arrest by the police, he was confined for mental checks.
Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, said she had received a report that Ewohime had approached the embassy to retrieve his passport, which expired since November 2017.
He was then told that collection of passports closes at 1pm and that he was an hour late for the exercise.
“He then insisted on collecting his passport and was told to bring his collection slip, which he could not produce,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
She added that it would have been wrong for the embassy to hand over the passport without his collection slip: “This is a despicable act. In the same breath, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) says Ewohime was denied his passport because he had no collection slip.”
A critical analyses of the incident can first be linked with the Yoruba proverb. Had he complied with the institutional instruction, presenting his collection slip would have solved the imbroglio. Apart from the ugly security atmosphere he created, Ewohime unfortunately directed media attention once again towards Nigeria. For a young man to go into a fit of rage and embark on a deliberate destructive venture in another country could easily change perceptions about Nigerian youths seeking greener pastures in other countries. After all, it is such destructive tendencies that have painted the country and its citizens in bad light in the past. Surely, many on-lookers during the incident may have recalled the stories of terrorist attacks in Nigeria and may have been visualising his action from that standpoint. As stated by the NIS, “There are globally acceptable conducts and behaviours within an embassy or a diplomatic environment. We have great Nigerians in the diaspora who have continued to make our country very proud by their excellent achievements, certainly not by Ewohime.
“Some of these rash conducts and behaviours by very few persons such as Ewohime have continued to subject many Nigerian travellers to some despicable treatments in their transit or host countries abroad.”
It is noteworthy that the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, on realising the mirad of problems facing the service, embarked on several rforms, which the international community have commended, such as making the passport easily accessible in Nigeria and outside the country. Reports say the NIS has plans to expand access to consular services for Nigerians and is planning to open more passport offices in major cities in the US, UK and other locations around the world. This writer has just returned from Egypt, where Nigerians resident ther are appreciative of the improvement in the issuance and renewal of passports through an innovative express service recently introduced at the embassy. Travelling abroad should not delete our sensibility and good nature as Nigerians. Also, institutions that are responsible for providing services should be more diligent and patriotic.
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How to survive in the hands of kidnappers
Bellow are the necessary tips you should observe while in the hands of kidnappers.
Take a deep breath, assure yourself that you will certainly come back alive. Note that the first few minutes of abduction or kidnapping involves the most critical and hostile period. At this stage, the kidnappers are also afraid for their lives. Failure on their part means they would be arrested and prosecuted. They are jittery and any suspicious move could make them pull the trigger on you.
Having tried to avoid the kidnap situation and failed, the most important option should be to cooperate as any unplanned attempt to escape may be too risky.
• Avoid making any facial contact with the kidnappers, but try and memorise their description, if you get the opportunity to view them without endangering your life.
• Keep mental note of landmarks, especially the shops, supermarket, fuel stations, buildings around the area the kidnappers are taking you, if you are not blindfolded by your captors.
• Obey all instructions from the kidnappers and avoid unnecessary arguments with them.
• Avoid behaviours or attitudes that could provoke the kidnappers.
• Listen to the abductors’ conversation and keep mental note of details about their names, accent, slangs and other information about them to assist the police in investigation after your rescue.
• Try to avoid too much complaints so they do not get tired of you and kill you.
• Try to stay healthy. Avoid anything that could make you sustain physical injury as getting medical attention might be difficult, and you do not know how soon you could be rescued or freed.
• Gradually try to win the kidnappers’ trust. Try playing mind games with them, especially with any of them you consider less hardened. For instance, show empathy to the kidnappers, even if you are acting it. If, for example, they claim they were driven into kidnapping for reason of unemployment, tell them you understand and blame someone else for not providing them decent jobs. You may try talking them into pitying you or putting yourself in any of their relatives’ shoes.
• During police rescue operation, lie on the floor to avoid stray bullets from hitting you. Identify yourself to the rescuers as soon it is safe to do so.
• Plan your escape only if it is absolutely safe to do so. This should be your last resort and, remember, there is no escape plan that is absolutely risk-free.
(By Force PRO, DCP Frank Mbah)
