Hungry Police Men!

It's no news that our Nigerian Police look and act very hungry especially at this time of the year.  They look everywhere to make extra money for the festivities. Each time I see these 'men of the road', I'm filled with mixed feelings... Do I pity them or do I despise them.

On my way to work this morning, my friends dropped me off at a spot where they and many other vehicles drop people off and as I was walking away, a lady notified me that my friends' car has been blocked by police men trying to extort some money from them. In shock, I turned back to show some support to them while the police men were commanding my friends to open the car door so that they could jump in.

Knowing the Nigerian police, my friends refused to let them in but kept trying to talk some sense into them while I tried to call my security to see if they could help us out of the fix. The Police men stubbornly refused to bulge even as more and more people were stopping by, dropping people off with no reaction from these guys whatsoever.

Eventually, some guy with a military sticker stopped by and spoke with the police men. They listened this time and decided to let us to.

To lighten the mood, I jovially said 'Shakara, Shakara' in Fela's language and one of them suddenly took offense.

Looking like one little spoilt and greedy child who just unwrapped a piece of stolen candy only to find it empty; he looked at me with tears almost streaming down his eyes and said 'is it me you're calling Shakara' and went ahead to report to my friends like a child will report to mummy and daddy. Maybe he was hoping for another candy, I can't say, but it suddenly hit me that these people never ever see the fun in anything. I've never been able to make a police man laugh at a joke or smile unless I give them gifts.

Na wa for our Police oh!