While traveling looks fun and some coconut heads like me won’t stop travelling despite it’s ever increasing challenges in my country, it is important to once in a while alert people to the not so rosy aspects of traveling in Naija, to prepare your mind, as awareness will go a long way to help you avoid some rooky mistakes that might cost you money or worse, your life.🙁
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On this trip to Ondo state, I was sceptical, we Nigerians know that the state of security in the country has never made headway and sadly, we are currently at an all time low. Driving through this unending turns of lush green road side vegetations, though beautiful, it created fear, anxiety and paranoia, every car that speed by was a suspect, every okada* with two boys on it scared the bejesus out of me, every hitchhiker was a big no (cos such kind acts in Naija can kill you), I only felt relieved in traffic, the sad part was how petrified I was of police checkpoints, I was literally shaking and sweating everytime we approached a checkpoint and my driver was the only assurance I had through the trip, an assurance that many traveling with public transportation will lack, cos there are tonnes of disguised evildoers posing as drivers.😔
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Listing the dangers for many, would actually be listing their experiences on Naija roads cos almost everyone got experiences;
>Accident from bad roads
> Kidnap for ransom/ritual/sport
>Accidental discharge/stray bullet
>Highway robbery
>Getting arrested for sport
>Extortion
>Getting in the middle of community dispute/crisis
>One chance operatives
The list goes on and on and these are just the dangers on the road.🤦🏾♀️
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Security Tip
>Research your destination and connecting roads
>Tune to the local channels and listen to what’s happening realtime
>Travel with a local, language can be your saving grace (teach your children Nigerian languages)
>Avoid roadside transportation use parks
>Carry loose change, delete bank messages
>Share live location with family
> Stay alert, you are your own security etc.
Stay safe!🤗
Written by: Amarachi
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