We spoke for about 15 minutes, and I went back to sleep. Then another call woke me up. It was a local number I did not recognize. I decided to answer the call because it could be someone in immigration distress.

I got to the port of entry and the attending border officer asked for my passport, my reason for seeking entry into the country and the other usual questions. I travel all the time and I am used to those questions.

Then she tried to justify her actions: “awon omo wonyi buru!” (these children are of bad characters”). I reminded her to stop generalizing and justifying her bad behaviors. I informed her she needed to stop such behaviors and take care of that young girl as her own and send her to school.

I am optimistic we would be okay, but I leave things to God. If the decision does not favour me, I will congratulate the brother of mine that wins and return to our old house

I hope so sir, but we are here and you are not. Last week, my wife was ill but we could not take her to the hospital for lack of funds. We settled for natural herbs and prayers.

Our father and God. You know that dollars, euros, Naira and Pounds, I don’t have to give. What I  have I am giving to your son now. Please answer his prayers

I cannot raise that amount sir. We have not been paid by Ijoba, my employer, for months. I raised the other funds through some handouts I sold to my students.

Nice to know”   “I hate paying high taxes but then, it pays for our health-care services, education, and infrastructure expenses among others. I know there is no perfection, but we are doing better than many nations that swim in the ocean of corruption and underutilize their resources.

They would tell me that maybe the individual was an armed robber or a kidnapper who met his or her untimely death in the hands of a mob. You see, jungle justice is very common.