Today on me my travel experience story
As the saying goes, ‘The police is your friend’ not in Africa may be in Europe.
Nowhere in the world is 100 per cent perfect but police in Africa is worse including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Togo, Benin Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso.
Africa police all have one thing in common — kidnapping, murder, theft, rape, torture, unlawful arrests, high-handedness, humiliation, unlawful detention, extrajudicial killings, and extortion.
I would like to put this here as a Nigerian solo traveller that has visited 36 States of the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria, also some African countries and European countries.
I love travelling more than anything. I like to share my genuine experiences about my travel to people in fact I derived joy from it.
So I created a travel blog in 2016 to share my love of travel, adventure, and help inspire others to travel.
Here’s my experience with Africa and Europe police;
Benin Republic — I was harassed by the police for no reason.
Togo — police harassed me and took my phone for trying to snap a selfie in their border
Ghana — remove Nigeria on the list, Ghanaian police are the most corrupt set in Africa. I visited a friend in 2018, I was told that police arrest and extort Nigerians daily in the country with 100k to 200k bail charges so I started dressing like Ghanaians. To cut a long story short, my first week in the country I came out from the house to take some shot and learn about their culture, I met police at a roadblock in Kasoa so they arrested me and labelled me a fraudster even with my stamped international passport I transferred 50k from my Nigeria account to bail myself.
South Africa – I was treated like a rag
Mali and Burkina Faso – extortion in this too country is another day story na Nigerians body dem de get power.
Kenya – very heartless set of people
Egpyt – This is the best place I have visited in Africa without police harassing me or treating me like trash.
Nigeria (My country) – I have been extorted many times in Nigeria. In Lagos, police took me to their station for putting on a red shoe (I hate red now) drove me to a cyber cafe at Isolo. Forced me to log on my Facebook, searched for cultists orientation related words. They took me to an ATM center and collected the last money in my account, God bless my cousin who sent me 3k for transport that day.
Europe: Europe remains the safest continent on earth. I have paid a visit to some of the European countries including Greece, Finland, Sweden, Bulgary. To be very honest, I have not experienced unlawful arrests, high-handedness, humiliation, unlawful detention, and extortion except the day I police asked for my document they checked it and told me ‘thanks for your cooperation, we are very sorry’. I have not seen a policeman with an AK-47 since I came to Europe, no fighting, everywhere is so peaceful and calm.
I am talking about myself, I don’t know about you. Share your experience with the police abroad with us.