Kaboom! Na Bomb Be That?...
Recent of bomb blasts in Nigeria brought to mind two experiences in my not too distant past. One of them was at Ibadan, Nigeria and the other was in Abidjan, Cote-D'Ivoire.
The Ibadan blast happened right on my block (okay Naija people my street, hehe) in Jericho. This was during the Gen. Abacha rule in the late '90s, a few top military guys had their annual meetings at the Mokola barracks. While I was eating breakfast, the whole crib shook violently accompanied by a loud boom and a subsequent and more subtle after-boom, (yay new word After-boom) . This was abnormal since there was no rain. I waved it off as thunder, but on my way to school, I discovered the whole neighborhood had been cordoned off. Apparently someon planted a bomb by the roadside, right where the top shots where supposed to roll by. Just thinking about it right now, that dude must have been retarded because the bomb was planted on the wrong side of the road. Oh well. Nobody died like two folks got hurt and that was the end of that episode. I wonder if that episode qualifies me as a war veteran. LOl.
The other episode was more eventful, we got a call at home from the security guys at work, oh yes, they do call you every time the Ivorien military (Robert Guey) had their mini-unrests. The caller told us there was a plane waiting to evacuate us at the airport and if we were not there in three hours, we would subsequently be responsible for our security. This was like 5 am in the morning. I remember dad and I debating the next course of action. I was always the brave one and dad the cautious one. We got a cab ride from a Nigerian cab driver for about 9 trillion CFA's. The sound of mortar got louder and louder as we approached Deux Plateau. Oh well I am still here typing so I obviously did not get shelled. That day marked the beginning of an awful trend in Abidjan, my favorite city in the whole wide world.
I love Africa, never a dull moment.
Note:
That link up there may not work in a few days, the Guardian web-master needs a lesson in stable URL's. Lesson teacher somebody.
The Ibadan blast happened right on my block (okay Naija people my street, hehe) in Jericho. This was during the Gen. Abacha rule in the late '90s, a few top military guys had their annual meetings at the Mokola barracks. While I was eating breakfast, the whole crib shook violently accompanied by a loud boom and a subsequent and more subtle after-boom, (yay new word After-boom) . This was abnormal since there was no rain. I waved it off as thunder, but on my way to school, I discovered the whole neighborhood had been cordoned off. Apparently someon planted a bomb by the roadside, right where the top shots where supposed to roll by. Just thinking about it right now, that dude must have been retarded because the bomb was planted on the wrong side of the road. Oh well. Nobody died like two folks got hurt and that was the end of that episode. I wonder if that episode qualifies me as a war veteran. LOl.
The other episode was more eventful, we got a call at home from the security guys at work, oh yes, they do call you every time the Ivorien military (Robert Guey) had their mini-unrests. The caller told us there was a plane waiting to evacuate us at the airport and if we were not there in three hours, we would subsequently be responsible for our security. This was like 5 am in the morning. I remember dad and I debating the next course of action. I was always the brave one and dad the cautious one. We got a cab ride from a Nigerian cab driver for about 9 trillion CFA's. The sound of mortar got louder and louder as we approached Deux Plateau. Oh well I am still here typing so I obviously did not get shelled. That day marked the beginning of an awful trend in Abidjan, my favorite city in the whole wide world.
I love Africa, never a dull moment.
Note:
That link up there may not work in a few days, the Guardian web-master needs a lesson in stable URL's. Lesson teacher somebody.
6Comment(s):
I'm curious, how long where you in Abidjan for? I lived there for about 6 years when I was younger. Like you, Abidjan is my favorite place and my second home, after Lagos. I miss it terribly but am glad that strides are being made to maeke CIV as peaceful as possible.
how long were you in abijan for??? was it nice?
96-2001,but it felt like I was born there. It was like description of Nigeria in the 70's with all the multi-Nationals and stuff.Solomonsydelle oh you know about adjame, cocody, argh argh...a man after my own heart. Chidi oh yes it was, so many fond memories.
ABIDJAB, WAI! J'aime trop. Mais mon frere je suis pas un gar. Je suis une femme. Sorry for the confusion. lol! I lived there from about 94 to 2001. We must have crosed paths because the naija community was close knit.
Which church did you go to. Plateau church? This is wild.
@Solomon I am definitely firing you an email when I get back on my desk. arrrrrrghhhh
lol @ "Just thinking about it right now, that dude must have been retarded because the bomb was planted on the wrong side of the road."
Yep, never a dull moment in Africa. And that's Ironically scary!