Kaizer

An army is an army, but an American army is much more than that. Once, a friend of mine brought along a friend from abroad—a Nigerian who had enlisted in the US Air Force and returned home for Christmas to visit his parents. We set out for Yankari Game Reserve. At the time, Boko Haram was still a problem in the northeastern states. On the way, we reached a checkpoint and were asked to get out for checks. We opened the boot and, after finding nothing, the soldiers began challenging us. We thought that, as Nigerians, we could handle them—las las, na money dey want. The soldiers demanded 20k, but we refused. I told my friend we wouldn’t pay a dime because we had done nothing wrong. So they decided to keep us there. When our visitor saw what was happening, he got out and introduced himself, but the soldiers brushed him off. In fact, they told him he was an army officer in another country, not Nigeria. Our visitor got angry, got back into the car, and made a call. Before we knew it, a captain got out of a car and started insulting the soldiers. He was furious with them. He came over and asked who the American soldier was. Our visitor identified himself, and the captain pleaded with him sincerely. As we continued our journey, a call came in, and he assured the caller that everything was okay. After hearing this, my friend asked him whom he had called. He said he had called the US embassy in Nigeria. Omo, we were surprised. The biggest surprise was how swiftly they responded. The US is exceptional. They look after their own. If you are an American citizen, count yourself lucky.