ARMED WEDDING CRASHERS
“Hmmm!” I shuddered again. “These are perilous times.” Yes, it is a line in one of Shakespeare’s legendary plays.
After my experience of June the 9th, 2007, I don’t know exactly what my attitude to attending weddings their invitation cards bear my name would be like.
We all know that Lagos City’s traffic is second to none in the whole wide world. It is a man-hour killer. And one’s safety is not guaranteed most especially when one’s car window is wound down. The heat can be enervating most times as the temperature can sometimes be as high as 36 degrees Celsius. Knowing how the economy have gone stupid, it is not every resident that can afford brand new cars with air-conditioner and other trappings of luxury on wheels. Most prospering residents go for the affordable imported secondhand cars popularly called tokunbo. Monstrous traffic congestion to Lagos City residents who pride themselves as Lagosians affords them the opportunity and time to pause in their maddening haste to buy anything one can imagine - from toothbrush to electric kettle. For most Lagosians, daytime hours are never enough for them to achieve all their wishes. Therefore, they always would wound down their car window glasses for fresh air and make impulse purchases while in traffic.
So on this 9th day of June 2007, I made haste as I drove against traffic to get home in order to meet up with the wedding reception of my Masters’ class classmate. He hah insisted that since I wouldn’t make the church solemnization ceremony where he would tie the nuptials with his wife that I should endeavour to make the reception. This is so considering the fact that I work six hours on Saturdays to make ends meet. As the celebrant is someone I have a lot of respect for, I promise I’ll make the reception.
I quickly took a bath and picked my car key after putting on my brown 3-piece suit and a splash of cologne and left in haste for the venue of the wedding reception. On getting to the expressway leading to Murtala Mohammed International Airport, I noticed that the traffic had started building up. That was strange on a Saturday. Time was 2.35 p.m. With every progress made, the traffic became more unnerving. Within time my legs and joints began to ache me out of frequent use of the pedals. Yes my car is not automatic.
Eventually, I asked a mobile hawker what the cause of the traffic snarl was and he told me the president had just used the expressway some moments ago on his way back to the federal capital territory Abuja. Therefore, traffic was stopped for close to forty minutes against other road users. It became understandable to me. Whenever there is a little hitch, owing to the high density of car users in Lagos, traffic will snowball out of control of the traffic wardens.
To my disbelief, I spent close to an hour before I could get to the venue of the wedding reception on a journey of less than fifteen minutes.
Getting a space to pack my car took me ten minutes before I could secure a space. It was well attended an event, I noticed.
I could hardly figure out a recognizable face as I walked round looking for a place to sit down in the open arena. Eventually, I was offered a place to sit down by a beautiful lady who was sitting in company of four other males. I observed the wedding reception was about to be wrapped up. From the programme of order of events, I observed it was time for the couple’s dance. Thee were many gift items from guests packed behind the celebrants’ table.
In Nigeria, it is our tradition to spray celebrants of most occasions with naira notes despite the Central Bank’s campaign against this age-long tradition and threat of prosecution of its violators.
For over forty-five minutes, guests were on top of it. There were naira notes all around the newest dancing couple that they threaded on crisp naira notes.
To my chagrin, two minutes after the couple’s dance was brought to an end, a group of seven good-looking well-dressed men came out from under one of the canopies and walked up to the high table and released a volley of gunshots. The sight of such sophisticated weapons they wielded was enough to make many mortals faint.
The stampede was instantaneous. I ducked under the table when more gunshots were being released and crawled on all fours as I look for a way out of the wedding reception turned robbery scene. Emptied cartridges were falling all around me. Frightened guests were tripping and falling over themselves. The ladies fared worst. Some of them were running and screaming without knowing where to run to safety and ended up breaking their legs. The robbery incident lasted for over fifteen minutes without police coming to our rescue. The robbers left with the money and gift items presented to the couple in a stolen SUV of a guest.
There were many injured guests. Some were hit by bullet and taken to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention. My friend had left the issue of security out of his plans and he paid dearly for it.
When I got to where my car was packed, I realized my car key was missing. I had to go back the way I came amidst the madness and thanked God when I stumbled on the bunch where it was buried into the ground by the feet of fleeing and frightened guests.
The couple was dumbfounded and shed such tears of agony, refusing to be consoled. I drove home shaking but thankful to God for saving my life.
For my other interesting wedding true-life stories, chek out http://www.ugonoble.blogspot.com/ and www.xomba.com/referral/77778609 for breaking news about Nigeria.
Always remember to sign up with www.google.com/adsense to make money online.
“Hmmm!” I shuddered again. “These are perilous times.” Yes, it is a line in one of Shakespeare’s legendary plays.
After my experience of June the 9th, 2007, I don’t know exactly what my attitude to attending weddings their invitation cards bear my name would be like.
We all know that Lagos City’s traffic is second to none in the whole wide world. It is a man-hour killer. And one’s safety is not guaranteed most especially when one’s car window is wound down. The heat can be enervating most times as the temperature can sometimes be as high as 36 degrees Celsius. Knowing how the economy have gone stupid, it is not every resident that can afford brand new cars with air-conditioner and other trappings of luxury on wheels. Most prospering residents go for the affordable imported secondhand cars popularly called tokunbo. Monstrous traffic congestion to Lagos City residents who pride themselves as Lagosians affords them the opportunity and time to pause in their maddening haste to buy anything one can imagine - from toothbrush to electric kettle. For most Lagosians, daytime hours are never enough for them to achieve all their wishes. Therefore, they always would wound down their car window glasses for fresh air and make impulse purchases while in traffic.
So on this 9th day of June 2007, I made haste as I drove against traffic to get home in order to meet up with the wedding reception of my Masters’ class classmate. He hah insisted that since I wouldn’t make the church solemnization ceremony where he would tie the nuptials with his wife that I should endeavour to make the reception. This is so considering the fact that I work six hours on Saturdays to make ends meet. As the celebrant is someone I have a lot of respect for, I promise I’ll make the reception.
I quickly took a bath and picked my car key after putting on my brown 3-piece suit and a splash of cologne and left in haste for the venue of the wedding reception. On getting to the expressway leading to Murtala Mohammed International Airport, I noticed that the traffic had started building up. That was strange on a Saturday. Time was 2.35 p.m. With every progress made, the traffic became more unnerving. Within time my legs and joints began to ache me out of frequent use of the pedals. Yes my car is not automatic.
Eventually, I asked a mobile hawker what the cause of the traffic snarl was and he told me the president had just used the expressway some moments ago on his way back to the federal capital territory Abuja. Therefore, traffic was stopped for close to forty minutes against other road users. It became understandable to me. Whenever there is a little hitch, owing to the high density of car users in Lagos, traffic will snowball out of control of the traffic wardens.
To my disbelief, I spent close to an hour before I could get to the venue of the wedding reception on a journey of less than fifteen minutes.
Getting a space to pack my car took me ten minutes before I could secure a space. It was well attended an event, I noticed.
I could hardly figure out a recognizable face as I walked round looking for a place to sit down in the open arena. Eventually, I was offered a place to sit down by a beautiful lady who was sitting in company of four other males. I observed the wedding reception was about to be wrapped up. From the programme of order of events, I observed it was time for the couple’s dance. Thee were many gift items from guests packed behind the celebrants’ table.
In Nigeria, it is our tradition to spray celebrants of most occasions with naira notes despite the Central Bank’s campaign against this age-long tradition and threat of prosecution of its violators.
For over forty-five minutes, guests were on top of it. There were naira notes all around the newest dancing couple that they threaded on crisp naira notes.
To my chagrin, two minutes after the couple’s dance was brought to an end, a group of seven good-looking well-dressed men came out from under one of the canopies and walked up to the high table and released a volley of gunshots. The sight of such sophisticated weapons they wielded was enough to make many mortals faint.
The stampede was instantaneous. I ducked under the table when more gunshots were being released and crawled on all fours as I look for a way out of the wedding reception turned robbery scene. Emptied cartridges were falling all around me. Frightened guests were tripping and falling over themselves. The ladies fared worst. Some of them were running and screaming without knowing where to run to safety and ended up breaking their legs. The robbery incident lasted for over fifteen minutes without police coming to our rescue. The robbers left with the money and gift items presented to the couple in a stolen SUV of a guest.
There were many injured guests. Some were hit by bullet and taken to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention. My friend had left the issue of security out of his plans and he paid dearly for it.
When I got to where my car was packed, I realized my car key was missing. I had to go back the way I came amidst the madness and thanked God when I stumbled on the bunch where it was buried into the ground by the feet of fleeing and frightened guests.
The couple was dumbfounded and shed such tears of agony, refusing to be consoled. I drove home shaking but thankful to God for saving my life.
For my other interesting wedding true-life stories, chek out http://www.ugonoble.blogspot.com/ and www.xomba.com/referral/77778609 for breaking news about Nigeria.
Always remember to sign up with www.google.com/adsense to make money online.
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