A Wild Week in Lagos

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Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

Interesting article on one man's visit to Lagos.

Quote:

"When it comes to chaos," Toyin Falola, author of several books about Nigeria and Lagos, told me, "no place can compare. Lagos sets its own rules. But if you can figure out its logic, there is a beauty to it."

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:38 pm

"But if you can figure out its logic, there is a beauty to it"

Not sure I'd ever be able to figure out the logic of a place where a cop can nearly beat a motorcyclist to death, just for the hell of it. Interesting article but it would be a very chilly day in Hades before I set foot in Lagos!

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Great read.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:47 pm

Beauty?

All I get from that article is what a total and utter shit-hole it is.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 10 Jul 2012 Posts: 1

"After a brief, heated argument, he shoved the fisherman to the ground and started kicking him in the face. Another man picked up a stray two-by-four and broke it over the man's head."

Sounds like a great holiday destination. Laughing

"Suddenly, one of the men accompanying us peeled off his shirt and jeans – underneath was a woman's one-piece swimsuit"

What...the...fuck?

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:42 pm

Thanks for posting that, JMR. A very interesting read indeed. I've read many article about life in Lagos but that one was the most evocative. It sounds like hell on earth.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:32 pm

Quote:

In the parking lot behind the mosque, you could buy a fake passport for $30

lad quality?

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

Beauty?

All I get from that article is what a total and utter shit-hole it is.

Juan Freizwidatt wrote:

Thanks for posting that, JMR. A very interesting read indeed. I've read many article about life in Lagos but that one was the most evocative. It sounds like hell on earth.

Yes, I would not want to live there, but I assume the author means you know, leaving aside all that, the people are pretty cool. Some people just like that kind of "variety".

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Posts: 1440

I think I'll book my flight now.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:43 pm

Its a very well written eye opening article, thanks for sharing it Smile

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:25 pm

Interesting article.

My sister and her (then) husband lived in Lagos for six months in the 70's when they fell in with Ginger Baker (the drummer from the band Cream) while they were travelling the world. He had a recording studio there for some reason but lived on a yacht, moored safely out in the harbour.

She witnessed pickpockets beaten to death by an angry mob while the police looked on. You couldn't go anywhere by car without paying a bribe to get through impromptu police road blocks. Casual violence and instant retribution for seemingly innocent transgressions against some local bigwig or nabob were commonplace. Yet the locals were always generous and helpful to westerners in her experience.

She told me she no more understood the place after six months than she did after the first day living there. A complete madhouse. Confused