Ada Africa: How I ‘trekked’ from Obosi to Freetown for nothing

Join me on a frightening adventure as I recount my vagabond from Obosi to Freetown in Sierra Leone. Buckle up as I take you through the highs and lows, the laughter and tears, the twists, turns, and unexpected encounters.

I personally chose to embark on the daring journey, driven by a passion to explore my Africa and a thirst for discovery.

PART 1: OBOSI TO LAGOS

In the course of my career programs in South Africa, Brazil, US, Italy and Germany, I interacted with Sierra Leoneans. I love the name, Freetown very much and put it on my bucket list of African countries to visit. I got a training to facilitate in Sierra Leone and I thought it’s a good time to explore and observe what happens at the West African borders.

I chose to travel by road. I prepared and tagged it an adventurous trip. To avoid anyone instilling fear in me or discouraging me, I didn’t tell close allies that I will be doing a road trip. I made searches online and spoke with drivers of transport companies that ply the route. None gets to Liberia nor Sierra Leone, hence I decided to break the journey in bits from OBOSI.

I set out in October 2023 one Tuesday morning for Lagos by road from OBOSI. I had a nightmare at the Benin by-pass and got demoralized from continuing the trip to FREETOWN. It opened another chapter of suffering for travelers making it look like a journey to hell. The Benin Bypass was dreadfully distressed and a foe. I was actually warned but I wanted to experience it.

We endured harrowing experiences that lasted many hours as the potholes on the road have graduated to boreholes, causing terrible gridlock. Trailers and other heavy duty vehicles were stuck in the cascading mud.

I saw frustrated-looking passengers like myself. I rushed down from the vehicle when I couldn’t get air to breathe. I made an instant decision not to ply the road on my way back.

While at Ore, I got a call that my brother, Mr. Kyrian Udegboka just died on that Benin by-pass. I was shocked though I wasn’t surprised that not everyone can withstand what happened on that road. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

I continued the journey in fear and kept asking a priest the possibility of getting to FREETOWN by road and if he knows anyone that has done such a trip before. I got to Ago, Lagos past 8pm and was totally worn out.

I didn’t book with any transport company going to the West Coast, because they will limit the adventures and observations I want to make at the borders. I want to walk freely and take my time to avoid any driver hurrying me up.

Stay tuned for more hilarity and gravity, as I spill the beans on the journey from Obosi to Freetown!

PART 2: LAGOS TO SEME BORDER – DANCING WITH IMMIGRATION DRAGONS

So, the saga continues on my epic trek from Lagos to Freetown! Rise and shine at the crack of dawn – 5am to be precise! Destination: Mile 2. I embarked on the quest to unravel the mysteries of border-hopping, armed with a heart full of curiosity.

Little did I know, the agberos (transport touts) were ready to woo me into their vehicles like persistent suitors, promising a journey direct to Togo that will be smoother than a baby’s bum-bum. But no, I had my eyes set on conquering the Seme border solo – the true adventurer’s way.

I was on a mission to be the master of my border-crossing destiny. My dance of persuasion with the agberos lasted till a fashionably late 6:30am. Patience is a virtue, right? So, off I hopped onto the Seme border express.

As we cruised from Badagry towards Seme, the immigration checkpoint made a grand entrance. Passport? Check. Documents? Not really. Turns out, they knew the local traders so well, they didn’t bother asking for their travel papers. The driver got a little side paid hustle, to cross the passenger in the front seat, while the other lady sorted herself out. Yours truly, armed with a passport, became the odd one out.

At the last stop, the driver, sensing my solo border-crossing bravado, asked if I needed his expertise to drive me across the border. After a brief internal debate, I reluctantly caved in. As we hit the Nigerian side, I was greeted with a jaw-dropping sight – a border makeover! Upgraded version of airport terminal, digitized systems, and the whole shebang! Gone were the sore sights I experienced in 2016, the last time I used the border.

First stop, my fingerprints and photo passport captured – like a VIP at a biometric spa! Then came the payment counter – N1000 for virgin passports (if you have been to the US, UK, etc your passport is virgin if you haven’t cross the border with it. lol), and N500 if your passport has seen the border-stamping action before.

I questioned the legality of the stamping fee, and out of the blue, an Igbo officer (bless his heart) stamped my passport, liberating me from the clutches of paying the illegal fee.

But hold onto, I’m not yet free to leave – Benin Republic’s immigration had its own dance of demands. Money for the stamp, you say? Again entered the benevolent Igbo officer signaling him to stamp and let me go.

But, oh, the plot thickens! The health port officer pulled me into her vaccination web, demanding a yellow card. Turns out, there is something unwell with my vaccination card, the card has been phased out and replaced with E-card.

I felt bad not knowing about it as I’ve used it in all my previous travels. She pitched me an E-card upgrade for the cool price of 5k. Regrettably, I declined, thinking I’ll get it on the flip side of the trip. Little did I know, that decision would come back to haunt me.

Trekking to the park, another group of officers had to check my passport, page by page and on seeing two pages with US visas, asked me to share some dollars with them. They delayed me for a while, humorously said it remains small for me to become a US citizen, so let them chop some dollars with me. Lol.

Stay tuned for the next parts, where my yellow card takes center stage and my dance with border officers gets even messier!

#BorderBlunders #YellowCardDrama #SoloTrekChronicles

Ada Africa 🌍 +2348033842029; local2global4@gmail.com; www.whaiafrica.org