![]() ![]() And most importantly, I now needed hot water. I also wondered why no cleaner had been in my room since my arrival. Being someone strict on hygiene, I couldn’t use the two towels that hadn’t been changed since my arrival. I’d say everything remained calm until Tuesday morning. I then returned to the hotel and took a walk in the evening. ![]() I met more faces at the church, including my nursery school classmate, whom I hadn’t met for several years. Later that morning, I got my friend to call a taxi to church (since I didn’t speak Polish). I met my friend, who showed me my room and key (no one was at the reception desk), and she later left with the Bolt driver since her place was quite a distance from the hotel. I then booked my round trip and went to the airport, but my flight was delayed for an hour. So, on a Saturday, I sent the money to her, and she helped me book a hotel in Gdynia. My friend in Poland told me that if I pay the hotel bills physically, it’s usually cheaper than paying online. But I needed the out-of-country experience and to see my long-time friends. So my rationale was, “Since you have people there, why don’t you make this the first out-of-country visit?” I mean, I could have gone to Stockholm or anywhere in Sweden. I have a friend doing a Master’s degree and a friend based in Poland with his wife and kids. I went there because I have people there. Why did you choose Poland for your vacation? The only thing I did was do data “capturing” at the Swedish embassy. They arranged my visa and all the other details. Luckily, a new job offer came (which is the job I have with Volvo now). I managed to do it, but getting over what happened took me a while. They then forced me at gunpoint to transfer money to them. when some of the police officers drove me away to a different area that I knew nothing about. When I got to the police station, I was approached multiple times by policemen speaking Yoruba, and each time I mentioned that I didn’t speak or understand Yoruba, they left me. After weeks of pushing and shoving, he gave me wardrobes that were not satisfactory, and I then asked for a refund.Ĭan you imagine that this man reported me to the police and told them many lies about me? The police then came to my place and told me that the District Police Officer wanted to see me for what had been filed as a “civil disagreement”. I gave him another month, but he still didn’t show. This was for something he was supposed to deliver in three weeks. When I finally contacted him, he gave me stories. I paid him 60-70% of the total bill in advance for the work he was to do, and he disappeared for two months. When setting up the place, I called on the services of a carpenter to do wardrobes for me. I finally got a place like that around Kola, at Alimosho. I wasn’t particular about the distance from town, as I only needed a quiet, big area. In 2021, I had just moved to Lagos and stayed with a friend until I could find a place for myself in 2022. I also had this situation where the police extorted me. Money in your pocket can be very annoying when you cannot get basic things at affordable rates, like electricity, internet and safety, to say the least. However, I experienced limitations and frustrations that made me consider the Japa route. I had a good-paying, remote job working from Nigeria. I was not necessarily looking at moving abroad at the beginning. What were your motivations for “Japa-ing” in the first place? He shares his story with us and discusses why he may never return to Poland again. During a vacation in Poland, he experienced harassment and was unceremoniously ejected from his hotel for simply asking for basic services. Today’s #AbroadLife features a Nigerian software engineer working with Volvo in Sweden. ![]() No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad. ![]() The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. ![]()
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