Although life in the United Kingdom was a roller-coaster,
with a huge dose of ups and downs, 25-year old Henry Asu was not prepared for
the shock removal order that saw him dumped at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Lagos along with 47 other Nigerians penultimate
Wednesday. For hours, Henry was stranded at the airport and at the mercy of
airport workers, who mercifully did their best to help him, until The Nation’s
Medinat Kanabe caught up with him. His story.
Henry left Nigeria for the United Kingdom in 2003 as a
13-year old lad. As with the Nigerian mentality, even at that tender age, he
was excited and very willing to leave his family home in Bayelsa State for a
new world – a world of El Dorado that would literally place in his laps, all
the good things of life. However 12 years later, and before he could settle
down to start enjoying the good life as an adult, a removal order was issued
against the now 25-year old, and he was promptly freighted like a cargo back to
his home-country, Nigeria -with all his dreams hanging.
Henry had spent 17 months in Detention Centre, DC before he
was suddenly put on the flight that brought him home. When he met The Nation’s
reporter hours after he and 47 others had arrived Nigeria, the bewildered Henry
still couldn’t believe the reality of his situation, as he exclaimed: “Damn, I
can’t believe this; just yesterday I was in the UK and today I am in Nigeria, I
am going to go crazy.”
News that some deported Nigerians had been dumped at the
Murtala Mohammed International Airport only got to this reporter well into the
afternoon. But like a reporter with a nose for strong human angle stories, this
was no opportunity to be passed on. Promptly, she headed for the airport, the
already building peak hour Lagos traffic notwithstanding. At the airport, none
of the deportees was in sight; airport workers said they had gradually
disappeared after hours of wait and phone-calls. Some people however said some
might still be around, and if this reporter could tarry awhile, she may well
see them. To give her search a touch of legitimacy and draw some sentiment,
this reporter made out that she earnestly needed to locate her brother, who was
amongst the deported crowd.
She approached some of the young men at NAHCO (the Nigerian
Aviation Cargo Handling Company) compound and told them she was looking for her
brother, one of the deportees, who had arrived earlier in the day. In no time,
they became helpful and started asking ‘What’s he like? How does he look?…’
“He is short, dark and his name is Luke from Bayelsa State.”
This reporter replied, a shot in the dark at best.
She however got lucky with the ‘Bayelsa’ part, as it caught
the attention of the young men who immediately began hauling insults at her for
her insensitivity and for coming late. Where the hell had she been? One of them
was literally yelling at her in pidgin English. Apparently her description
fitted a certain gentleman that just left before she appeared on the scene.
“Why you no come since morning? Na now now one of our
colleagues carry am go bank go withdraw money. I see you as you dey waka enter
here, na that time them carry am pass. But you wicked oh! That boy don suffer,
since morning wey him dey go up and down, he don weak self. He just call his
aunty for Bayelsa to send money to am, na the money somebody carry am go
collect for bank now.”
Another asked: “Se be na that short boy from Bayelsa?” This
reporter answered in the affirmative. “You for don come since morning now. The
boy don tire self. Why you go allow person suffer like this?”
This reporter’s explanation that she was coming from the
office and that her boss didn’t allow her leave early enough only infuriated
them the more. “Which kain oga be that? Even the most wicked man on earth has
conscience. How dem no go let you commot for office. It depends on how you
approach the person jare.”
At this point, this reporter had to play along, admit the
faults and keep quiet. Seeing her remorse, one of them took pity on her and
asked for her phone. He dialled the number of the man that took Henry to the
bank. This was around 4pm; the phone rang almost endlessly on the other end
before it was eventually picked up. The voice at the other end said Henry was
insisting on going back to Bayelsa immediately, but they prevailed on him to
bring him back to NAHCO gate to meet ‘his sister,’ who had been waiting for
him.
Henry arrived carrying just one bag and looking really
exasperated. However, in order not to be taken for a 419 or scammer, this
reporter immediately said “This is not
my brother.” She insisted on talking to Henry alone though, purportedly to see
if he could help with information about her brother. She also promised the men,
who had now become her friends, that she would take Henry to the bus park to
board a bus to Bayelsa.
Alone with Henry
Henry seemed only too happy to have this reporter as his
guide, and happily answered her questions. He said: “I arrived the country
today after a removal order, not a deportation order. The removal order is used
for people who have committed crimes and who have been convicted before. Yes, I
committed crimes in the UK but I have served my time. All my life, I have been
studying and studying to get myself a good life but they just kicked me out. I
have studied Media Practise and Public
Relations, and Civil Engineering.
“I was sleeping yesterday, when they came and kidnapped me –
I say kidnap because it wasn’t by my will. They dragged me to the airport and
into a plane and I found myself in Nigeria. Since arriving in the morning, I
have been so stressed. I have nobody in Lagos that I can go to and I had to call
my aunty in Bayelsa to send me some money, so I can go to Bayelsa tonight.”
Asked if he went to the UK through the right channel, he
said yes. “I went to the British embassy, they got me a Visa and I got into the
UK legally. After the visa expired, I renewed it and was given another four
years.
“When I left Nigeria, I was 13 years; I went to college and
then to the university. I have been living with my mother and sisters. My
mother has her British certificate along with my little sisters. I am the only
one who is not British because obviously I have been involved in many crimes.
But I am not proud of it; I feel remorseful. But again, I am a man and must
survive. I have to look after my mum and kid sisters and take care of my
child.”
Henry explained that in England, before anyone gets
deported, they must have been in detention for more than 12 months. “If you are
in detention for more than 12 months, you are sure of an automatic deportation.
I was in jail for eight months, but immigration held me for
another nine months so they could have a reason to remove me. They accused me
of selling drugs but with no evidence, so they couldn’t jail me for up to 12
months. However they still found a way to send me out of the country.” Henry
said, almost fuming.
Asked how the British people react towards foreigners, he
said: “They are racists and always act funny around us. They are scared of us
because they are weak, so they use the power they have against us. They don’t
like to see someone live a good life. If they see that you’re living a good
life, they look for some reason to take you away. I am not going to lie,
English people are racists. They destroy people’s lives. Do you know how many
people’s lives they have destroyed on no account?
“They always leave the relevant issues that they are
supposed to handle and face irrelevant things. But what can we do?”
Asked why his family could not fight for him, Henry stared
back sharply at his guide and said: “Nobody can do anything for you when they
hold you. My mother tried to help me fight the case, but if they don’t want to
let you out they will not. Your family can only assist where they can. It is
your case with the home office and the immigration.”
Henry who obviously now detests England said he is never
going back to live in the UK but hopes to see his daughter whom he had through
a white lady and who is now three years old.
“I am done with England. I’ll never go back to that country.
I will go to Spain or Germany as soon as I get myself sorted; maybe in January.
I hope to also see my daughter soon. I am not married to her mother and don’t
wish to. We are no longer into each other. I don’t love her, I just want my
daughter back.”
On why he is considering Spain or Germany next, he said
“They are free countries. They are human rights countries.”
So what’s next for him; at least in the immediate future?
This reporter asked. Henry said he hopes to go fully into music. “I hope to go
into Afrobeat music. I have done a couple of songs and I have a full album
mixed tape. When I travel again, I will study for a while and then go into full
music.”
Curiously, Henry said he cannot stay long in Nigeria. He
also said he does not have an African dream for now, but concedes room for
providence. “If life says I will live and work here, why not, I will? But I’ve
got something else, like a mad vision outside this country.”
Asked how he hopes to survive in the harsh Nigerian economy,
he reached into his pocket and showed her a Visa card, saying his money was not
confiscated. He also said if he has any problems using the card, he would call
a number on it and the problem will be resolved.
“I can use it anywhere in the world,” he added, brandishing
the card.”
By this time, Henry and this reporter had boarded a cab
heading to Jibowu Park in Lagos, where he would board a vehicle going to
Bayelsa. The cab arrived Jibowu Park around 6.30pm, but there was no Bayelsa
bound bus in sight or on schedule for the night. Not willing to waste anymore
time in Lagos, Henry resolved to board a vehicle going to Port-Harcourt. He was
advised to alight at Elele and take another vehicle to Bayelsa.
Asked why he has only one light bag after over a decade in
the UK, Henry replied that he was allowed to take only the cloths he had in
prison. “But I bought some things in another bag for someone and I couldn’t
find it at the airport. When I asked, I was told that it has been sent to my
house in Bayelsa.”
Now how believable does that even sound? This reporter and
his guest laughed over it, wished him well and bade him goodbye, as he took a
seat in a comfortable corner of the bus. To be sure he arrived safely, this
reporter called Henry’s number the following evening, and lo and behold it was
a relaxed and hearty Henry that picked the phone. He arrived safely, he
informed, and was having some rest. About his missing luggage? Henry has not
seen any yet. Maybe in another day or two. Maybe never ever.
First published in The Nation of December 06, 2015
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment