joxiri, not saying you know any, but since you are their advocate you better warn all the 419ers and email scammers not to come to countries like China where there is real zero-tolerance for fraud , and their country is better for it.

By the way, I have not advocated death penalty yet, but make no mistake: email scamming, 419, large scale government corruption are all deserving of the death penalty if you consider the death of many it has caused.

This is so funny. First, I appreciate Elgaxton frankness, knowing fully well the crucifixion fellow nigerians would do to him. There is some truth to what he said but does not mean he is justified. Also, most of the respondents to Elgaxton's plight are also correct but not justified. Its a case of the two sides of the same coin - it depends on which side you looking.
From the point of view of the UK friends:
1. If you take all the naira you have and come to the UK, you have the odds stacked against you at 260 to 1 (Go figure).
2. Only when you get to a modern society like the UK, that you realize that time means everything. Everything is done by the minute - class lectures, train departure, doctor's appointment, job interview - you try african time and u're screwed. You would lose ur cleaner job if u resume late thinking its looked down upon. Honestly, you really dont have time to phone a friend unless the person is among the three that count (everyone's got the best three).
3. You also develop an amateur sense of financial planning and management. Really, its hard to include Bolaji, Uche and Mahmoud in my monthly budget when I have HMRC, BT, Underground, National Express, British Gas, ASDA , even ordinary Primark to worry about.
In Elgaxton's defence:
No matter the challenges of living in the UK, the true worth of friendship depends on the sacrifices you can make. An occasional call back from the UK to Elgaxton, would say he means a lot to you (So, El gee, don't expect to many. You can be sweet but really how many of your friends do you "mean so much to"? Only one or two should be in the UK, the remaining one should be there with you in naija).

It must be said that it was Nigerians who gave Police the tip-off used in catching and gathering evidence against the killer rapist. So, Nigerians do hate crime and would use the law to tackle it. Crime is committed in every country by every national.

I know the original post is so outdated now but I'm curious to know how the story ended. Choogtin, if you are still a nairalander, please fill me in.

@multebrain and the very many people who have this same question, it is very frustrating hardly being able to go anywhere without a visa. I mean, anywhere you would really want to go. Anyway, such is the state in which we find ourselves.

@everyone else: I urge every nigerian out there to take the hardest, harshest stance against conmen and fraudsters who have rubbished the chances for every Nigerian passport-holder, living and unborn, in this global world. As long as you live in Nigeria and don't travel anywhere, you wont realize the great damage these few demons have caused us. I've never advocated the death sentence but I could consider it as a penalty for anyone convicted of Advanced Fee Fraud a.k.a. 419.

To the creator of this thread, God bless you. You shall prosper. For a change, someone positive.

Besides other possible reasons why this LASTMA man risked his life and sadly lost it, I think poor training or lack of it is the cause. In Nigeria, safety is only used in the term "Road Safety" (to refer to the Federal Road Safety Corps) but never practised. I doubt LASTMA, like other law enforcement bodies provide safety training to their personnel. If they did, I wont be surprised that the typical mentality that safe practices are only for 'sissies' was what was going through the man's head. Overzealousness is also to blame; so many law enforcement personnel who think they've suddenly been made of steel the day they get their appointment letters. I can mention many road users who don't care about safety: the conductor hanging outside a moving bus, the policeman all dressed in black at night standing in the middle of a highway with no reflectors, the 'okada' rider without helmet weaving in and out of car traffic, the private driver not wearing a seatbelt, the pedestrian crossing right underneath a pedestrian bridge on a busy highway. The list is endless.

Ever since Obama got onto the international scene during his campaign, another name always creeps into my thoughts. Both names are heavily linked to politics, politics in multi-ethnic nations, nations with enormous population, population that is deeply hooked to oil and oil that perenially affects their economies negatively. Both names symbolized hope at a time both nations were fed up with the incumbent political rule.
Obama is a new name in presidential leadership and yet to be seen in true action so the hope is still very much alive. For some people however, the other name has been and is really really old in presidential leadership. That other name has outlived itself in leadership and is only synonymous with everything wrong with politics - Nigerian politics. That name is Obasanjo!
How do the two names compare?

Guys,
Interesting debate going on here. I only heard of Rush Limbaugh today from this forum so I cannot comment on him.  However, certain points must be noted about him:
[list]
[li]If he indeed is a druggie, then indeed his credibility is questionnable.[/li]
[li]I listened to the recording in question and while it was thought-provoking, he went overboard and had a blatant disregard for the black people[/li]
[/list]

adconline made a great point about unevenness of opportunity.  For a long time I believed underachievers simply had no drive in life but have since realized how much is stacked against them in life and unfairly so.  You see, we many times underestimate the effects of slavery on people of African descent.  I think that is the next greatest mistake of man after the sin of Adam in the garden of Eden (if you believe that). Slavery forever altered humanity. Nothing - absolutely nothing on earth - can change or make amends for it.  Black people need to remember it always and continue striving for better opportunities.  White people too must live with the stigma of slavery, however differently it affects them. Both black and white people are affected by slavery and we must continue to address the way it affects us generation after generation.

Which kind Umoru?  Umoru sabi campaign? He fit talk like Obama?  See the way Obama dey inspire people.  Umoru depresses me anytime I even see his picture.  The man useless.  One and a half years in power and no difference to Naija.  Umoru and Goodluck are incompetent.  Even if they can't perform they should at least have charisma. Haba!

Everyone,

Who thinks Dele Momodu is annoying, boastful, full of himself and often times idiotic? Please, read his article on http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=126805 and be sure to leave a comment.

Cheers.

I have read a lot of the comments on this topic and most of the points have been made. Please channel them to those that need to hear - Osuofia, Maleke, The Netherlands Police, Nigerian Foreign Misnistry, Nigerians in the Diaspora and of course the millions of Nigerians at home. While I do not want to make this an affront on any one I do need to comment about two people in contrast.

Militia: I have thoroughly enjoyed your comments and you have made very good points that many Nigerians will always find hard to accept. From what you have said, I deduce that you did not and do not advocate racism. Few people can see that. You have proferred what is called intelligence - which is what CIA, FBI, MI6 and other relevant security agencies use in making their nations great. They do not stand and shout and be blinded by frivolities of situations like EFCC, SSS and the numerous Nigerians making a whole lot of empty noise on this forum. Militia, I hold you in high regard. You are intelligent and well-spoken.

Egoldman: I will try to make this quick and painless and refrain from the very words you have used on other people in this forum. To start with, you strike me as someone who needs to have his ego massaged at all times. This is the very problem Osuofia suffered from and was duly given a panacea by the Dutch Police. I am quite interested to know where you live at the moment. You strike me as still being a narrow-minded person (living in Nigeria), who has refused to take advantage of the many facets of Media and Communication to broaden his worldview. If, however, you live in one of the developed countries, then I really don't see the point. All you have done is to scream "racism"; then what?! You have refused to profer a solution that will be of benefit to others. You have failed to add value to society. Yet, the only contribution you can lay claim to in this forum is that you created it. Big deal. I can create 100 forums in a few minutes. I have decided to stop here as any further attempt to rationalise you will take me down to the level of social reasoning you are. Please, take my criticism in good faith.