₦airaland Forum

hotseat:
The Op. must have read so many of James Hadley Chase's novels such that his narration is a master thriller taking one from line to line as one is held spellbound.

Can't wait to read the continuation of the very captivating narration of his experience in Canada.

Truly, it's not always greener on the other side!

Bedbugs are in Canada too!

Kudos, man!

@hotseat

RaptorX:
Help you to do what, take you along with him to Canada?

whitecement:
Thank God I won't go abroad

QuinQ:
Don't worry, one terrible experience abroad will give you the courage!😅

GboyegaD:
How did you resolve the part of the bank not blocking your access again following your relocation?

Nnamdipapa:
So I had the most insane experience last December. Something that still makes my heart race when I remember it.
I was in Nigeria, just jejely making transactions from my foreign accounts, when suddenly all my accounts were blocked on suspicion of fraud. Just like that. No warning.
I called the fraud department at Scotiabank, fully expecting to clear things up in five minutes. After all, I passed every single authentication question. Everything. Then the agent calmly told me I had to appear physically in Canada to verify my account.
I laughed at first. I told him I was in Nigeria. How exactly did he expect me to fly across the Atlantic in the middle of winter just to “verify” myself?
Before I could even process what was happening, my online banking access was shut down completely. These people had already concluded that I should be living in Canada.
That was how my Christmas plans scattered.
I started searching for the cheapest ticket I could find. After hours of looking, I found a United Airlines flight transiting through Dulles Airport in Washington. 11:59pm on Christmas night. About $1,200.
I tried booking with my foreign cards. Nothing went through. My location in Nigeria was now suspicious everywhere. I had to call United directly on the 24th to book manually. Return date: December 30th.
I was pained. Deeply pained.
It would have been my first Christmas in over a decade without snow. No shoveling. No icy wind. Just Lagos vibes. Nigeria sweet, I swear.
But instead, by 7pm Christmas night, I was heading to MMA airport.
We landed at Dulles on the morning of the 26th. As I stood in line for border control, fear gripped me. I was thinking about all the negative things I’ve said about Trump online. I was convinced they would scan my social media and drag me into one interrogation room.
When it got to my turn, the officer asked one simple question and waved me through.
Just like that.

Three-hour layover. Then off to Toronto.
Because of extreme weather warnings in Calgary, I decided not to continue there. We landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto around 8pm.
I had to wait for missing luggage from the next flight. Retrieved it around 9:30pm.

Then I made the mistake of trying to save money.
I searched online and found a room in Etobicoke for $45 per night. In Canada. In December. Red flag, but my mind was on budgeting.

Outside, it was -12°C. Windy. Dark. Brutally cold.
I took a cab to the address.
The moment we pulled up, my spirit dropped.
The house looked abandoned. The street was dead silent. No movement. No life.
I knocked. A groundsman opened and led me inside.
Then I entered the room.

That was when my night turned into a horror movie.
There was another man on the bed beside mine. Unkempt. Dirty. Lying down, staring into his phone and laughing hysterically. Not small laughter. The kind that makes your spine freeze.

Aye mi!

How was I supposed to sleep in the same room with a complete stranger behaving like that?
The room was dark. Only light from the TV and his phone screen. He didn’t greet me. Didn’t acknowledge me. Just kept laughing and scratching himself aggressively.
Outside, snow was falling heavily. Temperature dropping toward -16°C.
And guess what? I didn’t even come with a winter jacket. This trip was never planned.
I told myself I would endure till morning and check into a proper hotel. I dropped my briefcases, brought out my laptop to finish some client work.
Then I saw something.

The guy started scratching himself violently. Almost desperately. Still laughing.
Kilode?!

As I sat there, uneasy, I suddenly felt movement on my sleeve.
I looked down.
A small brown bug was crawling up my jacket… heading toward my neck.
In that split second, my childhood flashed before my eyes.
Growing up in face-me-I-face-you, I battled bed bugs. I know them too well.
I slapped it instantly. Crushed it. Rubbed it between my fingers.
Then I lifted my hand to my nose.
ALAS MY PEOPLE… IT WAS THE UNMISTAKABLE SMELL OF A BED BUG.

I didn’t think twice.

I grabbed my bags and ran out of that house into -16°C snow without a winter jacket.
Yes. I chose freezing over infestation.
Outside, it was 10:40pm. Snowstorm. Wind slapping my face. No idea where I was going.
I ran across the street and entered a shawarma store just to escape the cold.
From there, I called an Uber to the nearest Walmart. It was closing at 11pm. I had less than 20 minutes.
I was already paranoid. I felt like bugs were crawling all over me. I needed new clothes immediately.
By pure luck, they let me in at 10:50pm.
I ran to the winter jacket aisle. Grabbed a heavy coat, toque, gloves, winter socks. I didn’t even check prices.
After paying, I took another cab back to Pearson Airport.

That night, I slept on a bench.
Actually, I didn’t sleep.

I emptied my entire bag on the airport floor. I was shaking. I was inspecting every single item. I even considered dumping all my clothes in the trash.
I called the woman who rented the room to me and threatened to report her to Health Canada.
The audacity of this woman…
She said maybe I was the one who brought the bugs.
Imagine that.

Anyway, that was just Day 1.
Four days of hell followed before I finally escaped back to Lagos.
I couldn’t wait to smell Nigerian air again.

(To be continued.)

Eraddray:
Im literally shaking off invisible bug on my shirt while reading ur piece... omooh..I head bed bugs like kilode
..I can spend all my money on good chemical fumigation to finish them...

It's easy because I can do it myself

Nnamdipapa:
I am seriously afraid of transferring money after that even, the exchange rates where high in December and I had a max of $10k per day for etransfer. I did 10k and gbam, I was blocked the second day after $20k.

I told them I woulbe living part time during the winter in Nigeria and for them to leave a comment on my account.

I actually believe they would go to any extent to stop international transfers to Nigeria because they are using my money for free.

Now, I am trying to hire a tax consultant to clarify the new tax laws of Tinubu before make any further bulk transfer as I was looking to dump money in Nigeria's Treasury Bills before end of last December.

RaptorX:
Help you to do what, take you along with him to Canada?

QuinQ:
Help u as to how? What kind of help exactly do you need? Help you relocate?

Riversides2003:
This is how it stands in my location. If I see that -16 sef na just sweater I go wear honestly. Cold wan kill person here but we can’t complain mhem. We are Nigerians we go adapt.

QuinQ:
@bolded, how? Please share

iguita:
Which useless sun dey show for -32 temperature? What is the use of the sun if you dey freeze?

Freshandfitpod:
It's a fake story he couldn't find not a single photo to backed his story...

Freshandfitpod:
It's a fake story he couldn't find not a single photo to backed his story...

getcut:
People have different levels of courage and different tolerances for anxiety. Some are built to withstand pressure; some are shattered by it. It depends on how you see life. But I believe not every action needs a reaction. I’m one of those guys who stopped relying on banks. Even though I’m in Europe, I still keep physical cash on me everywhere I go because it keeps things under control anything can happen at any time.

QuinQ:
But OP lives permanently in Naija. What's your take now

ogaontop:
Even if he lives in Naija but his money is stucked in a Canadian bank, won't he go for it?

Eraddray:
my business secrets 😜

QuinQ:
You said about your cousine, "what do you think will happen if the bank blocks his account around Christmas when he just came back"
Well, OP didn't just come back, he actually lives in Nigeria. So what's your take in that scenario

Nnamdipapa:
I actually just came back and banks thought I was living in Canada reason they blocked my account. I actually did not have enough money to buy tickets as all my funds were in the account so I told the fraud agent how they expected me to come to Canada?

I had to dip into my business trust account witn BMO to buy the ticket. I noticed business accounts are less strict with transactions.

poweredcom:
This is a fake story oga op ...I don't believe you ....stop spreading fake stories

Freshandfitpod:
It's a fake story he couldn't find not a single photo to backed his story...

NothingDoMe:
Very fake. He's just aura farming.

Nnamdipapa:
I am seriously afraid of transferring money after that even, the exchange rates where high in December and I had a max of $10k per day for etransfer. I did 10k and gbam, I was blocked the second day after $20k.

I told them I woulbe living part time during the winter in Nigeria and for them to leave a comment on my account.

I actually believe they would go to any extent to stop international transfers to Nigeria because they are using my money for free.

Now, I am trying to hire a tax consultant to clarify the new tax laws of Tinubu before make any further bulk transfer as I was looking to dump money in Nigeria's Treasury Bills before end of last December.

QuinQ:
Business secrets kee u there!😅

OkanlawonB:
Sounds very illogical, why not spend your scheduled Christmas in Nigeria as planned and go resolve the the bank accounts issues when you return to Canada?, why the anxiety?