The peace ceremony at Yelwa Shendam and all events surrounding was directed and filmed by Philip Carr for FLT Films. This film is being produced, directed and released by FLT Films.

Cloudburst Diary: The Peace of Yelwa Shendam
My first experience of Nigeria was, of course, at the Embassy in London, a few minutes walk from Embankment Tube Station. I have a ticket, I wait in line, nothing is happening. There must be about 40 Africans in there, presumably Nigerians, and a handful of white people. Nonchalant staff give nothing away behind glass screens. Suddenly a door opens and a man in dark glasses who looks like an authority figure of sorts comes out and I move to engage, but a slightly overweight African, who looks like he has been living in the UK for some time, beats me to it and this is the conversation that followed: "I have a question ..." says overweight, strangely combed hair, African "Yes ...", says Mr dark glasses "The last time I applied for a visa my passport had already expired, is it OK if I apply for another visa on an expired passport?" A curious crowd has gathered around. The authority in dark glasses pauses, and cocks his head, " you entered Nigeria on an expired passport last time?" Silence, tone rising, "Did you enter Nigeria on an expired passport last time?" "uh ... yes," smiling nervously, but drowning, "can I do it again?' before fighting a rearguard action out the door and onto the wide London street where black cabs roared up and down under cold, grey February skies.

"Peace is divine!" Shouted the strongly built policeman, wearing dark glasses and with his AK47 held on his bicep as he pointed it skyward, as we drove through his checkpoint in the Inter-Faith van with his exclamation printed on the rear door.. Indeed. That's Nigeria for you ... and Nigerians. They like to speak the English language and seem to get so much more out of it than we do. I remember James in one of his sermons "so, we must not lose anymore quality lives!!" The play on quality life self-evident but clever in its use, almost as though they look at the English language sideways. I remember on the way back to Jos from Yelwa Shendam on the night of the Friday 18th - night had fallen and to say that the roads in Nigeria are dangerous would be verging on an understatement - we were driving behind a car which looked to be hesitant in overtaking the truck in front, after some time we succeeded in passing both and as we did so the driver shouted out "Respect, mon!" Nigerians like to engage, I walked into a restaurant later that evening to meet with Judith, and as I went to the bathroom an Army Sergeant called out "Hello Philip!" Now, it is true that the odd Nigerian Officer may have been present during my time at Sandhurst and I may even have shared a Nissan Hut dormitory with one after a tear in my leg became infectious after a 60 hr stint doing platoon attacks and digging in in a snowdrift in Norfolk, but I could safely say that I did not know this Sergeant and although courteous in my reply could only suppose that he had overhead my being greeted at the other end of the restaurant. He continued to call out to me for the rest of the evening. As ever, the rule of travel in these countries is politeness and respect to all people at all times - emit an aura of positivity and it will 99% of the time be returned. You can deal with the other 1% as it happens...

©Cloudburst Media Limited 2005

Cloudburst endeavours to keep notes of his journeys abroad and, given sufficient encouragement, will post the next chapter ...
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