A Nigerian lady living in the UK took to social media to share her frightening experience of being arrested and detained due to a misunderstanding involving her English.
The incident began when the lady visited a pharmacy to pick up medication for her husband. Afterward, she called him to inform him that she had obtained the medication. Unbeknownst to her, passersby overheard her mentioning “drugs,” which led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in her arrest.
In her own words: “I got arrested yesterday and detained. Now I’m going home. Yesterday, I went to the pharmacy to get drugs for my husband. Afterward, I was on a call. I said, ‘I got the drugs, I got 2 drugs for you. When you use them, you’ll get stronger.'”
She continued, “I didn’t know people around me were reacting to the word ‘drugs.’ I wasn’t concerned because I didn’t think I had done anything wrong. But before I knew it, the police arrived and asked, ‘Where are the drugs?’ I was confused and responded, ‘What drugs?'”
Nigerian living in the UK narrates how she got locked up because of her Nigerian English pic.twitter.com/saJK8HsPi3
— Dami’ Adenuga (@DAMIADENUGA) February 3, 2025
The lady’s post sparked a heated discussion online, with many users sharing their thoughts on the situation:
@Mazimum_: “It’s a harsh reminder that even the little things we take for granted—like everyday vocabulary—can land someone in serious trouble. It’s unfortunate, but it also highlights the importance of understanding the nuances of language and how it’s interpreted in different places.”
@KennyNuga: “it’s not about the Nigerian English, it’s the profiling . Some People with our skin color put us in that situation due to their uncontrolled interest.”
@JosephAjuka: “Medication is drug. Drug is also medications. You’re correct, they are correct. I will only fault them for not taking cognizant of the fact that different people from diff countries are in the UK and each person has a particular term for various things or item.”
@hey_watever: “She was just racially profiled… doesn’t make sense!”
@DayoOjo: “There’s a chance that she spoke too loud on the phone. Sometimes Nigerians don’t know how to maintain quietness.”
@KRYPTTOPIA: “wow gotta be more concious with your choice of wrod then , given the environment.”