There’s only so much you can learn about someone just by hanging out with them. Sometimes, stepping into their home reveals things they’d never think to tell you. 

We asked Nigerians to share the strangest things they’ve encountered while visiting other people’s homes, and their stories will have you exhausting your “God abeg” subscription bundle.

“They almost brought me into their cult” — Mosope* 23

My late dad’s distant cousin had been asking me to visit for a while, so my mum finally agreed to let me stay over during my mid-term break. Everything seemed normal until dinner, when all five of them closed their eyes and started humming in unison instead of praying.

I was confused so the father later explained that this was how they connected with God in their religion. He also told me how his “spiritual eye” had revealed that he’d been a wealthy European in a past life. I was so creeped out that I counted down the days until I could return to school. Once I got back, I told my mum everything. She made sure I never had to sleep over at their house again.

“His grandmother walked around naked” — Samuel*, 28

I once visited a friend’s family, and everything seemed fine until his grandmother walked into the parlour topless, wearing only a loose wrapper around her waist. I was shocked because I’d never seen anything like that. I expected my friend to notice my discomfort, but he greeted his grandmother as if it were completely normal. His mum even brought me food, and everyone carried on as usual.

When I eventually brought it up with my friend, he explained that his grandmother sometimes refused to wear clothes and threw tantrums whenever they tried to dress her. They’d learnt to manage her that way. I understood, but it was still odd to let strangers witness it.

“They kept a chicken as a pet” — Esther*, 29

I once visited a colleague’s house and found her toddler chasing a chicken around the house. I initially thought it was some special breed of chicken, but my colleague explained that it was just a regular chicken her daughter had grown attached to. She would cry until they let it into the house, so they eventually gave in.

I had so many questions. Did the chicken sleep in the room? How did they manage the mess? It kept littering the floor while I was there, and I couldn’t imagine sharing a house with it. I found the arrangement funny but also odd;  there’s really nothing Gen-Z parents won’t do. Sadly, my colleague told me the chicken died of pneumonia some weeks later. 

“His dad had a statue of himself”— Patrick*, 24

A friend from uni once invited me to his house during the holidays. He had always joked that nobody loved himself more than his dad, and I understood why as soon as I arrived. The living room had pillows printed with his dad’s face, pictures of him everywhere and figurines modelled after him. The one family portrait sat tucked away in a corner.

Then I stumbled on a human-shaped figure upstairs and nearly jumped out of my skin. On closer inspection, I realised it was another statue of his dad. I’d like to believe it was a gift because the thought of someone being that self-obsessed creeps me out.

“They didn’t let children on the dining table” — Caro*, 26

One Christmas, I visited a friend’s family home, where several generations had gathered. I noticed that the children were eating on the floor, right beside an empty dining table. It seemed rather odd, so I asked one of them why.

She explained that only adults could eat at the dining table and that she wouldn’t be allowed to sit there until she got into university. I was uncomfortable, but I kept quiet because I didn’t want to upset my friend. I felt bad and thought about it for days.

“A cow head helped them pray to God” — Faidat* 26

I was in SS2 when I visited a friend and went to use the outdoor toilet at the back of the house. On my way there, I  stumbled on what looked like a cow’s or ram’s head mounted on a stand. It was smeared with what looked like palm oil or blood. The sight was so black and scary that I couldn’t even bring myself to look at it properly. I sprinted back inside and made an excuse to leave.

When I saw my friend at school later, I stylishly asked what the object was for. She told me her family prayed to it because it helped guide their prayers to God. It was a shocking discovery to say the least.

“They fed me snake meat” — Shehu*, 49

A few years ago, I visited an old friend in Niger State. He had always invited me over and promised to take good care of me, and he lived up to that promise. The food was delicious, especially the fish he served me when I arrived. I enjoyed it so much that when he served it again the next day, I asked how they prepared it. It was unusually soft and succulent.

That was when he revealed it was snake meat. I immediately started retching. I’m Muslim, so eating snake is haram, and he knew this. I was also surprised because I wasn’t familiar with people eating snakes in that part of the North. After that experience, I became much more intentional about what I put in my mouth. I always ask questions when in doubt.

“Her dad had a special chair” — Chinanza*, 21

I’ll never forget an awkward encounter I had while visiting a friend years ago. We were watching a movie when I sat on a chair that looked really comfortable. My friend immediately froze, but when I asked what was wrong, she said nothing. Later, her dad came out of his room and shouted at me for sitting on the chair. Apparently, it was his personal chair, and my friend had been too scared to tell me.

She looked visibly shaken, and I felt so awkward that I moved to another chair. I’d never seen someone react so strongly to another person sitting on a chair in their own home.

“They lived in a mess” — Wale* 25

Last year, I travelled to a city and planned to stay with a cousin. I was excited because he often flaunted pictures of his apartment online. It looked like one of those Lekki Airbnbs you’d never want to leave.

But nothing prepared me for what was on the inside. The entire house was a mess, and the kitchen smelled rotten. I tried to overlook it until I opened the cupboard in the room we’d be sharing and found a dirty, water-soaked towel sitting among his clean clothes. I was disgusted.

He also had a cat that littered everywhere. There were even droppings on the bed I was supposed to sleep on. The worst part was watching him sink into the bed like it was completely normal. I barely survived the night. The next day, I found another relative to stay with.

“They treated their dog like family” — Angela*, 29

I have a family friend who treats their dog like one of their children. It has its own chair in the living room and eats the same meals as the rest of the family. I think it’s cute, but I still can’t get used to it.

“Her grandparents showed PDA” — Johnson*, 32

I once visited a friend and walked in on her grandparents being very affectionate with each other. Her grandmother was sitting on her grandfather’s lap, and they were French kissing. Her grandfather looked to be in his 70s.  While I thought the display was cute, I was also a little horrified. I couldn’t stop thinking about how openly intimate they were.

What made it even funnier was how unbothered my friend was. She acted like it was completely normal, and I guess that’s where her own touchy-feely personality comes from. 

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