Sunday, October 07, 2007

Dictator chic

These are images [allegedly] of a former Nigerian dictator. Guess who? Answers on a postcard (or in the comments section) please. The winner gets a free polystyrene chandelier.

It doesn't matter whether they really are pictures of a former Nigerian dictator's home or not. Fact is, we can imagine it to be the case. We can imagine that the resources that were diverted from elsewhere (to build hospitals, to pay teachers, to buy books, to pay the police...) ended up paying for this rococco chintz.

We gawp at the Ovation-to-the-power of Ovation tackiness and we think: yes, someone could have stolen that much, and used it, that badly, with no consciousness of what they have done.. As our eyes cast across these symbols of tasteless opulence, we can almost hear the swish of the yards of agbada fabric of the courtiers and sycophants as they whisper in the marble anterooms of the ex-tyrant, watching out for the ghost of an echo of a power that was.















33 comments:

Anonymous,  11:37 pm  

3 posts and a mass of photos! Interesting to see you're taking full advantage of genuine high-speed broadband here in the UK. Enjoy the break! I spent 18 months in Nigeria and Ive been back in England for a few months but i still cant sleep with the lights off! i was totally traumatised!

oguro,  12:19 am  

has to be the gap toothed one.
doubt if it belongs to the deceased infantry general.

Moni 1:41 am  

I'm at a loss at how to respond to such ostentatious opulence.

The house and vegetation don't look particularly like they reside in Nigeria, but then again, isn't distinct either. This could be Mediterranean, Caribbean or even the US.

Anonymous,  2:46 am  

Babaginda

Chxta 6:35 am  

Has it ever occurred to the people bandying this picture about that that simply doesn't exist in the Minna skyline?

In my head and around me 7:52 am  

It has been touted to be Babangida's house. I can tell you it definitely is not. You can take that to the bank.
Don't bother asking how I know, I KNOW!

seun,  8:55 am  

dude, abeg tell us who get that kind house!!!Dem go kill person for naija o!

babatunde 9:07 am  

I've been sent these pictures as well, didn't circulate because I've no confidence in the fact that it's IBB's house, I have to agree thouth that it wouldn't surprise me it it was, I've seem even more money spend in even less taste (if that is possible) go to hampstead and see how our Commanders in thiefs and their hanger-ons furnish their houses

Anonymous,  10:56 am  

I say its one of Saddams palaces!!! Loove the extra classy big screen tv by the jacuzzi...no self respecting blinged out naija person would miss that precious addition!

Anonymous,  11:35 am  

This is definitely the house of one of ex-generals that is outside Nigeria. It is not IBB's Minna's abode for sure. And why are we all assuming that it is IBB's.

Oyibo! 11:44 am  

@Chxta
who said it was in nigeria? but whoever originated these pictures needs to come up with some evidence..

UndaCovaSista 12:32 pm  

Looks more like a rapper's crib

CATWALQ a.k.a LAGBA-JESS 4:34 pm  

If that is his house...I can't say anything. I mean, we sat back as a nation and watched him steal to build that.

Iyaeto 5:58 pm  

9ja Maradona. How do these people sleep? Are thet going to be buried with all these material things?

ababoypart2 7:59 pm  

With respect I would have been surprised if IBB had such taste (bought or acquired)

Robbie 11:21 pm  

I've also seen these photos with comments that it's IBB's house. I seriously doubt that's his house- at least, it's not his house in Minna.
I suspect this is an urban legend.

Bitchy too lazy to sign in,  11:30 pm  

The taste looks more Arab than Nigerian to me. Been flat-hunting recently and the places furnished like this all belonged to Arabs. If this definitely belongs to a Nigerian dictator, I won't be surprised if it's one like Babangida who had so many Saudi and Egyptian connections.

faz,  5:52 am  

One of my uncle's on Bishop avenue in London looks similar. Nigerian and Arabic taste are not so disimilar. They usually just employ an interior designer to do all the work and give them spec.

Chxta 10:29 am  

@ Oyibo, the email I got with those pix claimed that it was in Minna.

Olawunmi 4:42 pm  

hmmm. i dont know. i have seen authentic pictures of abacha's kano house, and while those show an ostentatiously furnished house as well, it wasn't quite on this scale. but then, people redecorate, or this could be yet another side ofthe house.

i tell you, regardless whose house it is, its still nothing compared to what we know that they can afford. even if the house was furnished sparingly, it still wouldn't dispel the knowledge that their loot is in the billions of dollars. our nation's past and present is in the european banks, and under the backsides of thieves. but what do we do?

Fred 7:12 pm  

Just want to point out the fallacy inherent in this statement: “It doesn't matter whether they really are pictures of a former Nigerian dictator's home or not. Fact is, we can imagine it to be the case.”

The hell you say? Is that all required to prove guilt? Imagination?

Don't add to the bullshit without being sure, Jeremiah.

Anonymous,  9:36 pm  

Fred you're a nitpicker and obviously get off on being contrary. You also fancy that you're quite clever... and that's when you're most annoying."the fallacy inherent..." abeg go siddon jo- even if IT is on the basement couch in Mama's house!!!

Anon. And no, not paid by Jeremy.

Fred 5:36 pm  

@anonymous coward: No, I just call bullshit by its name. That the good doctor would toss conjectural petrol into the fire that is this set of pictures is irresponsible, more so when you consider who Jeremy is, a well-educated ‘oyinbo.’

This is simply rumor mongering and it's unbecoming. I think the more Jeremy lives in that besotted country, the more the stain of illogic rubs off.

Anonymous,  8:39 pm  

The petrol Jeremy is throwing into fire aka known as post from Fred @7:12pm, post from Anon Coward (no relation to Noel, alas)@ 9:36pm, and then post from Fred( No relation to Wilma)at 5:36pm. I WOULD reply Fred, but then i'd have to acknowledge that we ARE J's bitches, shaking it fast, dancing the Naijablog dance; tune being played by DJ Janded Jeremy. This is boring, Fred..."Uncle".

Anon Coward.

Kayode 11:30 am  

this looks like Abaja's gold dust home?

Anonymous,  3:57 pm  

fred is right. there seems to be absolutely no proof of who's (horrible) house it is. why play guessing games and point fingers randomly?

Adaure 3:52 pm  

I don't care who owns this crib it is SOO 'UGLEEEY'. I can just imagine the discomfort or is it hateration (I would decorate better if I had all that money. A red velvet bed. Ewww. This dude has not heard of Silk or Luxury Egyptian cotton...not that I know what they feel like) Lol! The 'invisible' evil side of me would like to teleport itself into that bathroom and push the TV into the jacuzzi when the owner is taking a bath. OOPS!!! I know y'all are thinking the same (No lie o). My alter egos just like to blurt out my evil thots. By the way, PLEASE DON'T TRY THE ABOVE AT HOME OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS!!

the russian,  4:56 am  

i think this house could probebly belong to a guy with some seriouse money foget babangida,,he is not in the same division..as this guy Roman Abramovich, The World's Richest People -Roman Abramovich ranked 11 among The World's Richest People In 2006.,,he could buy minna and every thing in it..and still be one of the richest men in the world...from robovski a russian frend..

ogemba,  5:09 pm  

to me i believe that this house is nothing putting into consideration that the owner being a dictator amassed so much money in difrrent currencies of the wolrd,every of the paymasters were under his control,he could ask the accountant general to empty the country's treasury and lodge same into his personal account.this is just one out of the many examples of the wasters of our generation

Anonymous,  1:24 pm  

This is robert mugabe house!

Anonymous,  12:48 am  

THIS IS SHAHRUKH KHAN'S "HOUSE"!!!!!
AN INDIAN ACTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS PIX OF BABANGIDA'S HOUSE IS A LIE.

Robbie Honerkamp,  4:02 pm  

A Nigerian friend just sent me another link to these photos with the claim that they're of IBB's house, so I spent some quality time on Google to track it down.

Turns out the house is in California: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/robert-mugabe-mansion.shtml

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