11 Nigerians Reveal the Strangest Things They’ve Seen Inside Other People’s Homes

You can spend hours with someone and still know very little about how they live. Sometimes, walking through their front door reveals habits, rituals and arrangements they would never think to mention. We asked Nigerians to describe the strangest things they have encountered while visiting other people’s homes, and their accounts range from the unsettling to the simply baffling.

Mosope*, 23, was invited to stay with her late father’s distant cousin during a mid-term break, after the relative had spent a long time asking her to visit. Her mother eventually agreed. Everything appeared normal until dinner, when all five members of the household closed their eyes and began humming in unison instead of saying a prayer. The father later explained that this was how they connected with God in their religion. He also told her that his “spiritual eye” had revealed he had been a wealthy European in a past life. Mosope was so unnerved that she counted down the days until she could return to school. Once she was back, she told her mother everything, and her mother made sure she never had to sleep over at that house again.

Samuel*, 28, was visiting a friend’s family when the friend’s grandmother walked into the parlour topless, wearing only a loose wrapper around her waist. He was shocked, having never seen anything like it, but his friend greeted her as though nothing unusual had happened. His mother even brought food out, and the household carried on as normal. When Samuel eventually raised it with his friend, he learned that the grandmother sometimes refused to wear clothes and threw tantrums whenever the family tried to dress her. They had learned to manage the situation that way. Samuel understood, but he still found it odd to let strangers witness it.

Esther*, 29, visited a colleague’s house and found her toddler chasing a chicken around the home. She initially assumed it was some special breed, but her colleague explained it was an ordinary chicken her daughter had grown attached to. The child would cry until the bird was let inside, so the family eventually gave in. Esther had many questions: did the chicken sleep in the room, and how did they manage the mess? It kept littering the floor while she was there, and she could not imagine sharing a house with it. She found the arrangement funny but also strange, remarking that there is little Gen-Z parents will not do. Sadly, her colleague told her the chicken died of pneumonia some weeks later.

Patrick*, 24, was invited to a university friend’s house during the holidays. The friend had always joked that nobody loved himself more than his father, and Patrick understood why as soon as he arrived. The living room had pillows printed with his father’s face, pictures of him everywhere and figurines modelled after him. The single family portrait sat tucked away in a corner. Upstairs, Patrick stumbled on a human-shaped figure and nearly jumped out of his skin before realising it was another statue of the father. He would like to believe it was a gift, because the thought of someone being that self-obsessed creeps him out.

Caro*, 26, spent one Christmas at a friend’s family home where several generations had gathered. She noticed the children eating on the floor right beside an empty dining table. When she asked one of them why, the child explained that only adults were allowed to eat at the table and that she would not be permitted to sit there until she got into university. Caro was uncomfortable but kept quiet because she did not want to upset her friend. She felt bad and thought about it for days.

Faidat*, 26, was in SS2 when she visited a friend and went to use the outdoor toilet at the back of the house. On her way there, she came across what looked like a cow’s or ram’s head mounted on a stand and smeared with what appeared to be palm oil or blood. The sight was so dark and frightening that she could not bring herself to look at it properly. She sprinted back inside and made an excuse to leave. When she saw her friend at school later, she casually asked what the object was for. Her friend said the family prayed to it because it helped guide their prayers to God. It was a shocking discovery, to say the least.

Shehu*, 49, visited an old friend in Niger State a few years ago. The friend had always invited him over and promised to take good care of him, and he lived up to that promise. The food was delicious, especially the fish served when Shehu arrived. He enjoyed it so much that when it was served again the next day, he asked how it had been prepared, since it was unusually soft and succulent. That was when his friend revealed it was snake meat. Shehu immediately started retching. As a Muslim, eating snake is haram, and his friend knew this. He was also surprised because he was not familiar with people eating snakes in that part of the North. After that experience, he became much more intentional about what he put in his mouth and always asks questions when in doubt.

Chinanza*, 21, will never forget an awkward encounter from a visit to a friend years ago. They were watching a movie when she sat on a chair that looked really comfortable. Her friend immediately froze, but when Chinanza asked what was wrong, she said nothing. Later, her friend’s father came out of his room and shouted at Chinanza for sitting on the chair. Apparently, it was his personal chair, and his daughter had been too scared to tell her. The friend looked visibly shaken, and Chinanza felt so awkward that she moved to another chair. She had never seen someone react so strongly to another person sitting on a chair in their own home.

Wale*, 25, travelled to a city last year and planned to stay with a cousin. He was excited because the cousin often flaunted pictures of his apartment online, and it looked like one of those Lekki Airbnbs you would never want to leave. But nothing prepared him for what was inside. The entire house was a mess, and the kitchen smelled rotten. He tried to overlook it until he opened the cupboard in the room they would be sharing and found a dirty, water-soaked towel sitting among his cousin’s clean clothes. He was disgusted. His cousin also had a cat that littered everywhere, with droppings even on the bed Wale was supposed to sleep on. The worst part was watching his cousin sink into the bed as if it were completely normal. Wale barely survived the night and found another relative to stay with the next day.

Angela*, 29, has a family friend who treats their dog like one of their children. The dog has its own chair in the living room and eats the same meals as the rest of the family. Angela thinks it is cute, but she still cannot get used to it.

Johnson*, 32, 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 Johnson thought the display was cute, he was also a little horrified and could not stop thinking about how openly intimate they were. What made it even funnier was how unbothered his friend was. She acted as though it were completely normal, and he guessed that was where her own touchy-feely personality came from.

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