VIDEO: Lady detained in UK over Nigerian Pharmacy slang

A Nigerian woman residing in the United Kingdom, identified as @shakels95 on TikTok, has shared her shocking experience of being arrested over a misunderstanding of Nigerian slang.

According to her, the incident occurred at a pharmacy where she had gone to purchase medication for her husband. While on a phone call with him, she unknowingly used the term “drugs” instead of “medications,” which sparked concern among people nearby.

In the video narrating her ordeal, she said, “I got arrested last night and detained. Now, I am going home. So, yesterday, I went to the pharmacy to get some drugs for my husband. When I was done, I called him and said, ‘I got the drugs, I got two drugs for you. When you use them, you’ll feel strong.’”

Unaware that “drugs” is commonly associated with narcotics in the UK, she continued her conversation, not realizing that people around her were alarmed. Moments later, police officers arrived at the scene, suspecting that she was involved in illegal drug activities.

Watch the video below;

https://x.com/DAMIADENUGA/status/1886520383781691771?t=_qWqVDO20bq-9HEUF9bNrw&s=19

Despite her attempts to clarify that she was referring to over-the-counter medications such as Ibuprofen, the officers remained unconvinced, leading to her detention. “When they came, they said, ‘We heard there are drugs.’ And I was like, ‘What drugs?’ This is what I was talking about,” she said, displaying the medication she had purchased.