Father Christmas from 'Norway' lands in Edo
Benin City got an early dose of holiday cheer on Tuesday when the Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) received Santa Claus at the state’s airport — “all the way from Norway”.
EBS’ “Norwegian” Santa was unmistakably black and arrived with a single paper bag, a very experienced costume, and the kind of beard that had clearly survived several festive seasons.
“So much, so much… not to let the cat out of the bag, but so much goodies all the way from Norway,” the Father Christmas said in an accent that reeked more of Nigeria than Scandinavia.
Santa’s touchdown at the airport also raised a few logistical questions, mainly because the facility handles only local flights. How he managed the long haul from “Norway”, before hopping on a domestic flight to Benin, remains unclear.
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The footage showed the EBS team escorting Santa through Benin City’s crowded streets as he distributed gifts. A handful of adults could be seen scrambling for presents.
Father Christmas also visited schools to deliver gifts to excited pupils.
At the EBS station, staff welcomed him while dancing to the tune of ‘Feliz Navidad’.
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Sulaiman Aledeh, EBS managing director, said Santa particularly “asked to come to Nigeria because these are interesting times for the people”.
“We have a government in Edo state that is a people-friendly government. And he (Santa) said ‘all over north pole, they said look, let’s go and be a part of the shine agenda and that is why Father Christmas is here,” he added.
Aledeh invited residents to swing by the station and soak up the Christmas cheer.
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