The night I nearly died in Woolwich and the one thing that saved me

2009, my first year in this country. I was sharing a flat in Woolwich with two other nurses, working nights at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. One evening I finished late, around 11pm, and I decided to walk home instead of waiting for the bus. Big mistake. Two boys stopped me near the estate, one of them had a knife. They took my phone, my purse, everything. But here is the thing that saved me, I had my NHS ID badge in my pocket, not in the bag. When they saw it, one of them said 'she's a nurse' and they just walked away. God is faithful.

I got home that night and I could not stop shaking. I called my mother in Ibadan and I did not tell her what happened. I just said I was fine. That is what we do, we protect them from the truth. But the lesson that night was clear, do not walk alone at night in a new country. Learn the area first before you start forming brave. E no easy for a woman alone in London.

Now when I see new nurses coming from Nigeria, I tell them, your life is worth more than the bus fare you are trying to save. Take the bus. Take the train. Do not let pride put you in danger. That night taught me that this country can be kind but it can also be cruel if you are not careful. Have you ever had a close call that changed how you move?