British Man Visits Afghanistan, Claims He Had A Fling With A Taliban Member

A 30-year-old British man's account of an 11-day trip to Afghanistan, including a supposed romantic encounter with a Taliban terrorist, has ignited curiosity. According to the New York Post, Toyosi Osideinde's adventures began two years ago when he fell in love with "extreme tourism". Since then, he has visited 69 countries, including Iraq, Syria and Belarus. It was in 2023 that he decided to prepare for his ultimate "dangerous and thrill-seeking" experience. The 30-year-old, a financial adviser from Bath, recounted his journey of crossing borders into one of the world's most dangerous regions - Afghanistan. 

Toyosi Osideinde admitted that the experience was unlike anything he had previously encountered. He revealed that he flew from Somerset in the UK to Islamabad in Pakistan. He then drove to Peshawar, where he entered the embassy to be interviewed by members of the Taliban decked with heavy machine guns, he said, as per the Post. 

In Afghanistan, the 30-year-old visited tiny villages and sprawling markets. He even claimed to have a fling with a member of the Taliban. 

"The trip was such an eye-opening experience. One of the things that astonished me the most was when I was in a bank, I saw a woman working and wearing makeup. I then started seeing more and more women in the streets and in the markets who weren't covering their faces. "It turns out that whilst some things about Afghani women are true, like having to draw out of education at a certain age, women are still allowed to do things they were doing before the Taliban takeover," Mr Osideinde said. 

"You're kind of like a celebrity - the locals will follow you for miles. I would have people following me for two hours just to get a photo with me. Some kids wanted me in their YouTube video. Even in the bank I'd get to skip the queue. I was a celebrity, I did not want to leave," he continued. 

Mr Osideinde further revealed his romantic and sexual encounter with a Taliban member. He said that a security guard at his hotel, who was also a Taliban member, became his lover. "I ordered some takeaway and he brought it up to my room. I noticed that he kept coming back every five minutes to see how I was," Mr Osideinde said. 

"At a certain point, I just asked if he wanted to come in and watch a movie. We shared some food and kept on talking. Stuff happened after that and we kept seeing each other every day. The Arabs love to flirt with men. They love me - I was obsessed," he added. 

Mr Osideinde said that he felt safer with his security guard. "In the evenings we would watch Gossip Girl. He would love showing me his guns. We have spoken since I came back but after some time I had to let it go. The moment I left it just didn't feel right - It was just a fling," he said.

Mr Osideinde visited three provinces in Afghanistan: Kabul, Nangarhar, and Bamyan. The trip cost him nearly $5,300 in total. Speaking of his entry interview while crossing Afghanistan, Mr Osideinde said, "I was sat there thinking, 'this is the end - what have I done?" he said. Eventually, the 30-year-old said he was allowed to cross "the most dangerous border in the world" on foot.

"I felt like I'd be transported to a third world. I can't even describe it. There was so much going on - machine guns everywhere, you could see the Taliban. There were so many people trying to cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan. You could see people begging on the streets, people pulling each other and others trying to rip each other off," he recalled. 

"Everywhere you go there's Taliban. You can't take a step without the Taliban knowing exactly where you are at every single point in time. I was used to this already because it was the same in Syria but this was at a new level. At least in Syria, there is protection - in Afghanistan, there is no Embassy. If something happens to me, I am on my own, there is nobody to protect me," he continued. 

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On his way back, Mr Osideinde said that his passport was taken off him at the border and he was not allowed to cross as he hadn't printed off his visa. "I had machine guns pointed at my head, and was interrogated 24/7. When you try to leave the country, you are put on a list - you are seen as a 'terrorist'. There are questions are to why you are in the country, and why you want to leave it," he stated. 

After leaving Afghanistan, Mr Osideinde said he spent two days in Pakistan. "There were so many points during the trip where I was like: This is it - you made your bed, this was stupid and now it's time to die," he said. 

But despite the risks, the 30-year-old remains committed to "extreme tourism". In a few weeks, he will be getting on a 26-hour bus from Latvia to Ukraine. He also has plans to move to the country of Georgia next month.

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