It has been argued that Nigerians are among the most harassed and harshly treated travelers at foreign airports outside their homelands.
Over the years, many Nigerians have expressed their dissatisfaction over how they were singled out among the crowd for scrutiny and interrogation on their arrival at airports in Europe, America, Asia – their crime, they carry a Nigerian passport.
Not so much have been heard about such experience in Africa, but it seems the nation is gradually losing prestige among other African nations and the story of this Nigerian traveler who recently travelled to Liberia, a West African country proves so.
A Nigerian man Agbeja Ifedapo took to Twitter to narrate the inhumane treatment he received at the hands of airport officials on his arrival at the Robert International airport, Margibi, Liberia, not because he is a criminal, but just because he is a Nigerian passport holder.
He said Nigerians were been treated like criminals and specially screened with all their luggage scattered over suspicion that they may be smuggling hard drugs into the West African country.
He said during his interaction with an official, he was told that the harsh screening Nigerians are being subjected to at the airport was due to the attitude of some Nigerians who are among those being frequently arrested at the airport for smuggling drugs in their luggage.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, Ifedapo wrote:
“A lot of Nigerians were treated like criminals yesterday at Robert International airport, Margibi, Liberia. Drug enforcement agency stopped Nigerians randomly coming out of the airport, drove us to their office, poured our stuffs on the floor and searched us.
“Being a Nigeria makes things difficult!!! Yesterday morning 15/06/2019, I tweeted about some rogues who were loitering around Air Peace counter (in the check-in barricade) and begging passengers on flight P47566 (Lagos – Liberia) to take some luggage for them.
“I also mentioned how a young guy who was behind me on the queue agreed to take some luggage for them to Liberia and I intervened & I made sure the young guy did not take any luggage for them. I believe these guys are always there because I have met them thrice this year.
“Each time I request to the supervisor at the counter and I report this same incidence well, the supervisor each time apologise and tell these guys to stay outside the barricade.
“Our flight landed at the airport around 10:50 am GMT. After Immigration clearance my passport was seized while I was coming out, no question. The guy just greeted me & when I replied, he asked for my passport and I was told to join some other guys at a corner.
“I asked those standing why they seized our passports, one man in his mid 40s just said, that is what they do to Nigerians here now o. Few minutes later, our passport was handed over to another guy and he ordered us to follow him. They put us in a car and drove us to their office.
“We were handed over to a guy who introduced himself as the head of sensitization. He asked us basic questions & another guy came to search us. We searched one after the other They checked our boarding pass to know the number of luggages we have.
“The poured all the stuff of the first guy on the floor, he had green tea, they cut it open to confirm it was green tea, they got a screwdriver to open up a brand new keyboard. They should just dogs to detect this instead of spoiling people’s stuff.
“When it was my turn to be searched, I requested that I remove my laptop before they pour the content of my bag out, while doing so the guy searching saw a notepad in my bag & asked where I got it, I told him its for my organization.
“He brought out his phone and showed me a picture, he asked if I know the person. Me: Of course, that is my CEO (inserts name). So, I was treated like a VIP ‘criminal’ and my stuff was not poured out but removed one after the other. At that point I was able to ask questions.
“Officer: My man, I am sorry this is happening to you but it’s an order to search you guys when you come in, your people run a drug cartel here. Last week while searching a young lady” we noticed she already hid one of her bags and came out with just 2 bags while she had 3.
“We retrieved the 3rd bag from the airport & this pikin had drugs in the bag, fine Nigeria pikin that I already loving” I asked about the guy begging. Apparently dude came in with bags for whoever &the bag could not be found, so he has to somehow produce these bags to be searched.
“When I was done, he took me to the Chief & told him that nothing incriminating was found on me. The Chief interrogated me further & said a lot about how guys come in with drugs and feign ignorance. I told him about what I noticed at
@flyairpeace ‘s counter in Lagos .“He smiled and said, he knew I will defend my brothers. I just had to keep quiet before he thinks I have anything to do with the drugs found. We have several Nigerians in prison in Liberia for several drug related offense. A good number of them might be innocent
See his tweet:
A lot of nigerians were treated like criminals yesterday at Robert International airport, Margibi, Liberia. Drug enforcement agency stopped Nigerians randomly coming out of the airport, drove us to their office, poured our stuffs on the floor and searched us.
A THREAD!!!
— Agbeja Ifedapo (@Ifeagbeja) June 16, 2019
