[b]British immigration officials are alleged to have subjected some Nigerian women to dehumanising treatment, stripping them in the guise of security screening.

The women, our correspondent learnt on Monday, were among passengers on Emirates flight EK 0015 to London on August 5, this year.

The flight left Lagos on August 5, made a stopover in Dubai and arrived Gatwick on August 6.

But after the passengers disembarked, some female immigration officials randomly picked some Nigerian women and ordered them into a room where they were reportedly stripped.

One of the affected passengers who narrated her ordeal to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, for fear that she might be stigmatised, said she and her colleagues were compelled to take off their clothes and underwear while the officials used security gadgets to frisk them.

She said, “Immediately we were taken into the room, we were compelled to take off our clothes. We protested but they threatened to deport us if we failed to co-operate.

“But they were not even satisfied with that. They ordered us to also remove our undies and brassieres. They then started to frisk our private parts and breasts with security equipment.

“I wept profusely but the officials were unmoved. They said they wanted to be sure that we did not conceal hard drugs in our bodies.

“At a point, one of them knelt down, asked me to open my legs wide while she looked deep into my private part. It was dehumanising and I felt as if I was raped. I felt ashamed as I dressed up and left the room. I regretted the trip.”

The woman, who is her 30s and married with children, said she and the other women were later released after nothing incriminating was found on them.

When contacted on the matter on Monday, an official of the Public Affairs section of the British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. Dele Oladokun, promised to reach the relevant officials and then get back to our correspondent.[/b]

She said, “Immediately we were taken into the room, we were compelled to take off our clothes. We protested but they threatened to deport us if we failed to co-operate.

landis:

They should have stuck to their point of NOT undressing.

It is that simple; NO OFFICIAL can force you to do anything against your wish.

they did not want to get deported at that point. . . not after spending a lot of money in buying tickets.

landis:

well they have nothing to complain about: they agreed to be 'searched'

No law court we compensate them so long those who searched them were FEMALE.

cased closed.

They were under threat of being deported, that's why they agreed.

KarmaMod:

and what does the Nigerian government instend to do about this?

Mustay:

MAYBE THEY'LL RAISE 100 MILLION KOBO TO GO TO LONDON AND LAUNCH A PROTEST

At a point, one of them knelt down, asked me to open my legs wide while she looked deep into my private part.

femiify:

i think this story is untrue, and let me justify why i say that
1, immigration officials don't carry out searches for drugs, its the customs officers.
2, immigration officers will not threaten foreign nationals with deprotation if they are not searched.
3, how did the know that these women were nigerian nationals.
4, both internal and external drug searches can be easily carried out without you taking off your clothes
5, and even if they are going to strip you naked, a consent form is signed stating that you agreed to the search and not a deprotation threat. common peps this is europe where noone is above the law. even immigration officials they can be sued and arrested.
6, we all know the press excalate stories sometimes.

folahann:

They were under threat of being deported, that's why they agreed. This is so sad in the 21st century

They should have stuck to their point of NOT undressing.

I believe she was strip-searched, yes.

But, I doubt it happened the way she said.
And, as for the official kneeling down to look up into her, that's rubbish!

People have been known to get stripped for searching, if they're suspected of carrying drugs, it's not new, and not limited to Nigerians.
Jamaicans and Turkish travellers are sometimes stripped, how often do we hear them moan?
Nigerians have a tendency to over-exaggerate things, and embellish the actual facts, hoping to gain public sympathy and support.

They had a choice to refuse, if they didn't want to be searched.
The other option was to get back onto the plane, and be returned to Nigeria.

1luvkipsus:

Why? What if they have drugs hidden in their private parts? Lets not be sentimental here please. The British Officers don't hate Nigerians, its just that we are so crooked and decietful.