DedeNkem:
I travel a lot, that's why I know what I'm talking about, than you who's defending the corrupt immigration as*sholes. You probably work there or someone close to you.
I don't encounter problems of corruption at airports in Europe or other African countries.

Do you travel in those other African countries as their citizen or as an expatriate who is pampered by the Airport agent/facilitator of the organization?

They are all thieves. The guy that hold news paper on the table where your luggage is being checked is the one collecting the money, he would ask you to slip it in between the newspaper. They are disgrace to this nation. Something must be done about them even the civil defense at the entrance and those under the bridges. They do not have pride at all.

smithsydny:
I done catch you justi.. u dey here

zoomzu:
They are all thieves. The guy that hold news paper on the table where your luggage is being checked is the one collecting the money, he would ask you to slip it in between the newspaper. They are disgrace to this nation. Something must be done about them even the civil defense at the entrance and those under the bridges. They do not have pride at all.

How many civil servants being paid on the N18,000 minimum wage scale is able to live on such a miserable salary that is often owed several months by the:

- 774 LGAs
- 36 states

while a 25 year-old ATTENDED secondary school LGA Councillor receives N300,000 from us for doing nothing.

We the 200 million mumu citizens of this country are the ones who are a disgrace to our nation for letting such wage DISPARITY between real workers and political jobbers exist, don't you think?
If any of us Nigerians has any pride at all, we should ensure the wage difference between real workers and political jobbers is COMPARABLE to those in the countries where their immigration officers do not extort money from harassed travelers, right




www.nairaland.com/attachments/3084794_DumbPeople_jpg287f2b4d3ead2f536f99f92cbca9c590

Yes it is bad.

My understanding is that MOST of the workers at the airport need to extort money from travelers and send to the ogas at the top and then the monies is shared.

If you don't return enough. You will be removed from the airport and posted to some remote post.

Corruption by government workers worse than politicians.

Sad country. A true mess.

Well said. This is most needed.

When someone resists bribe taking, other people sometimes chastises the person for being difficult.

They will even tell you "this is Nigeria O. This is how we do things here "

kunlegboye:
Seriously i see an overwhelming reactions from Nigerians here today!...But i'm of the opinion cant Nigerians come together one day to stage a protest concerning this?...that way ,the necessary authority will be aware.Often time why our country is like this is due to our collective fault.We do endure it and move ahead y our unborn children still meet the same thing...We should all know that nothing happens by magic other country fought for their own freedom at one point!!

Immigration officers are thieves. It is an eyesore that you have to even pay for cart trolley at the airport. Everywhere in the world it is free. We must stop this.

HungerBAD:
Lol.

My own experience.

2 years ago I rushed into the Country, and since I was using a Visa, got stamped in but did not check how long I was stamped in for.

I just thought it was 3 months, as it is obtainable in most countries.

Usually I never stay for more than 10 days in Nigeria.

I spent 32 days, and on my way back. Was surprised when the Immigration woman told me to step to one side, and that I had over stayed my Visa with 2 days, so therefore I am an illegal immigrant in Nigeria.

I nearly fell down laughing. Me wey be confirmed Lagos guy, na me these guys wan obtain.

at the end of the day 20k Naira exchanged hands. If you see Handout wey them bring make I fill and sign say I be illegal immigrant and don overstay? I begin beg.

Last year I was prepared. This time I had a Nigerian Passport.

On my way out. Was asked for my Nigeria passport, I said excuse me please but I am leaving.

They said they needed to see it, to verify how I came into the country before stamping me out.

I gave it them. I was told again, oga step go this side. Wetin again? We cannot read your Nigeria Passport in our system because your bio data chip is scratched or broken.

So, we cannot stamp you out. Thinking I am smart, I said but I still have another I year of Nigeria visa on my other passport, use that to stamp me out.

she said no, you were stamped into the Country with a Nigerian Passport.

I started begging again. Two straight years of begging, and she refused and demanded for 50k.

50k I asked? She said yes. I asked her, abeg una get mat? She looked at me like is he high? I said madam bring mat, I no wan travel again. I wan sleep here, since that 50k go hard.

Eventually they succeeded in taking 2k from me. No matter how prepared you are at our Airports, they know how to get you.

wao!, that wao epic. The one that delayyed my flight to SA last time had it pretty rough with me. I organised my personel to arrange her Bleep up and had to talkto her on phone my self. I told her if I see my name any were , na gbege b dat o. My boys kept her in her bribed purchased car for over 6hrs under one of the bridges in f c t.. She beg tire and started weeping. Her phone was seized sharp sharp make She no for cal and baga.

I must have to tell my own story. My first time of traveling, I went to this immigration guy to stamp me out. He finds out that am a first timer. He also noticed that we are from same tribe. He plainly told me to find something for him now or! I calmly told him I have nothing with me. He said ok that I should go inside the office and see their oga. He thought that I would be intimidated. I went inside. They asked me to seat down. The oga and another one asked me where ai was going, what I want to go there to do, bla bla bla. After answering all question well, the said they need to see my visa. I showed them. They asked for invitation. I showed them. Now they said I need to show them BTA. I brought it out, counted it and put it back. It was a complete 1000 dollars and they had nothing to do to me. They latter said that the invitation I have was not signed well. I told them that the embassy used same invitation to give me visa. They where speechless. They asked me to give them something, I told them my money is finished. They said they take dollars. I told them that my BTA has already be budgeted. After sometime, they let me go knowing full well that am a bad market and may cause others not to give them something. I again went for the same immigration guy to stamp me out. Because I refused to give something, he once again referred me to NDLA. I was prepared cause I have everything and my brother motivated me never to give a cent. I went there to meet one woman. She told me plainly to give her something. I said I don't have. She said I should step this side. We were two referred there. The other person a girl gave her 500 naira. I claim I don't have naira only dollars. The woman said they eat dollars. I said its budgeted. She delayed me for some minutes and gave me back my passport. Once again, I came to the table of this same guy who refers me to others to stamp me out. He looked disappointed and sluggishly stamp me out. I laughed and walk pass those bad ppl. I notice they are after first timers and by the time I came back for the stamp out from the NDLA, the office is full and money was exchanging. There is need to put cameras there

[quote author=Goldenboy007 post=40697212]Till Jesus comes back that is the way Nigeria will be, no be curse! Because we Nigerian are all the same except for the very few.
When I was leaving the country, I went through the Nigerian system to get my documents cleared. I went from National Population Commision, to Local Govts, to Hospital, to Immigration, to Police, Airport officials, to Customs, to Lecturers, University employees, Student, Motorists, ...all of them bunch of unrepented hardened criminals! We Nigerians will complain of others but what we do in our own capacity is worse !!!
Even in the US, the only time you will have issues is when you need a document from Nigeria .. Passport renewal, Transcripts and Certificate verification, Job reference from Nigeria, Background check, BVN, and so on. The day you will truly be free from Nigeria is when you get your foreign passport, foreign work experience and foreign qualification. And if God permits, file for all your extended family members. God help those of you that cannot

My experience:
I arrived Nigeria August ending with an American passport that had a visa on it. There was this lone female officer that meet you on arrival. Immediately I showed her my passport, she asked for a yellow fever form. In all my traveling I have never heard of that. I also had a expired Naija passport on me.

I told her am not aware of such documents. So she pulled me to the side and attended to foreign visitors. Some gave her money, and others showed what was supposed to be the document. I was determined I was not going to pay a dime or kobo to enter my father"s country and the country of my birth.
She then said I should do the right thing so I can go. I said,"mam, am not the first to arrive here without the document, so what is your protocol." She said she would take me to the clinic to get a shot and I will be delayed for 3 hours. Am a practicing medical officer, I was happy that she talking at my comfort zone. I told her, "ok, let go." When she realized I wasn't going to bribe my way in, she eventually let me go. Something must be done with these officers who are not upright.

handie:
Sometimes, I just wish Buhari is still a soldier and not a democrat.... Now, he can't do anything without the courts(courts that are. Populated by corrupt officials). If na that time, the immigration officials won't even dare ask for bribe and if given, they'll decline. Biko can our constitution be suspended in corruption cases?

Are you serious about this? It doesn't occur to you that your suggestion if implemented can in turn be abused and use to deprive people of their legitimate right? When I hear people advocate military rule, I laugh. You definitely must have belong to the indomie generation. You definitely wasn't around when Nigeria was under military rule; if you were, you wouldnt wish we return there. The military (Buhari inclusive) destroyed and corrupted our system. Buhari military government was full of human right abuse. Nigerians actually rejoiced when he was overthrown then.

nija imigration self, that was how i was harrased my first time, when they saw that i wasnt ready to give dem a dime from de dollar i was with, after speaking a lot of yoruba that i dont understand they finallly collected 1850 naira dat i was with. first timers are always the target. yeye imigration people.

adewasco2k:
what a coincidence, a friend missed his flight today just because he was asked to pay them $200 and he refused.

like seriously this is becoming something alarming

Sorry, Was he early to the check in? Was he a first timer?

[quote author=ATERI post=40700269][/quote]

Its the sad truth, corruption is endemic and the system breeds it faster than mosquitoes.

claremont:
I still don't understand why/how immigration can seize the passport of a traveler who hasn't committed an immigration offence. How is that possible?! I know some of the immigration officials are corrupt, but surely, they can't just seize a passport with a legitimate visa.

Then you obviously have never experienced them before.
It is on record that our immigration officers at Lagos use $100 to disvirgin a passport.

My uncle who just returned from US had the same experience. They request for money from travellers or else they will be delayed.

Pangea:

Na usual na!
Any time I pass through that place and see them taking advantage of young and first time travellers, I laugh.
Those green horns too dont help matters, because they always look guilty as if they have done something wrong.
I myself, sometimes feel as if they are using fake papers.
Confidence is the key, these custom people can smell the fear on you and then will latch on like sharks tasting the blood in the water.

Imagine
One useless airline officer told one time my visa was fake.
I started laughing,
The way I yab am that day enh?
He quickly cleared me.
Awon Olofo!

same happened to me in 2011. I was going to KL for a training. The airline staff told me my Malaysian visa was fake while we were boarding for a South African Airways flight to Johannesburg. Well I was then based in Angola so was only in Nigeria on holiday. He said the visa was not embossed. I told him he doesn't know what he was saying because if he had cared to check the visa well he would have seen that the said visa was issued in Namibia and not Nigeria. He thereafter handed over my passport to me.There was a young guy who from the way he was begging him was obviously a first time traveler.

Never had serious issues with them...
When I approach them, I usually greet them with their name and a little smile..
"Good morning Mr Tunde" and just some pleasantries.
I have never been asked for BTA...
If they even ask for money the way I just laugh n say
"Oga Tunde, wetin dey happen for cat house dey happen for pussy house"
"If you get time you go wait make I give you my own story"
"You think I enjoy these trips?"
I will just be laughing and talking randomly..
Most times they just say go... For their mind I be time waster

I am an immigration officer and I want to say this, and quote me.No immigration officer,no matter how greedy he/she is, can conveniently seize a passport belonging to a Nigerian without the said Nigerian committing an immigration offence.
Sometimes, some Nigerians are funny,they don't have the requisite valid travel documents which can enable them to travel abroad, yet,they would want to travel at all cost.To the ignorant folks,the passport you claim that's its yours,isn't yours.You are only a holder. The passport is an exclusive property of the Federal government of Nigeria and can be withdrawn from you at any point without prior notice if you violate it usage,and the government agency responsible for both the issuance and withdrawal is NIS.I know many Nigerians just hold passports without reading the caution note on the inside back page of it.
So my dear op,kindly ask the concerned Nigerian if her travel documents were valid at that time.As a matter of fact people beg immigration officials to collect bribe from them once they are told that they don't have valid travel documents, so in this case, might be that the passenger involved didn't have valid travel documents, yet she still wanted to travel by all means. Is the immigration staff a father Christmas?
lol, LAST DAYS PASSENGER.

HungerBAD:
Lol.


Eventually they succeeded in taking 2k from me. No matter how prepared you are at our Airports, they know how to get you.

They collected 2K in their mind "This brother ready to sleep here, e no get work oh" Please just get away make we see road

Mackson01:
Immigration officers are thieves. It is an eyesore that you have to even pay for cart trolley at the airport. Everywhere in the world it is free. We must stop this.

Mr traveller, are immigration officials also responsible for cart trolley at the airport?.

Pangea:

Na usual na!
Any time I pass through that place and see them taking advantage of young and first time travellers, I laugh.
Those green horns too dont help matters, because they always look guilty as if they have done something wrong.
I myself, sometimes feel as if they are using fake papers.
Confidence is the key, these custom people can smell the fear on you and then will latch on like sharks tasting the blood in the water.

Imagine
One useless airline officer told one time my visa was fake.
I started laughing,
The way I yab am that day enh?
He quickly cleared me.
Awon Olofo!

Reading your signature, I'm moved to tears and a little laughter by the stark naked and shocking truth your signature holds. I get the same feeling remembering a scenario concocted by an imaginative and sad mind, of a slave who had been indoctrinated to believe he deserved the lashes handed down by the master and must therefore bow in appreciation for the "correction".

erimmy:

I am an immigration officer and I want to say this, and quote me.No immigration officer,no matter how greedy he/she is, can conveniently seize a passport belonging to a Nigerian without the said Nigerian committing an immigration offence.
Sometimes, some Nigerians are funny,they don't have the requisite valid travel documents which can enable them to travel abroad, yet,they would want to travel at all cost.To the ignorant folks,the passport you claim that's its yours,isn't yours.You are only a holder. The passport is an exclusive property of the Federal government of Nigeria and can be withdrawn from you at any point without prior notice if you violate it usage,and the government agency responsible for both the issuance and withdrawal is NIS.I know many Nigerians just hold passports without reading the caution note on the inside back page of it.
So my dear op,kindly ask the concerned Nigerian if her travel documents were valid at that time.As a matter of fact people beg immigration officials to collect bribe from them once they are told that they don't have valid travel documents, so in this case, might be that the passenger involved didn't have valid travel documents, yet she still wanted to travel by all means. Is the immigration staff a father Christmas?
lol, LAST DAYS PASSENGER.

...but you people will ask for bribe to allow the offender travel?

Pangea:

Na usual na!
Any time I pass through that place and see them taking advantage of young and first time travellers, I laugh.
Those green horns too dont help matters, because they always look guilty as if they have done something wrong.
I myself, sometimes feel as if they are using fake papers.
Confidence is the key, these custom people can smell the fear on you and then will latch on like sharks tasting the blood in the water.

Imagine
One useless airline officer told one time my visa was fake.
I started laughing,
The way I yab am that day enh?
He quickly cleared me.
Awon Olofo!

Naso my bro, confidence is d key... For local airport sef dem worse pass
Na so one yeye woman wan milk me for MM1 like dat.
My flight was supposed to be 10am tru Arikair to kano, after scanning my boardpass, na so d yeye officer wan check my hand luggage, say dem supposed cargo am ni, dat I no suppose carry d bag as hand luggage cz I put cream nd makeup inside, I con ask her say d cream go make plane crash ni abi wetin, she con say make I find something for mummy, I say I no get change naso she con dey swear for me o, as I raised d alarm like dis, other officers con discharged me. I just warn d woman to mark ma face and never stopped me again in her life. Dos ppl can be so frustrating enh....kai

Mackson01:
Immigration officers are thieves. It is an eyesore that you have to even pay for cart trolley at the airport. Everywhere in the world it is free. We must stop this.

You also pay in some US airports.

I once fall a victim to those fools.....100dolls....mehn I no fit cry.....no b my fault na JJC cause am

erimmy:

I am an immigration officer and I want to say this, and quote me.No immigration officer,no matter how greedy he/she is, can conveniently seize a passport belonging to a Nigerian without the said Nigerian committing an immigration offence.
Sometimes, some Nigerians are funny,they don't have the requisite valid travel documents which can enable them to travel abroad, yet,they would want to travel at all cost.To the ignorant folks,the passport you claim that's its yours,isn't yours.You are only a holder. The passport is an exclusive property of the Federal government of Nigeria and can be withdrawn from you at any point without prior notice if you violate it usage,and the government agency responsible for both the issuance and withdrawal is NIS.I know many Nigerians just hold passports without reading the caution note on the inside back page of it.
So my dear op,kindly ask the concerned Nigerian if her travel documents were valid at that time.As a matter of fact people beg immigration officials to collect bribe from them once they are told that they don't have valid travel documents, so in this case, might be that the passenger involved didn't have valid travel documents, yet she still wanted to travel by all means. Is the immigration staff a father Christmas?
lol, LAST DAYS PASSENGER.

What you might have wrote might be correct for some cases but am sure it is untrue for 85% of the cases. The immigration officers I meet most times at the airport are extortionists. They fight for the money. For complete documents or not. They harass you to the point that you wouldn't want to come back to Nigeria. Just a lot of petty thieves in Uniform. I have never travelled without proper documentation but still they won't let you rest with their various formats of extortion. One case was when one of them asked me to produce a letter from the embassy that the visa that was in my passport was really issued to me (can you imagine)

otokx:


Sorry, Was he early to the check in? Was he a first timer?

His flight was for 9:45am he was in the airport since 6am

Yea, his first time