This is quite strange to me and I am not sure if there are people on this platform that would have had similar experience at one point or the other.
I had this client meeting that made me fly to Durban sometimes last week. While waiting to pick up my bag from the conveyor belt at King Shaka airport upon arrival, one of the security men brought in a hybrid dog (one eye was black, the other somewhat blue) to sniff around the luggages and trust me, I had no headache with that because I have seen such before elsewhere and besides, no be only my bag the dog dey smell.

I finally picked up my bag after the belt rolled around for several annoying minutes and headed straight for the airport exit, alongside my colleague from our Kenya office who we departed Dubai together on the same flight. He was also billed to attend the same meeting, also a colleague from the Nigeria office who came in much later with a different flight.

Moving along, I was stopped by one of the immigration officers while my Kenya guy wasn't stopped. The kenya guy black pass me well well, so i wasn't stopped based on skin colour. Guess it was my green naija passport that gave me away. I obliged and after narrating my mission in Durban, the guy scribbled the information on my passport on a piece of paper and afterwards, my bags and I were searched but just sparingly. Nothing found. I angrily packed my bags. Almost exiting the airport, i heard someone calling out and looked back to see another immigration officer pacing fast towards me, asking me to stop, then gestured me into another room. One would think they finally caught me with cocaine the way i was told to enter into the room

Now my fears started piling up. So many thoughts started running through my mind just in few seconds. Could it be that my colleague that came to my hotel room in Dubai slipped something in my bag, could it be my friend that stayed over at my place in Ghana a day before leaving my base hid something in my bag? Foolish thoughts though but that's what happens when you go through what i experienced.

I was in the waiting room when the security guy came in with his dog to sniff my bag. Chisos! Well, being the gentleman I am, I allowed all the rubbish and after moving around like a dog high on alomo bitters, the guy left with his dog. Then I had to unzip my bag for another manual search, this time a quick one. All said and done, nothing was found. With all the wasted time, I packed my bag once again and left.

Unknowingly, just as I was about narrating my experience to my colleague from Nigeria when he arrived at the hotel, he started lamenting his similar experience too at the same airport, that he actually went through the same thing I did. I think our green-covered passport is really under scrutiny in that country. Is this how bad our reputation is in South Africa that we go through such profiling? Or is it just natural hatred for Nigerians? Has anyone ever experienced same or similar or was it just my friend and I that were unfortunate to go through that only on that day? It is really a shame and very embarrassing.

lolaxavier:
This is quite strange to me and I am not sure if there are people on this platform that would have had similar experience at one point or the other.
I had this client meeting that made me fly to Durban sometimes last week. While waiting to pick up my bag from the conveyor belt at King Shaka airport upon arrival, one of the security men brought in a hybrid dog (one eye was black, the other somewhat blue) to sniff around the luggages and trust me, I had no headache with that because I have seen such before elsewhere and besides, no be only my bag the dog dey smell.

I finally picked up my bag after the belt rolled around for several annoying minutes and headed straight for the airport exit, alongside my colleague from our Kenya office who we departed Dubai together on the same flight. He was also billed to attend the same meeting, also a colleague from the Nigeria office who came in much later with a different flight.

Moving along, I was stopped by one of the immigration officers while my Kenya guy wasn't stopped. The kenya guy black pass me well well, so i wasn't stopped based on skin colour. Guess it was my green naija passport that gave me away. I obliged and after narrating my mission in Durban, the guy scribbled the information on my passport on a piece of paper and afterwards, my bags and I were searched but just sparingly. Nothing found. I angrily packed my bags. Almost exiting the airport, i heard someone calling out and looked back to see another immigration officer pacing fast towards me, asking me to stop, then gestured me into another room. One would think they finally caught me with cocaine the way i was told to enter into the room

Now my fears started piling up. So many thoughts started running through my mind just in few seconds. Could it be that my colleague that came to my hotel room in Dubai slipped something in my bag, could it be my friend that stayed over at my place in Ghana a day before leaving my base hid something in my bag? Foolish thoughts though but that's what happens when you go through what i experienced.

I was in the waiting room when the security guy came in with his dog to sniff my bag. Chisos! Well, being the gentleman I am, I allowed all the rubbish and after moving around like a dog high on alomo bitters, the guy left with his dog. Then I had to unzip my bag for another manual search, this time a quick one. All said and done, nothing was found. With all the wasted time, I packed my bag once again and left.

Unknowingly, just as I was about narrating my experience to my colleague from Nigeria when he arrived at the hotel, he started lamenting his similar experience too at the same airport, that he actually went through the same thing I did. I think our green-covered passport is really under scrutiny in that country. Is this how bad our reputation is in South Africa that we go through such profiling? Or is it just natural hatred for Nigerians? Has anyone ever experienced same or similar or was it just my friend and I that were unfortunate to go through that only on that day? It is really a shame and very embarrassing.

I was in king shaka airport last year and never experienced anything of such. I came in through joburg. The only thing I sensed was that you have to be very nice when speaking to their staffs otherwise.......

mayor2013:


I was in king shaka airport last year and never experienced anything of such. I came in through joburg. The only thing I sensed was that you have to be very nice when speaking to their staffs otherwise.......

Guy na so I see am o. For say na only me, i go feel say na just one random occurrence but my other guy went through same.
I went directly from Dubai.

years ago i was traveling to Coasta Rica and i was pulled aside at New York to be searched and when we were leaving Coasta Rica i was pulled aside and hand searched in front of everyone. so your experience is everywhere as long as you are carryin that green pali

omega25red:
years ago i was traveling to Coasta Rica and i was pulled aside at New York to be searched and when we were leaving Coasta Rica i was pulled aside and hand searched in front of everyone. so your experience is everywhere as long as you are carryin that green pali

Truth is I was actually pulled into a room again when i was finally departing South Africa though this time, only the details of my passport were written down and they asked some annoying and irritating questions before allowing me to go. It is quite an uneasy feeling. People will start staring at you like as if you've been caught with marijuana.

May God help Nigeria to recover its lost image and also we citizens of Nigeria anywhere we are all over the world, should please try and uphold the image of the country +vely.

Truth be told, our image has been battered by some useless Nigerians. Honestly, I don't blame some people who go all out to get the citizenship of another country. That green passport na wahala.

OlowoB:
May God help Nigeria to recover its lost image and also we citizens of Nigeria anywhere we are all over the world, should please try and uphold the image of the country +vely.

Truth be told, our image has been battered by some useless Nigerians. Honestly, I don't blame some people who go all out to get the citizenship of another country. That green passport na wahala.

Not funny at all.
To an extent, i wouldn't blame all these countries. We sef no get good image out there. Na everywhere we dey always commit one offence or the other.

lolaxavier:


Guy na so I see am o. For say na only me, i go feel say na just one random occurrence but my other guy went through same.
I went directly from Dubai.

there is your answer man! it is a favorite drug courier route for many cartels, especially naija people.

Moving along, I was stopped by one of the immigration officers while my Kenya guy wasn't stopped. . . Guess it was my green naija passport that gave me away. I obliged and after narrating my mission in Durban, the guy scribbled the information on my passport on a piece of paper and afterwards, my bags and I were searched but just sparingly. Nothing found. I angrily packed my bags.

Almost exiting the airport, i heard someone calling out and looked back to see another immigration officer pacing fast towards me, asking me to stop, then gestured me into another room

obviously, they werent going to let you go without a fight, sorry for the humour.

Lord have mercy.

itstpia8:


obviously, they werent going to let you go without a fight, sorry for the humour.

Lord have mercy.

Abi ooo...yeye pipu

Next time have the meeting in Lagos and save yourself the embarrassment.

otokx:
Next time have the meeting in Lagos and save yourself the embarrassment.

What is dis one saying

As long as your carry that green passport, you will be searched

Its just the way it is.

moonraker:
As long as your carry that green passport, you will be searched

Its just the way it is.

We made it that way.

Qualer:


there is your answer man! it is a favorite drug courier route for many cartels, especially naija people.

The pulled me apart instantly without checking opening my passport first. The guy only collected it, wrote down details from the biodata page and started his questioning.

lolaxavier:


We made it that way.

And that *My friend* i dont dispute...

Maybe Nigerians are on a watch list at the moment.

Kenyans reputation far surpasses expectations in as far as i can ever remember compared to Nigerians tattered image. Most Kenyans are classified according to their activities in certain countries of their visit. Its either business, sport activities, work or purely leisure. Nigerians are mostly suspect due to rampant indulgence to illegal activities related to drug trafficking, 411 scams, money laundering & cheap scams.

Kenyanstar:
Kenyans reputation far surpasses expectations in as far as i can ever remember compared to Nigerians tattered image. Most Kenyans are classified according to their activities in certain countries of their visit. Its either business, sport activities, work or purely leisure. Nigerians are mostly suspect due to rampant indulgence to illegal activities related to drug trafficking, 411 scams, money laundering & cheap scams.

Guess you are not far from the truth anyway.