NIGERIAN TRAVELLERS DECRY EXTORTION AT KENYA AIRPORT

The short message app twitter was on Sunday agog with Nigerians recounting their extortion and ill treatment at the Jomo Kenyatta international airport by the country’s immigration and police.

Many Nigerians lamented the unfair profiling and exhibition of xenophobia by the Kenya authorities, sharing many horror stories of detainment for endless hours for refusal to part with hundred dollar bribes.

Deportation, loss of connecting flight, and daily hounding of Nigerians especially in Nairobi are said to standard routine.

‘I was held for close to three hours before one of them (immigration) asked me to pay fifty dollars, so I won’t miss my flight’ says Godfrey Nwannekah
Another Nigerian Micheal Enema also recounted his ordeal ‘Yes, they brazenly ask for money at the point of entry in their airport in the name of money for tea.’

Instances of planting drugs on Nigerians also came up, so they could be extorted.

Labeling authentic document like the yellow card as fake was recounted as another means of extortion. Nigerians living in Nairobi are not also spared, with frequent burst and arrest going on every time.

Whilst some Kenyans apologize for the conducts of their authorities, many supported the practice, saying many Nigerians living in Kenya are known to be in the illicit businesses, and are flamboyant.

‘…My colleague and I were singled out to be searched by their security operatives, they later apologize after sighting our ID card and reasons for coming to Kenya’ Segun Ojo says.

Arising from the frequent embarrassment at the Kenya airport, Nigerians on the short message app called on the government to help restore the dignity of Nigerian passport and to interface to stop the frequent occurrence.

https://thegomagazine.com/2022/03/13/nigerian-travellers-decry-extortion-at-kenya-airport/