Nairalanders, what can we do about hose customs folk at their table who check your luggage just fore you check in at the airport. They always ask for bribes and are very open about it. this is even if you don't have anything in your cases that rouses their interest. Once upon a time, i would laugh and joke with them when solicited but nowadays it embarrassing and disgraceful as a seasoned traveler to and from Nigeria to have this experience all the time. There was even an occasion when i was asked for money right in front of a film crew who were at the airport on other business. I just had to admonish the lady who was telling me to discretely pass her some "egunje" so the transaction was not captured on film, what can we do about thieving and shameful idiots?

Guy,

the thing dey wonder me so ooo. Very embarrassing. And why the heck would air force troops be at an airport checking your bags too? No rhyme and reason, man.

My guy sorry but bo.if u get just give dem something dey continue on your own,otherwise when dem devils enter dem and dem wan yawa passenger,ol boy na ALL OF DEM wey dey duty (customs,NDLEA,IMMIG,etc)go dey look for means to hussle or harras you.Dem fit even plan put contraband for your carry on,without u noticing, na so i dey give dem,sometime 1k sometime even sef 5H.just smile and say "una do well o,MANAGE dis for your coke".
some peeps may feel offended at my revelation but its da GLARING truth and if u dont want drama,jeje comply.They can be nice too sometimes u know.

Why are there too many people in uniform at the airport engaging in activities that bring bad image to the country, i think there must be some proper coordination to stop all these people harassing passengers.
What a shame.

its pathetic but we cant do anything about it.

i was there too on Friday to see my sister off to Dubai, i was embarrassed the way and manners those guys are doing things on that there table. they actually requested for 5,000 naira bribe because my sister had her bathing soap and other toiletry in her bag, but as she was trying to decline they were trying to plead because she was already handing those things over to me , they were now pleading and begging eventually after the persistence begging of my sis she eventually gave them 2k for weekend. For me oo i dont think those guys really worth it  

Those custom officers are sickened with bribery. I couldn't hold my patience than to let hell loose in July. I got so angry that I had to cause a scene at their table stand. These custom officers demanded N2000 from me after screening my luggage. When I asked them why I had to pay them N2000, they ignored me. I insisted they tell me why I had to pay. The most senior non uniformed officer said that the N2000 was for inspection. I asked him if he was not on salary generated from airport taxes. I grabbed my luggage and sent it to the airline for check-in.

Fellow travellers, please my humble message come advise to all regular travelllers is to help caution these custom officers. Please they will not hurt you. Do not give them any money again. They look intimidating but talk loudly so that other people there hear you and be your witness. They get intimidated when they know that other passengers are hearing you talk to them.

Next time, I am on that route, I will make sure I have my pocket pen camera to capture their activities.

sley4life:

its pathetic but we cant do anything about it.

we can't do anything about it because the system encourages it.

I remember my last time at MMA, after searching my bag, the lady said "oya settle now", i replied "I no get money i be student".
She said "and so what? no be person wey get money they go school for uk, abi why you no go yabatech or laspotech  

I really laughed out loud cos she was so funny, I just gave her the last naira note with me.

These officials live not on the salary but the uneccesary airport tax they impose unofficially. I have always given them a little something with my bags untouched not because I have something to hide but because of the approch taken to request for these 'gifts'.

I believe it is easier to say give them nothing, but it is he who wears the shoes that knows where it is tight. There salaries cannot give them the basic needs.

Now, what happens when u decline to give them bribes or better still ask for receipt b4 u pay?

Its laffable but, they ask because we give.

Ha my broda,if na salary issue bone o.Dem salaray good and e regular well well.Na Federal Civil Servants dem be.In fact, "i hear " say to even dey duty for departure,you've got to receive "blessing and approval" from the senior ogas and arrange for your routine "RETURNS".im telling you.No be small thing o.So if you wan complain,then the question is to who?hehehehhee unless u fit declare "civil war"for airport,shout and make gragra, dem go later tell u "dey go, stingy man/woman"But d thing be say once you give one,e go reach others too.Na so.Hmmm Naija.

Egunje is a logo on them. keep safe.

last time i argued with one of them, he promised to show me pepper, and took me downstairs in the underbelly of the airport, where they stripped me naked and checked my ass, scanned ma belle and things, i really dont know what to do with them, luckily for me, the guy they left me with, after the first check turned out a junior of mine in secondary school - he was even more embarassed than me, and apologised for ever

i still keep arguing with them sha,

waziriu:

These officials live not on the salary but the uneccesary airport tax they impose unofficially. I have always given them a little something with my bags untouched not because I have something to hide but because of the approch taken to request for these 'gifts'.

I believe it is easier to say give them nothing, but it is he who wears the shoes that knows where it is tight. There salaries cannot give them the basic needs.

says who?

jidewin:

Ha my broda,if na salary issue bone o.Dem salaray good and e regular well well.Na Federal Civil Servants dem be.In fact, "i hear " say to even dey duty for departure,you've got to receive "blessing and approval" from the senior ogas and arrange for your routine "RETURNS".im telling you.No be small thing o.So if you wan complain,then the question is to who?hehehehhee unless u fit declare "civil war"for airport,shout and make gragra, dem go later tell u "dey go, stingy man/woman"But d thing be say once you give one,e go reach others too.Na so.Hmmm Naija.

This is the whole truth

Those corrupt and disgraceful vermins are present at both the departure and arrival points. It is the sorry level to which corruption has ascended in Nigeria that uniformed men, from policemen to customs officials, unabashedly demand for bribes and gratification.

Personally, I do not think we should indulge them regardless of the justification that some people have put forward in the guise of poor remuneration or condition of service.  It is because people looked away that they have become embolden like this.  They used to do it more discreetly but they are now very confident in asking for filthy and disgraceful kickbacks.

While I won't encourage going into fisticuffs with them because you are in a hurry and they are in a position to frustrate you using their office, the best way to fight them is using intelligence and technology.

Let people begin to use hidden cameras to record these people (with their names and tags) - policemen, customs and immigration officials - and post their disgraceful acts on the internet (e.g. YouTube) if the local stations are too timid to air them.

Let's name and shame them!

sley4life:

its pathetic but we cant do anything about it.

Country people, we can't afford to fold our arms oh. These people will go and on if the situation is not fought at all. Our journalists too should be at the forefront of this type of crusade instead of lazily reporting recycled news from press releases and conferences.

If you give them, na from your mind. If you tell them say you no get them no go kill you. Na those drug baron introduce all this shit. The major problem is lack of scanning machine, if they have such thing in place, then i don't see reason why they should search your luggage, except your hand luggage. Our government is dead and nobody is ready to revive or put the correct thing in place. GOD help Naija

Na only customs, how about the immigration officials/customs who request bribe in other for one to receive items sent through DHL.

Those guy "customs/Immigration" stationed at DHL office at International airport are national disgrace!

I calculated it from the door to the plane around N5000

Police at the door to let my brothers in N500
My suitcase slightly overweight N500
Immigration Officer looking at my PP N1000
Immigration Officer scanning my hand luggage N1000

Thats how much I paid last year, so I calculated N5000 to give them this time around, but I because a friend of mine who is a member of the US Army raised his voice on the calling the custom officers a bunch of thieves! Practically they didnt ask anyone until that guy was out of site,

Ladipodeal:

Na only customs, how about the immigration officials/customs who request bribe in other for one to receive items sent through DHL.

Those guy "customs/Immigration" stationed at DHL office at International airport are national disgrace!

true talk
i remember once when i was in murtala Mohammad airport
i was approaching the table in trepidation
kos loads of people had said bad stuff about the Nigerian custom and immigration people
so i didn't know what to expect
when it was my turn to my surprise i heard them speaking in Hausa,so i just listened and waited for them to finish
basically in translation they were saying this one looks rich oh( meaning my suitcase) and they were expecting loads of money
i just looked at them and when they had finished i greeted them in Hausa
and asked how was their day
they immediately smiled and said oh this is one of ours
and because of the good banter i just gave them N20,000 to share
my bags weren't opened at all

^^^^^

Did u mean to write N20,000 or N2,000?

blank:

^^^^^

Did u mean to write N20,000 or N2,000?

I ask the same question.

blank:

^^^^^

Did u mean to write N20,000 or N2,000?

I am sure he wrote 20,000 because the comma is well placed.

toyemz:

true talk
i remember once when i was in murtala Mohammad airport
i was approaching the table in trepidation
kos loads of people had said bad stuff about the Nigerian custom and immigration people
so i didn't know what to expect
when it was my turn to my surprise i heard them speaking in Hausa,so i just listened and waited for them to finish
basically in translation they were saying this one looks rich oh( meaning my suitcase) and they were expecting loads of money
i just looked at them and when they had finished i greeted them in Hausa
and asked how was their day
they immediately smiled and said oh this is one of ours
and because of the good banter i just gave them N20,000 to share
my bags weren't opened at all

Sorry to say this, but it is people like you that make it difficult for others. Why on earth should you part with such money, whether 20k or 2k? When you get to the US or Europe, regardless of how nice the banter is with the officials at the airport, will you give them 50 dollars or pounds?

If you have such money to part with, then i assume that you should be in the position to SAY NO to them and stand your ground. You should be 'big' enough to tell them politely, that you dont have any money to give to them. Simple and Short!

they got me crying some time ago. I can never forget that experience. Its bringing tears to my eyes at the moment. IT IS A SHAME

Nigerians, you unconsciously encourage these thieves, when a custom official asks you for bribe, Tell him straight that it is wrong and that you have no money to give him, don't let them intimidate you cause they know for a fact that it is wrong in the Airport for that matter, if they try to do shakara, raise your voice a little, try to call the attention of others to what is going on, trust me.by the time the majority of travellers do this, it would discourage them from asking people for bribes, and there is no justification, some of are yanning opask that they are not well paid, what a load of crap, some of them spend their summers abroad too, (like say we get summer for here sef)

To get from the airport door to the aircraft door, be ready to spend at least 15k

Is it just those guys? The predicament is all the way - check in; passport control and boarding. I give if im in a good mood otherwise no tata for yan yan. . .

the thing is one of many reasons we are hopeless in the state called nigeria. this is the biggest airport in the country, an international airport for that matter and the only functional international airport. it just shows the limit of ABOMINATIONS PDP HAS COMMITED in the process of ruling nigeria. the airport is partially a marked, they even ask you to price the bribe charge.
the massege of pastor tunde bakare is clear here. corruption cannot be divorced from violence. how can the same securitymen at airport check when you carry bomb, since they only interest iis to be collecting bribe. our education systerm is also a scam centre. our road is full of the same criminals in uniform
anybody giving this criminals at the airport 1 kobo is an idiot, yes if you have ever given them 1000 naira you are an idiot, "it takes an idiot to be ruled by fools" pastor tunde bakare.

@ toyemz,
20,000 Like seriously? Walahi, U sud b punished! Kai, smh

thank God, i hv purchased a small key chain spy cam. am gonna expose their sorry miserable asses!, they harassed me early this january, blatantly asking for money, in the glare of everybody, i really felt ashamed to be a nigerian, and  they werent  too polite  too!!, very rough crude and coarse, GO HERE!!!, COME  HERE, OYA MOVE!!!!,  they all bellowed  at returning passengers?

i learnt its a crime now to carry more than 3 laptops  when returning from abroad, that they will confiscate 1 laptop if found!

The attitude of the custom officials at MMA is quite embarrassing but they are products of our corrupt system. Every uniform person in Nigeria that directly interacts with the public is corrupt, call it police, custom, immigration, prison service, road safety, lastma, yellow fever, etc. The system is so bad that sometimes you dont know whether to blame them or overlook them. What the eye sees in Nigeria can cause heart-attack. Remember the unscrupulous ones amongst us like it this way! Seriously, we need a new Nigeria!