By Tunmise Adekunle, 11.29.2007
THISDAY Investigations

If you are a Nigerian business traveller to South Africa, you have to tread, or rather, fly with caution. You may lose all you have to a specialised robbery syndicate in Johannesburg as soon as you arrive.
THISDAY checks revealed that in the last two weeks, no fewer than seven Nigerians have been victims of this syndicate that has attacked over 50 Nigerian business travellers in the last few months.
Dozens of Nigerians are also said to be daily harassed and subtly threatened by immigration officers in South Africa whenever they arrive aboard a Nigerian airline.

The syndicate is believed to include a strong network of immigration officials who allegedly leak the information provided by Nigerians on their landing cards to the robbers.
The information usually contains the addresses the Nigerian visitors would stay on their trip. The cash declaration form also provides sensitive information with which the syndicate works.

Sources say the attacks on Nigerians are not unconnected to the fact that Nigeria travellers[b] carry huge sums of money on their trips[/b], and they are easily identified by the airline on which they arrive the country.
It was also gathered that the robbery is hatched during the immigration check of these travellers, and by the time the traveller is through with declaring all currencies and valuables, he/she leaves the airport only to be attacked by armed men who dispossess them of their valuables.

Folake Mumuni, a British Airways staff in Johannesburg, is one of the latest casualties, while Kaliko Olowole, Managing Director of ZK Advertising, Nigeria; Yinka Folami, Group Account Director, Insight/Grey Advertising, Nigeria; Kehinde Tejumola Idowu, a model; Deji Longe, electronic installer and consultant with Multichoice Nigeria on DStv; are a few of the casualties who have recounted their experiences to THISDAY.
Most victims would want to remain anonymous for security reasons.

THISDAY also gathered that most of the victims are robbed of all their belongings, including luggage and international passports.
Some victims have had to come back to Nigeria with their travel certificates, while some others are stranded in South Africa because they have no travelling documents to return home.

Mumuni’s experience happened about two weeks ago when she went to Johannesburg. She was reportedly trailed to her house in River Club, Johannesburg, where she was dispossessed of all her belongings, including her Nigerian passport, by three armed men. Though, she confirmed the incident to THISDAY on phone, she could not give a full account of her ordeal because she was about boarding a flight out of Johannesburg when THISDAY spoke with her.

Olowole was attacked on September 30, 2007 when he went on official assignment. According to him, “I got to Johannesburg on that fateful Sunday; my friend came to pick me to Midrand. As we were getting home, we just saw a car behind us then somebody jumped off the car, pounced on the security man at the gate, pointed a gun at him, while the other two well-dressed guys followed us in and held us hostage. I parted with all my belongings including my international passport, which they later returned to me. They are mean South Africans”.

Another victim is Folami, Group Account Director, Insight/Grey Advertising in Nigeria. He was attacked on July, 15, 2007 when he went to Johannesburg for the production of the Gulder Lager commercials.
Folami recounts: “I went to Johannesburg to tidy up the post production of Gulder television commercial with our production partner in South Africa, Red Dot Production, which is run by Chris Briggs. We arrived at Johannesburg at about 5.50 am and I called Chris, who sent his driver to come and pick me. We left the airport at 7.20 am for Protea Wanderers Hotel, Ilovo. After ten minutes of my arrival at the hotel, Chris came in hugged me and before we knew anything, a man hit him at the shoulder and when he turned back, he wanted to fight him. You know most white guys South Africa have military training.
“But as he was about doing this, another emerged from no where with a gun, cocked it and pointed it at Chris’ stomach, telling him to lie down or he would be dead. By that Chris lay down and told me to do the same with his driver. They took my entire luggage, my laptop, my Nigerian international passport and every other thing I had on me. I had to come back with a travel certificate issued by the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg”.

The experience of Idowu is not totally different, only that as at the time of writing this report, she was stranded in South Africa due to lack of travelling document to come back to Nigeria. According to the student of the Lagos State University who spoke with THISDAY from South Africa, “when I arrived Johannesburg on October 6, 2007, it took two hours for our luggage to be cleared and by the time we were through with that and the immigration checks, I left with my friends, Adebisi Showemimo and Waribi Martha that came to pick me. At about 8.45 am around Ilovo mill, a car came from no where and three guys came out of the car and pointed their guns at us. They asked me to open the boot, we did and they took my entire luggage, my money, my international passport, while they also collected bags and other valuables from Adebisi and Martha. As I’m speaking to you, I do not have even a travelling document to come back to Nigeria”.

THISDAY also gathered that three Nigerians came back to Nigeria with travel certificates issued by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, because they had also been victims of the airport robbery syndicate.
Marketing Manager of Virgin Nigeria, Seun Shoyinka, who was on board, confirmed the predicament of these three Nigerians. According to him, “I cannot confirm their names now until I lay my hands on the manifest for that day”.

There was also a story of three managers of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) who were on a training trip to South Africa about three months ago. They were followed to their hotels and stripped of all their belongings. They reportedly came back to Nigeria with travel certificates.

Another victim, Deji Longe, volunteered to speak with THISDAY. He is an electronic installer and consultant with Multichoice Nigeria on DStv installations and repairs.
His own ordeal was on September, 23, 2007.
“I got to Johannesburg at 6.30 am and we were not cleared early enough. The robbery happened at around 8.30 at Park More, Sandton. We were trying to locate our destination when a car with three guys emerged in our front. We reversed and they drove towards us. We were forced to stop and the guys came out of this car with guns. They collected 10,000 US Dollars from me. My laptop was taken; my passport snatched and other valuables. I had to come back to Nigeria on travel certificate.”
Longe confirmed that “once you declare your currencies and valuables at the airport, they follow you and unleash terror. The worst is that all complaints made to the police authorities in South Africa have produced no result. They claim they are hindered.”

The South African High Commission in Nigeria refused to comment on the issue when contacted by THISDAY.
Officials said the High Commission would soon address a press conference over the issue.


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