Outrage As Nigerian Customs Officer Is Caught On Camera Demanding N5,000 From Airport Passenger For Having Luggage

December 12, 2023

NEWS

Photo Credit: Screenshots from x

ANigerian customs officer has been caught on camera demanding N5,000 from a passenger at the airport before his luggage would be released.

In the video, the customs officer is heard telling the passenger to pay the sum of N5,000 before she would allow him to pass with his luggage                                

The passenger who was willing to offer only N1,000 said the customs officer did nothing for him to deserve the money she demanded.

The officer who didn't hide her face is overheard saying: "Give me N5,000,” but the passenger replied, “I no get.”

"Okay, bring N3,000," the customs officer said but the passenger again said he didn’t have the money.

Then she asked: "How much do you have?"                The passenger then gave her N1000 which she rejected. The passenger is heard saying, "I no carry market, na foodstuffs I carry. I no dey give you money." The passenger then turned to another passenger and said, "I give am N1,000 but she said she would not collect."The customs officer is then seen moving the passenger’s luggage to a corner, suggesting she was going to delay him if he refused to offer the amount demanded.

The passenger is overheard shouting, "Mama, where you dey carry the bag go now? Leave am here. Mama, stop I don't want to be rude here."

She replied, "Rude ke, rude na, rude. Why are you giving me N1000? You give me N1000, for what?"

She further said, "Go ahead, what you sow is what you will reap. Go ahead. How can you give me N1000, for what? I will not collect anything less than N4,000 from you."

Many Nigerians have expressed outrage on X over the action of the female customs officer attached to the airport.

However, SaharaReporters could not ascertain the day and airport where the incident occurred.

Reacting to this, an X user, Mac said he spent around N30,000 at the same airport because she was carrying foodstuffs.

“Spent around 30k sorting because I carried foodstuffs.. from the entrance they beg till you sit for plane. Just manipulating people because they know you will not want delay and miss your flight. Just give them and move on cos if you dey find justice na online he dey not offline. Make we dey manage the country, tho i no dey naija but make we dey manage am like that,” Mac wrote.

“Terminal 2 airport, omo you must drop something or you miss your flight,” another user, Medina Jabar wrote.

“People wey comot my pepper soup and fried rice spice because I no drip money Mad people,” Olabami Akande said. 

However, another X user, Police Advocate, said the issue of bribery among Nigerian law enforcement agencies could be blamed on socio-economic problems in the country.

“There is a systemic problem in this country. This is the same customs service with fairly better salary package among law enforcement agencies. We saw the voluntary group, the constabulary also requesting for bribe in a video. Let's not pretend, there is a bigger problem,” he said.

Adewale Damilare with X account @dammygtnet wrote: ".@nigimmigration kindly look into this. Recently when I visited LOS they asked me for money but I gave no Kobo to any of them.

"At times, they only ask but not with force, if you feel like giving them, of course, the onus lies on you."

@medina_jabbar wrote: "Terminal 2 airport, omo you must drop something or you miss your flight.."

@KDTrader1999 blamed the situation on non-payment of adequate salaries to workers in Nigeria.

He wrote: "See let's be honest with ourselves. If we dey these people shoes, we go do the same. Instead of attacking the problems, let's attack the cause of the problems which is the Ogas at the top. If these people are earning enough they won't reduce to this level just to make extra money.

"If nah me and you do am, we go call am smartness and sharpness, we go even mock our colleagues wey no gree do am and say they aren't smart but as per say nah others, we go put on our holy cap and judgement cap and tell how they are the cause of our problems in Nigeria, forgetting they are all citizens like us who are still facing same hardship we are all facing, increasing prices of goods and services still affect them too.....let's attack the Ogas at the top making the laws affecting them and us."

Reacting on the video, the Public Relations Officer of Lagos Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin expressed doubt that the customs officer would be sanctioned.

Replying to a tweet, he said, “Are you sure about that? I’ll keenly watch. Tag me if something consequential happens.”