Lady Shares Harrowing Airport Experiences Due to Nigerian Passport Stigma

• A Nigerian lady recounted her distressing experiences with airport customs, showing the harsh treatment given to her
• She described being subjected to invasive searches in some countries and "randomly selected" for extra security checks
• She highlighted the systemic bias against Nigerian travellers, depicting the need for fairer and more respectful treatment of all travellers

Alma Asinobi, a Nigerian national, has shared her distressing encounters with airport customs authorities, attributing the treatment to the low international reputation of the Nigerian passport.

Asinobi narrated several incidents where she faced undue scrutiny and delays solely because of her nationality.

"I stood there for hours before I was ‘specially attended to.’ This emergency patriotism you people want to do, hmm," she remarked, highlighting the unnecessary wait times and heightened suspicion she faced.

Recalling a particularly humiliating experience in one country, Asinobi described being subjected to an invasive search:

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"When I showed my passport at customs, they were close to stripping me naked to look for what I don’t know. All the while, people are passing by and looking at you up and down, wondering what drugs you must have been caught with," Asinobi said.

Watch the video below:

Legit.ng compiled some of the reactions below:

@McCartney000 said:

“The moment i notice they want to start profiling me, i get defensive and start answering them rudely too. Highest is that you deny me entry and i go back home. Sometimes they feed on our docility and think we cant do anything because of our skin color and thinking their country is doing us a favour.”

@saintedwin wrote:

“As much as you want to react rudely, I have to say sometimes it helps and sometimes it backfires. I once heard of a story of someone who was placed on interpol watchlist because an immigration officer just didn't like the way he talked back at him.”

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@AmiableFesty commented:

“You right, The first and only time I experienced something similar happened right there in Nigeria at MMIA with delta airline,they wanted to move mad because I got to the boarding gate late,I stood my ground and made sure I delayed the plane for 30mins b4 they received sense.”

DrAsogwaC:

“U just took it from me, normal me with my clean things will not allow you to ask me to step aside, u must complete my check once u have called me. All these fear is not necessary u are spending ur hard earned money…if ur clean and u know your write , don’t be desperate nonsense.”

@ljinad:

"The best response so far. As am approaching you, am already looking cocky & looking disinterest in your profiling. You'll be profiled, maltreated, disrespected cos of your skin colour/nationality, instead to face it up. You start crying about one bad passport and bad leader."

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Lady breaks silence after flying business class

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a lady shared her experience travelling on an Air Peace flight from Lagos to London Gatwick.

In a video she posted on TikTok, the lady revealed many aspects of the flight which she enjoyed.

One of the things she enjoyed during the flight was the food served her. The lady, @thedessliving said she was first given a menu to make her choice.

In another development, Legit.ng also reported the experience of a lady who paid N886,600 to fly to London Gatwick Airport with Air Peace.

Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng