Godfrey Bivbere
2 August 2008
HARASSMENT of Nigerians travelling around the West African sub-region by the nation's neighbours took a turn for the worst recently when five Nigerian citizens returning to the country from Mali through Benin Republic, were subjected to humiliating scrutiny at the Cotonou airport.
The Nigerians isolated from about 50 other passengers, were taken to a room within the airport and their passports taken from them before being subjected to about one hour of scrunity.
One of the passengers, Mrs. Donu Goodman, who spoke with Diplomatic Discuss, explained that they were subjected to single goods search after ignoring them through out the course of the search. Mrs. Goodman who works with an international agency, said "The police made it clear...first of all they said we should wait and we all had Nigerian passports. Later they said they wanted to double check our cargoes, our suitcases our luggages and we were given a single item search individually."
She noted that it was until the end of the humiliating ordeal that they were told that they were acting on information that a Nigerian onboard that flight was bringing in some illegal item. According to her, "it was later that they told us after our complaint about being singled out for such search while other passengers were allowed to go, "they said they heard word that somebody with a Nigerian passport or persons with Nigerian passports maybe travelling with illegal substances."
The Nigerians who were made up of four males and Mrs. Goodman, were belittled that they wondered why they should be subjected to such treatment. She said there was need for the federal government to begin to take matters concerning citizens of the country seriously because the level of maltreatment of Nigerians is becoming worrisome.
On why follow West African neighours continue to maltreatment Nigerian citizen she said, "I don't know. But the assumption maybe that they seem to feel that we are less virtues citizens, I really don't know." She said there was need for "government to begin to sensitize our West African colleagues and brothers and sisters that we do feel isolated, abused and exploited when we are separated and singled for such treatment.
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