Lagos — He is simply called Ochonma and his genre of music is Higlife. A Customs and Excise officer he represents a class of musicians who are determined to ensure that Highlife as a genre of music must not die.

And so when he walked into our office last Wednesday, our initial thought was, he had come to talk about his new album. But it was a different issue that brought the Umuahia, Abia State-born musician into our office.

He had come, according to him, to "share the humiliating experience I suffered in the hands of officials of Air France Airline."

"It's about Air France Airline. I bought a ticket from them on the 13th of June 2008 to travel to Washington, DC. As I was buying the ticket, they told me that there was no need for me to bother about a transit Visa through Paris within that period.

And when I got to the airport on the 13th of June, I was checked in to fly to America. Ordinarily without a transit visa, they wouldn't check me in but because they'd assured me of a transit visa, I was checked in. So when we had a stopover at Paris, nobody asked me of any transit visa."

But it was a different story Ochonma disclosed when it was time for him to return to the country.

"We got to America and I went out to do my business. After which I headed back to the airport on the 10th of July 2008 to take my flight back to Nigeria as I was supposed to have the opening concert tour for my new album. To my greatest surprise when I got to the airport, they refused to board me."

"Bewildered, I started asking the officials what was wrong and they said that I needed a transit visa. I tried to explain to them that back home in Nigeria when I bought the ticket, the airline gave me a waiver on the transit visa, as I'm a regular flier with them.

But they insisted on not boarding me and immediately cancelled my flight and referred me to the French Embassy", the soft-spoken musician lamented.

And did he find succour at the Embassy? No. Instead he was given an appointment to come back on July 21 which was two weeks after his proposed concert and promotional tours.

"They told me to book an on line appointment and I followed their instruction only to realise that the nearest date of appointment was on the 21st of July, 2008, 2 weeks after I should have gone back to Nigeria. I became frustrated and somebody advised me to go to the French High Commission and talk to them personally to see if they can give me concession knowing that I'm going for my show which I've invested a lot of money in.

On getting there, I became more frustrated because they didn't even allow me into the compound despite my threat to lie across the road and be killed if they don't attend to me. They only said I should wait till 3.pm to see if anybody will attend to me. I waited and waited but nothing was forthcoming".

Continuing he said, "I had to go to the Nigerian Embassy and on getting there I was faced with more surprises as I realised that the Nigerian Embassy is not a place where a Nigerian can run for shelter for they will rather kill you than save you when someone is chasing you. They sent their security to send me out even when I tried to explain my situation."

Were there other options? Ochonma cried out No. "I had checked out of my hotel and had used the little money I have left to give out to people whom I felt needed the money, so I was left with just twenty dollars.

I had no other choice than to be sleeping in the cold, at the Washington airport like a destitute until the third day when I ran into an American soldier who identified me as a musician he met at Sunny Okosuns wake-keep in Maryland, America and he was shocked to see me in that condition.

Hungry and battered by cold, I explained everything to him and he took it upon himself to get a visa and another ticket for me with Ethiopian Airline. And that was how this good Samaritan assisted me to come back to Nigeria. A journey that was supposed to take just three days I ended up spending five nights as a destitute."

And so what is his next line of action? "Now that I'm back I need to claim that return ticket from Air France and also I've lost a lot of money in the concert that I missed. Apart from that, I've gone through a lot of physical and mental torture. So I'm now seeking redress as I have gone to the people's lawyer Festus Keyamo to help me seek redress from Air France.

I have been made to understand that is what they have been doing to other Nigerians, deceive us here that there's no need for a transit visa, make us buy their tickets only to frustrate you over there in America.

I know they can't do this to citizens of other countries, but they do it to us because they know that nobody is ready to speak up or fight back. I'm going to take it upon myself to fight for every Nigerian they have messed.

If they don't settle me, I will lead a protest march against them in this country and I will make sure I frustrate them. If they feel they can be treating us anyhow then I'm going to prove them wrong and I guarantee that their airline will be closed down in this country".