beeke:

Last year wen i left to SA i almost encountered such if not for GOD's mercy i culd have missed my flight and i get to realize how dump some of this officers can be and am very sure that those guys who indulge in such act have d backing of some corrupt senior officers, i got my visa direct from d embassy in ABJ and every other doc i had with me was genuine

Cant really blame them. So many people with the intention of travelling to SA to go and hustle make the attempt using fake SA visas or fake visas to neighbouring courntries around the South Africa (with the intention to get into SA by road).

funkybaby:



If you are lucky to go undetected and get into the country. . . . cool. If you are unlucky, you are jailed (sometimes) or immediately deported and put in the next flight back to naija where you back to the waiting arms of the immigration peeps. 

you almost krack my ribs with dis 1

beeke:


you almost krack my ribs with dis 1

But she's kinda right i guess?
Som1 even told me u can travel
without visa provided u av d money.

He said, get to the airport and talk to dos
immigration officers and dey'l allow u fly


SHALOM

Thess things happen and unfortunately the airport and immigration staff who are there support an guide passengers cause problems for passengers who do not 'appreciate'(bribe) them. I got the 'the photo doesn't look like you' story when I travelled for the first time too but didn't give any bribes.

Last time I left Nigeria, airline staff asked me to 'drop something' but I said I didn't work and was just a full time housewife.

My advice is :

1. be confident
2. ask questions
3. don't be too friendly or too cowardly
4. don't take too much cash with you - I personally don't take more than £100 and some naira to cover porter needs and a taxi fare if my family is not meeting me at the airport. Get friends or family to book your hotel in advance to cover our first night at least - if you will not be staying at home.
5. Send the money you'll need in Naija to your Nigerian bank via bank transfer before you leave for Naija or get someone to send the money to you via western union or wire - A few extra bob expensive but saves a lot of hassle.

Discourage corrupt officials by saying 'no' when asked for a bribe!
If you don't do your bit to stop corruption, it won't stop!

seyibrown:

Thess things happen and unfortunately the airport and immigration staff who are there support an guide passengers cause problems for passengers who do not 'appreciate'(bribe) them. I got the 'the photo doesn't look like you' story when I travelled for the first time too but didn't give any bribes.

Last time I left Nigeria, airline staff asked me to 'drop something' but I said I didn't work and was just a full time housewife.

My advise is :

1. be confident
2. ask questions
3. don't be too friendly or too cowardly
4. don't take too much cash with you - I personally don't take more than £100 and some naira to cover porter needs and a taxi fare if my family is not meeting me at the airport. Get friend of family to book your hotel in advance if you will not be staying at home.
5. Send the money you'll need in Naija to your Nigerian bank via bank transfer before you leave for Naija or get someone to send the money to you via western union or wire - A few extra bob expensive but saves a lot of hassle.
Discourage corrupt officials by saying 'no' when asked for a bribe!
If you don't do your bit to stop corruption, it won't stop!

But then you end up paying transaction fee which you can save by taking the money with you. Besides western union gives a low exchange rate compared with what you ll be offered on the black market in naija.

@snowdrops

Risk being harassed and forced to part with some or all of your hard-earned cash or even worse lose it all getting robbed on your way from the airport. Up to you, mate! Calculate your risks!

Murat, what the Zap are you doing posting on NL if you really are legitimate? Heads should be rolling right about now. The immigration officers dey crase?! If I were you that airport would be on fire, literally!

When I was leaving they were actually trying to make me give them Christmas money.

Harrassment from Customs, NDLEA and Immigration has always become the norm at airports.

You don't have to give a bribe, but you can give a 'tip' if you are up to it and are willing!

Some rules:

[list]
[li]Always arrive at the airport early as recommended by the airlines - 2 to 3 hours before your flight to give you enough time to go through formalities and fight any corrupt office hurdles you might face (most of them know you are probably running late for your flight and put pressure on you to give a bribe by delaying you)[list][/li]
[li][/li]
[/list]Like someone said, be confident but polite. Being polite does not mean being stupid.
Decline request for bribes politely by saying 'not today' or 'some other time', be sure to say goodbye!!!
Know your rights and stand by them. Create a scene if you must but be sure you're on the right side of the law.

Above all, again, always get to the airport in good time!
[/list]

ezun,

u dey carry fire waka ni?

SHALOM

it has been everyday activities in the airport

I remembered my first travel, it startd with one stupid ambassador who doesn't know his job
i was denied traveling by this clawn, who said i obtained a 'C' grade visa, that they were instructed not carry anyone with the 'C' grade, to his surprise in 1 week later i got another Visa, and being the first set who obtained the country's visa here in Abuja, the ambassador said he will confirm if the country has started issuing visa here in Nigeria. It took him 11 day to do so, while my visa duration is just 14 days remaining three day. he called to say he just confirmed it. i entered the aiport boiling, shouting at evey dick and harry. Every one was pleading with me to bear with them.

after all the wahala getting to the bording track the so called immigration officer
asked for my passport and i presented it, the next thing was aaaahhhhh virgin passport,
i wanted to beat the hell outa him, and i was taken to their office, when they discovered i am NO GO AREA hey fred me with immediate effect.

but i keep imagening how they are treating people, they still keep hold of some guys passport even to 5 minuts of their takeoff, some are crying, some are shouting, some are begging

It's total madness in there

untill something happens, these morons are not gonna stop

Posting my ordeal with the Nigerian Immigration officers here has actually shown me how myopic, insensitive and if i may say stupid that some Nigerians on this forum are, but likewise there are good, reasonable and supportive ones. I didnt raise any eyebrow nor fought with the officers like many here suggested but being a reasonable person i let things good its way. I was able to meet the immigration officers to know what was wrong and to my suprise, it was mere stupidity on the part of the officers on duty on the ill fated date i tried to travel, but now i am in Sweden. Any ways thanks to those reasonable guys here!

Is there anything good about this Godforsaken country? Why isn't there ever any positive news about the country called Nigeria. Gawd damn!

Murat:

Posting my ordeal with the Nigerian Immigration officers here has actually shown me how myopic, insensitive and if i may say silly that some Nigerians on this forum are, but likewise there are good, reasonable and supportive ones. I didnt raise any eyebrow nor fought with the officers like many here suggested but being a reasonable person i let things good its way. I was able to meet the immigration officers to know what was wrong and to my suprise, it was mere stupidity on the part of the officers on duty on the ill fated date i tried to travel, but now i am in Sweden. Any ways thanks to those reasonable guys here!

Yeah, we have been waitin for you to say somefin man.
Anyways, neva say fellow 9ja guys are silly or stupid
We are all trying to fink wat cud b d cause and dat does not
mean you should come and raise abusive words on pple here.

Read thru d posts well and u'l see u even made
some mistakes with ur explanations and pple were kinda
worried and were like u must have presented fake or fraudulent
papers at the airport.

Anyways, wat realy was d main fing dey told
you wa wrong with d immigration officers and did u
take it with levity hands with them?

SHALOM

I can see that this post is already making so many would -be first time travelers jittery assuming that this is the norm. To start with, for those who are asking to know what virgin passport means - it refers a traveler who is making his first international trip. It means someone who just got his first visa and is travelling abroad (using visa) for the first time. This is usually a thing of concern to most immigration authorities not only in Nigeria as such first time travelers have a high tendency of not returning back and even becoming at large in those countries they travel to compared to their compatriots who are usual travelers.

Coming back to the topic at hand, in as much as such incidences do occur in Nigeria, it still remains an anomaly and not the norm. I also noticed that most of the complaints here are associated with MMA airport in Lagos. From my personal experience, travelling from Nnamdi Ezikwe Int’l Airport in Abuja is the best bet. All the officers in Abuja appear more professional than the ones we have at MMA Lagos. You’ll notice that all through the security checks (from immigrations, customs, bomb squad (police) and NDLEA), they appear very courteous and polite. I remember even during my first int’l trip, which was to the US, all the security officers were polite & professional; no body harassed or asked me for bribe but the only time I travelled from Lagos, a female security officer asked me for bribe. I was shocked & categorically told her that during my previous trips that I took-off from Abuja, nobody ever asked for that, so how comes that during my first trip from Lagos airport, she’s asking me for a bribe? Does that mean the immigration Service in Lagos is different from the one in Abuja? When she noticed how serious I was, she quickly said that that wasn’t what she meant oh…
Apart from that experience with the female security officer, I got delayed during the routine security checks beyond what I’m used to experiencing when I travel from Abuja. Thus, I made travelling from Abuja my preference for now.

@funkybaby

Hi. Am a silent nairalande and an active visitor on the thread you started 'UK visa appeal process'. Am curious to ask u a question.How did things finally turn out between you & your UK guy?Ironically, you were mentioning him in practically all your initial posts but nothing on him later.Was he successful in marrying a British citizen?Has he finally gotten a stay?Take care & stay well.

Ok

i have eperienced to same to at MMA. one useless guy who could bearly pronounce dollars to me i had to disvirging my pasport with $100.i simply smiled and pretended i did not understand what he meant.kobo i did not give him. let him go and disvirgin his mother.alakori

aroy1:

@funkybaby

Hi. Am a silent nairalande and an active visitor on the thread you started 'UK visa appeal process'. Am curious to ask u a question.How did things finally turn out between you & your UK guy?Ironically, you were mentioning him in practically all your initial posts but nothing on him later.Was he successful in marrying a British citizen?Has he finally gotten a stay?Take care & stay well.

Oh? Him?  That is soooooo year 2006 
Anyways, he is alive and doing very well.

Nah, he is single (wasting his time waiting and praying for me to come back)  he didn't marry any brit.  last we spoke about his status, he has post study work visa and he is through with Uni and has a good job.

any reason why you are so curious about 'us'? 

funkybaby:

Oh? Him? That is soooooo year 2006
Anyways, he is alive and doing very well.
Nah, he is single (wasting his time waiting and praying for me to come back) he didn't marry any brit. last we spoke about his status, he has post study work visa and he is through with Uni and has a good job.

any reason why you are so curious about 'us'?

Yes. We want to know if u are taken or u still accept application

justwise:

Yes. We want to know if u are taken or u still accept application

 
Yels, i have been accepting applications since December 22nd, 2009 

funkybaby:


Yels, i have been accepting applications since December 22nd, 2009

hahaha. , please tell me where i can submit my application

justwise:

hahaha. , please tell me where i can submit my application

that is quite easy and hassle free. click www.funkybaby.co.uk

on the top left hand corner, click 'upload' and submit your application.
dont forget to attach supporting documents ohh 

funkybaby:


that is quite easy and hassle free. click www.funkybaby.co.uk

on the top left hand corner, click 'upload' and submit your application.
dont forget to attach supporting documents ohh

Hahahaha. . . nice one, u be yeye woman though

justwise:

Hahahaha. . . nice one, u be yeye woman though

thank you.   


btw: shebi u said you are on frog kissing sabbatical till further notice 

funkybaby:

thank you.


btw: shebi u said you are on frog kissing sabbatical till further notice

Hahaha. . yea but frog got levels.

justwise:

Hahaha. . yea but frog got levels.

hehhehehhehehe.
you be correct guy

funkybaby:

hehhehehhehehe.
you be correct guy

only top level frog can say that

if u go to the airport early u are givin them time to harras u!!!

if they try anything

screw face and spk yoruba!!!!!!lolz

justwise:

hahaha. , please tell me where i can submit my application

eerrm

justwise:

only top level frog can say that

hehhehehe.
and only a serious, potential prince can deduce that