This is a cry/fight for Justice.Please do not say it is too long...READ IT....You could be the next victim if care is not taken.Please pass this on to the relevant authorities to investigate...OMG...This is soooo wrong!.
On Monday the 11th April 2016, I walked into the Nigerian immigration service office in Abeokuta with my personal assistant around 11 am. I met a man who directed me to the entrance to meet one Mr Ogunnaike nicknamed "Authentic".
He was to be approached for the passport renewal. Mr Ogunnaike, therefore, told me that a day service for receipt was N28,000 for a 32-page passport and it would be ready by 4 pm the same day. I obliged but asked that I saw a banner downstairs stating a lower price.
It was explained that that was not for same day express service. Another young man in mufti appeared and asked us to follow him to a small room close by to the main reception where people sat on wooden benches. I obliged and gave him the payment of N28, 000 and asked for the receipt. He asked me to wait and will be back for the receipt. On coming back, no receipt was issued but he told me to wait but first to follow him downstairs to get my passport photos taken as I did not have any.
After collecting the passport photos, the young man said to move upstairs and that I should speak to Mr Ogunnaike for the receipt. I did and he told me that it would be given later on but I just needed to sit down at another end of the same floor for an interview. He mentioned that his role was over but the receipt and other documents will be handed over to me at the interview spot.
We waited for some more hours and around 3 pm, I was called into a room for a brief interview, I asked again for the receipt but was told that there was none but that the blue slip handed over to me will serve as a proof of payment and that I should ask for any other thing at the next room where a picture capture will take place.
My assistant and I waited until around 4.05pm and I went over to ask about taking the capture since we were told that 4 pm is the closing time and that I had not been attended to at all. I was told to wait still.
After 10 minutes, I walked into the capture office where fingerprints and photo capture would take place and spoke to the man who appeared to be the most senior based on the epaulettes on his uniform.
His name, from his name badge, was "Umoh." I spoke to Mr Umoh about my plight explaining that I do not reside in the area but needed to travel out of Abeokuta early the next morning and will appreciate being attended to. Based on my plight and explanation that I had been there for over five (5) hours, and was told that I would be finished by 4 pm, he asked me to sit on one of the six seats in the 'capture room.' I sat on seat no 6 and people were directed up for capture from positions 1-6 in chronological order.
After about 15 minutes of sitting, I moved to no 1 seat and the next five seats were filled but those were taken up for capture while I sat on waiting. One of the officials walked in around 30 minutes after and said, "Oh, you are still here" to which I responded, " Yes sir, others who have come in after me have been attended to but not me" . On hearing this, Mr Umoh became furious and screamed " get out of here now. I was going to help you but you are complaining". I tried apologising that I had waited for at least 45 minutes in that tiny room but didn't mean to upset him. He kept screaming that I leave the room which I did.
I stood then along the corridor where some other people like myself stood when a man in white linen-like shirt came close and started screaming " didn't you hear that you should leave this place? Get out of here now". The man appeared chocolate in skin colour with a very low cut but with a semblance of grey hair. He was of slim appearance and about 5 ft 10inches in height (Later got to know his name as Mr Olatunji). I said, "please don't shout at me, sir. I have obeyed the officer to leave the room and you shouldn't shout at me since you are not an officer yourself".
At this juncture, another man, a lot younger, about 35 years of age in appearance, lanky, dark man of a height of around 6ft 2-4inches with a bit of hair although low cut came around and joined in to tell me to shut up. That I am a woman and have no right to talk back to a man. I then said, "I am not a criminal and will leave" but the older one in white top screamed that I should shut up and obey before complaining.
I didn't understand what was going on as I was totally perplexed as to why these two men decided to harass and scream at me in such a manner. I was still saying " I am not a criminal and not to be shouted at" and I was moving away when the older man grabbed my right arm and started twisting it, saying that he will drag me out of the corridor himself while hitting me at the same time. I was in tears at this stage as I told him to leave me alone and that he was assaulting me. The younger one said " you will suffer here and nothing will come out of it. Your file will not be found and that will be the end of it " An officer walking on the corridor heard my voice and came to the rescue. Her name badge read "Kadiri", a thick light complexioned woman with low haircut. She took me away from the tight and hurtful grip of this man and led me out in tears.
The man had threatened to throw me down from the first floor when Ms Kadiri came to my rescue. I left and sat again for about half an hour but wasn't called upon nonetheless.
Around 5.30pm, I walked over into the capture room again to speak to Mr Umoh . I asked if he knew when my number "120" may be called and what number they were on since I needed to travel out of Abeokuta early the next morning. At this stage, he broke the bad news to me that my file was nowhere to be found and if I wanted to know anything, none of the uniformed staff in that room could answer. Instead, I should produce the receipt of payment for them to deal with me. I explained that I was told to pay to an un-uniformed young man (who looked like a man in his 20s) and that I had asked for the receipt for hours but told to hold on. The young man who collected the money had disappeared for hours and I couldn't locate him.
Mr Umoh then said that unless I found the man and the receipt (which I later gathered from others sitting down wasn't issued to them either), my file could not be located.
I understood there and then that I was in a convoluted conundrum and was lost for what to do as they claimed emphatically that my file was already missing. At this stage, I walked away downstairs where my assistant had gone to get some snacks and took her mobile phone off of her. I covertly moved back upstairs and took photos of both the older man (who probably is in his late 40s or early 50s) and the younger lanky, dark one. I stepped back and was approaching the stairs downstairs with my assistant when about six officers rounded me up.
The younger, lanky one screamed for me to hand all my personal belongings to him lest I am landed some slaps. He was close to slapping my face when some guys in the crowd pulled him back. On my right hand was the older one grabbing my right hand firmly again and hitting me to hand my belongings to him. I held on closely to my handbag while my assistant did the same to hers.
When he realised that I wasn't going to hand my handbag and all important documents in there to him, he demanded we hand over our the mobile phones. I gave him my Samsung model but he said he wanted the second because he knew we had taken their pictures. My assistant handed her phone to the younger man and he immediately crushed the phone. Then one of the men, all in mufti said: " take her downstairs, why are you even talking to her here?". To this end, both men started pulling and beating me to come downstairs with them while I asked where they were taking me to and that they should address issues in front of people rather than take me to an obscure place.
The beating continued as they dragged me down the stairs and towards the left side of the corridor by the main entrance if coming from the first floor. At this stage, I started saying "both of you are assaulting a woman loud. You should not hit me and I will go anywhere that is not obscure." The older man then said, "ok, if we can't do it, we will call a woman." He beckoned on a woman on the first floor who only wore the official skirt with a white t-shirt.
She dashed downstairs in a jiffy and started slapping me hard, stronger and harder than both men. My neck, head and arm were properly beaten and hit by this woman as she ordered me to march along that corridor to a place I did not know. My assistant was told to follow behind and not to leave. As I walked on, she said I didn't walk fast enough and hit me harder again.
We got to the end of that long, narrow and obscure corridor when I saw a tiny, dingy cell with a morose and tired looking human who appeared to have his hands chained.
As I saw this cell, I knew that that was where I was being led to, I carefully surveyed my surrounding and screamed " you want to lock me up in a cell? " and ran as fast as I could back to the main entrance and gate.
The three of those who assaulted me ran after me but my athletic body was too fast for them to catch up with. The officer at the entrance joined in too but couldn't catch me until the lady amongst them shouted " shoot, kill her. we will shoot you!!!" I ran as fast as my legs could carry me in a zig-zag motion as I heard the orders to shoot at me but as I reached the main gate, I slowed down as the security officers caught up with me and held me down. This lady came fast too and held my other hand and was about to slap me when one of the men said " Leave her. Makinde, leave her. She will follow you ".
The aggressive lady was ordering me to go back inside immediately as a crowd had gathered- some from members of the public who had come for passport services and some staff who had closed for the day and were going home.
After a bit of hesitation to go back as I felt extremely threatened that I was going to be shot dead in the obscure place and nobody would know where my assistant and I were, two of the guys in the crowd promised to follow us to wherever we were being taken and that they will stay there until we left that day. The lady, Makinde kept saying I feel like giving you three hot slaps now. I feel like hitting you so bad. So you are a coward? You don't want to sleep in a cell?" I turned to the two men and said " can you hear? She's leading me away to be harmed" but they reassured me the more and followed us to a room with a few desks and chairs( arranged like an office for a few officers).
On getting to this room/office, I was ordered to sit on the wooden bench while my assistant was placed on another desk close by. The lady, Makinde kept threatening to deal with me and asked the men to allow her while the lanky, dark younger one said that I will simply be wasted and nothing will come out of it. The younger man then said that the codes to the phones be given to him because he was keen on destroying all the data on both phones. I told him that only one phone was used to take pictures and that he should not destroy any especially since it was my assistant's. He kept threatening and asked me to shut up.
Next was the man in white top who asked that sheets of paper be handed to both of us to write statements on what had happened. He asked me to write my name, family home address where I could be traced to and my telephone contacts. I said that I didn't know phone numbers by heart but wrote the name and address. He checked the address and asked me to repeat it and that it is the correct home address where my family stays which I answered to in the affirmative. I could not write as I was so tense and had been severely battered but I was screamed upon to write or else be in bigger trouble.
The younger guy interjected and said, "write on top of the page that you were not made to write under duress. Write it down that you are writing of your own volition" to which I replied that I am under stress and pressure and there was no way to which I could write properly as things were. The older man said, "leave her. Let her just write. I wrote up to the point of the first assault and the older man in white top took the sheet away from me without me signing it.
Few minutes after, a tall, thick man of about 6ft 5inches referred to as PCO walked in and the older man in white told him that I had been insulting their officers, abusing them and harassing them and they had to bring me downstairs here. The man paid particular attention to me with a long peering and eye-penetrating look when I said: "Sir, that's not what happened".
He barked at me " keep quiet my friend! Did I ask you any question"? Then he said in a more hushed tone to the older man: " come out here; I will tell you how we deal with people like her ". Both of them went outside, then the man in white called the lady Makinde and the lanky, dark guy into a corner and spoke in whispers.
Barely a few minutes after, Makinde walked up to me and said to stand up and go upstairs with her. The others came along too. I kept asking where I was being led to this time. It was a bit dark and the time must have been around 6 pm or later. I was told that the PCO had asked for me to be given the picture capture and for my passport to be processed. I didn't believe them because the hostility and dehumanising behaviour I experienced a few minutes earlier were in exact contrast to the new offer. I asked why I was being treated nicely all of a sudden and Ms Makinde said: " because we do not want to deny you your basic human right since you paid for the service". I was hesitant in entering the room again because only officers were there with strange looks on their faces. I requested to stand with my assistant on the corridor but Ms Makinde insisted I had to sit in the room for as long as possible.
As I sat, a short, light complexioned man, I think a contemporary of the PCO came in and said that nobody should attend to me but I should be left till last when they were going home around 8 pm. Few minutes later, the PCO came back in and said, take her picture immediately and let her go. They complied with the order and my capture and fingerprints were taken. Little did I know that the ordeal had not ended.
My assistant and I were marched forcefully into an office with another short man with a Southeastern Igbo accent and the tall, dark PCO sat on two sofa seats in an expansive room. The office looked like that of a manager with the living room *(sofa area) and the professional table and seat on the left-hand side.
The short man queried as to what audacity I had to take pictures of officers on a secured military ground. He asked me to answer him immediately as he appeared furious and infuriated at me. I said I am sorry because I did not realise that the immigration office was a military ground and that I took pictures of these men in mufti who harassed and assaulted me since I didn't know who they were. He shouted at me to keep quiet and that I should have known that some officers are never in uniform, yet they are permitted to work in mufti.
He asked the lanky young man to delete the pictures but the PCO immediately said he shouldn't as those pictures will stand as exhibits against me.
Next was the PCO, who said that a decision had been taken, that based on my attitude, I do not qualify for a Nigerian passport because they have the rights to refuse a person the document and that both phones have been confiscated too. He told us to get out and leave immediately which we did as my assistant burst into tears begging them to please give her back her mobile phone. They told them to lead us out and we went to the car park where the driver had been waiting for us all day dead worried as to our whereabouts.
On the second day, April 12th , my uncle and auntie (a pensioner family friend) went to the immigration office with us, my assistant and I and asked to speak to the PCO and the short, light-complexioned man. The man in white on Monday, who assaulted me, was there in his uniform and with name badge ( Mr Olatunji), another senior officer was there as well as the PCO who wasn't at the happenings relayed lies and untruths to my uncle that I insulted the man in white the previous day by calling him names like animal and other unprintable names. My mouth was wide agape at this stage because it was all a bundle of well-crafted lies.
He further said that I had threatened to deal with Mr Olatunji and to arrange touts to beat him up. These were way beyond what I could comprehend because I didn't even know their names until Tuesday, I am not based in Nigeria, I am a seasoned international award-winning professional who puts up best behaviours at all times and in very civilised ways too. There is no way by which I could conceive such evil, barbaric and unscrupulous thoughts or acts.
Then the PCO whose name badge read Kola- Kayode asked that I kneel down to beg Mr Olatunji if I wanted to collect my personal items back. He went on further to say that he asked for my picture to be captured and fingerprints taken so that he could deny me a passport but also ensure that no consular office of Nigeria abroad could issue me one since it will be on record that I had one done in Abeokuta, Nigeria even though it will not be released to me. That was his scheme for denying me a Nigerian visa for life but that if I kneel down and allow them to delete the pictures, then it could be resolved.
My pensioner Auntie was already on her knees and asked me to join in the kneeling down exercise to the mastermind and chief perpetrator of the assault and battery.
Mr Kola-Kayode then turned to my uncle that he didn't feel I was remorseful and that I did not kneel down properly and needed to do so again. He also said that yes I may have travelled around the world as shown on my passport but he has been travelling around the world for over thirty years too and that I am a really "small girl" that has not seen life. The comment about being a small girl was emphasised a few times.
My uncle based on the threat of me being "gunned down" asked me to comply so that we could retrieve the items, mainly my assistant's phone over she's agonized since our ordeal began. I was left with no choice than to kneel down, and say I am sorry for taking your pictures to Mr. Olatunji.
Then, the younger, dark, lanky man came into the room in uniform. I was able to read his name as "Taiwo Romiluyi." He had been beckoned upon to bring the phones while Mr Olatunji insisted that all data and pictures on both phones be wiped out and secondly, I should write a letter of apology and undertaking to him that I will not act or do anything based on the events that had taken place.
Notice that he did not mention what the event was. My uncle stepped in and said based on pleas; they should only delete the pictures of their officers I took and that there is no need for a written statement of apology as I will have no access to the photos as evidence again. That was accepted, the phone was opened and pictures deleted and handed back to us. My assistant's phone had been smashed, and the screen all cracked.
Next was to go upstairs to the passport office on the first floor to collect my passport but was told that I needed to wait at least two hours because my file had had various notes and crossings placed on it which will mean that it could not be easily processed. As the official duties, I came for outside Abeokuta were still pending, I asked to come back the next morning on Wednesday the 13th April for the old copy and new passports. On Wednesday the 13th in the morning, I resumed at the immigration office and received the passport and left the immigration office a broken person.
culled from saharareporters.
Lol stale news
ReplyDeleteGod! Did I just cry? This is unacceptable! This lady must get justice. I know Nigerian civil servants, they were scared already. Dats why they were trying every Possible means to intimidate her. If only she will take up this case all of them will be battling to save their neck and implicating the other.
DeleteI was 'reverberating' as I read this ordeal. Madame are u slow or something? It beats me to imagine that any one will stand and take this nonsense at all.. let me ask again, are u slow? You kept referring to ur PA, is ur PA a dummy too? Ah I don't even know what to say again. You are a citizen who is entitled a Nigerian passport. You paid and u allowed them bully u like this? Same with that lady and her landlord gist. Oh no, not on their life. Not me, NO ONE can ever go this far with me. I'm not bragging, it's a FACT.
DeleteForget all the being decent and being and enlightened well travelled person who can articulate her encounter... that is not enough to sustain you in any country, not to talk of Nigeria. Your first instinct of survival should be used in cases like this, you must first of all stand for yourself m'am, before u can now start to articulate the events in writing. What if u didn't make it through and they finished u?
You mentioned that u have an athletic structure, yet u allowed a woman like u to assault u in broad day light? Yea they threatened u bla bla.. but still... Abeg this story vex me. Let me just leave this place.
Speechless,!!!!may you fund justice, madam. No matter what happened,she shldnt be treated that way, and to think that a woman was part of it?
ReplyDeleteFund u say.....
DeleteMc pinky
Without proof she will only land in bigger trouble.i feel her pain and im actually weeping because she will hurt for a while and nothing will be done.
ReplyDeleteStella I will tell u dis a lot of tins is happening in immigration over Nigeria, if u go der dat u want to do a passport, instead of dem directing u, dey want to tell u dey can do it for u and all dat l, after giving dem money u will now start to hear stories nd, I will soon write my report about den also,including dere controller general, after written complain to him nd petition to his office no action has been taken, na him office I won collect frm his hand he nor knw, dere head office is more.
DeleteThis is not fair at all
ReplyDeleteNa waoh those officers need to be sacked,imagine intimidating a woman n treating her anyhow.I pray this gets to the rightful authorities
ReplyDeleteNawa ooooh
ReplyDeleteBrief a lawyer,he will write a petition on ur behalf to the comm of police alleging threat to life n assault,also incident this matter at the police station,no one is above the law.dont jus fight online,lawyer up lady,let ur lawyer fight for you
ReplyDeleteNa wa o! See oppression... this is sooooo terrible.
ReplyDeleteBut what sort of country is this? Why are we like this?
ReplyDeleteDid not bother to read all. i pray she get justice
ReplyDeleteThat is how people will ignore you in your time of need.
DeleteIf it is to insult people, your head will boot on time. Mttsheeew.
Nawa o. Speechless! 😮. Even if you called then animals; are they not, with this kind of conduct. This is what they do also at the FRSC when you go for driver's license. They corner you with promises of quick service & extort an amount far above the lawful amount from you. Some even end up giving you a fake license; and you will constantly be harrassed on the roads by their officers. This kind of sharp practises is prevalent in almost all the Immigration offices nation wide.
ReplyDeleteMadam sorry about your ordeal. My advise: brief a lawyer, he will know what to do.
I read this yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not wish to turn this into a gender debate, I must say this is one country that that regards and treats women less than dirt.
I've become numb. It's the only way to 'survive' here.
Madam you must find the strength to overcome this.
For your sake.
Please don't become numb like me.
Eayaaa
ReplyDeleteThings like thing only happen is this God Forsaken Country, the Appropriate authority n human right activist should wade in.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say was you acted like an uneducated person. You have rights which you don't necessarily have to argue with them and also a direct witness and your driver that must have guessed something was wrong. You should have gone straight to the police station to report that, then file a lawsuit against that entire division. It would be stressful but you would have come out with a passport and enough money tolocate and buy you and your assistant new phones. And again how dumb were you to put down a real real real address. You don't like your family? Hopefully sha, you'd come out ontop..but I still say take em to court especially the women
ReplyDeleteReasonable comment
DeleteBy the way she could have checked into a hospital immediately for assessment and more physical evidence
DeleteIf anyone tries such with me....hmmmn...let me comment my reserve(and it's not gbagaun)
I was going to call her silly for giving them her home address, but I realised that she couldn't have put a false one because they'd have compared it to the one she gave in her file for the passport.
DeleteTerribly wrong...
ReplyDeleteThis is serious. Injustice against the masses has been on the increase since Buhari came to office.So sad
ReplyDeleteI pray she find justice.
Idiot....Buhari is the one that said they should victimize woman and people generally? you keep getting more stupid as the days go by....
DeleteNa wa o.
ReplyDeleteSpeechless
ReplyDeleteNigeria.. Smh
ReplyDeleteWhat unbelievable, dis is the height of wickedness Waoooh, you should have transferred the pictures immediately & also recorded most of your conversations with them discreetly, pele dear, it is well with you
ReplyDeleteI read it yday and was so baffled by the way she was treated. Pls poster, get a lawyer involve. Don't let them go Scots free.
ReplyDeleteInjustice and oppression at its peak.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat's why it's important to own a gun. I have 4 and I'm patiently waiting for any idiot to harass me when I haven't offended in any way. I'm so angry reading this report. Sorry darling. Nigerians are well known animals. The only language they understand is violence. Go to the police and file a report with the backing of an influential person for a start.
DeleteArrant nonsense!
Wow, this is too bad!....Nigeria would only keep going backwards when the right and educated people refuse to speak nor take up action. Most nigerian is ignorant of their right, and the others who know their right is reluctant to act when trespassed... My dear, seek the opinion of a counsellor or a lawyer, prepare your backups and take this up! It must not be neglected, the culprits in question are mare humans, despite that they may be forces. Do not neglect they should be sacked and made to suffer for this act and other acts they must have performed before... This is simply daylight robbery...
ReplyDeleteVery annoying,madam please take up the case if you can.
ReplyDeleteThis is bad oh , Pls Stella , the CG of i migrations needs to hear this honestly , nigeria cannot continue like this!!
ReplyDeleteI can't even type because I may be more 'broken' than this lady! What is happening Naija? A crime to be a woman in Africa? That is why I love backups.My pics automatically back up to Google photos, one drive, Dropbox, etc. After 24hrs, there should be a way to trace the pictures. Speak to techies..
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that this she incident was largely due to bad manners and lack of diplomacy than any other thing.Na wetin blogs don cause for Nigeria... every one is now a citizen journalist.Whatever rights you had were lost when you abused people's privacy by taking their pictures without their consent.As them slap winch commit your face who e epp now?you get p.a but you no base for Nigeria... humble yourself next time.passport that I get in 3 hours with sir on top....
ReplyDeleteGod bless you. You wld get it with plenty sir on top.. in 2014 i applied for a visa but d passport was to expire in 5 mnths time so i was asked to renew b4 applying.
DeleteI left vfs lekki 10am got to passport office alagbon and left wt my passport b4 they went to pray their 4 o clock prayer.
I paid 28k nd got in about 6 hrs using sir sir sir sir.
Note i am a level 12 officer in fed civil service oo. I wld most likely snr most of them but as dem be officers... nd i needed to get smtin done fast.
Charles white and the anonymous comment under you is the reason why Nigeria will never move forward . And guess what, our children and grand children would be the worse for it if we continue this way. With plenty Sir, I got my passport in a day. But I would never get to the point where I feel it's ok to have to Sif and bribe my way through things that I am entitled to and paying for. Wait till the day you end up in this woman's shoes innocently. You would come here and sing another song.
DeleteTwo bigots in agreement
DeleteCharles white, u are nothing but an idiot.
DeleteSo it's okay to pet and kneel down for them to render serine they are payed to. I don't have time, would have relayed my horror story with them at murtala international airport . I have vowed that they will pay,even if it's another set of corrupt fools. I will so invest in any spy gadget I can afford. They won't get away with it what they did to me. Wow betide the idiot that will fall into my trap. They will sure make national news. Cos I go make sure evidence bokwu.
DeleteNobody seems to look logically at the matter. Pls note that i do not support violence against any gender.
ReplyDelete1. Why did the lady not go thru the proper channel? Pay the proper price.....
2. Why did she keep asking for receipt she knows they cant produce?
3. Why in heavens sake did she take pictures to their knowledge? I thot we cld take pictures discreetly?
4. Smtim tells me ds lady is an ITK and probably abused them truly believing she would bring them to social media.
5. I have seen Nigerians in a train station in paris wearing aso ebi behaving stupidly, shouting and insulting some pple.
Being well traveled has nothing to do with being well behaved. Since i am usually on holidays and do not live abroad i avoid Nigerians a lot!!! Dey may get one into trouble.
6. If the lady made a mistake to take the pictures to their knowledge and she was harrased, why did she not just beg the 'devils' to avoid its continuation?
She is a stubborn person and she believed she would get the news to social media hence her photographic memory capturing names, faces, body type, height, location of this room and that room, the type of sofa there. Etc
7. I pray and hope she gets justice but she should know she has been "black listed".
They would probably sack some officers and beg her publicly but other officers would deal with her!
It may be the Airport in 10 yrs to come or even land bother and it may be earlier or later. It may not be an Immigration officer, pls dont forget they work hand in hand. ( they can plant something in her hand luggage or hand bag because she would have dropped off her main luggage.l before getting to Immigration point.
They wont stop at dealing with her alone! Her innocent family members may not go scot free.
Mr man or whatever you are please shut your trap! Is this the best your logical reasoning can put forward? What receipt can't they produce? What normal price are you talking about? Have you ever obtained a passport before? Don't you know how silly these officers can be? You know she's an 'itk" because she can express herself without fear? You are part of the problem with this nation. Always bullying and treating women like second class citizens. You Nigerian niggas tremble at the sight of an educated black woman. Whatever led to the altercation has been superseded by the fact that her fundamental rights have been trampled on. It's pity we have to deal with feeble minded men here in this part of the world.
DeleteUnfortunately for your sorry ass. I am a woman.
DeleteSit back and rethink .
I v done passport in 6 hrs for 28k twice... they cant produce receipt becos its not official price and they have to grease some palm to make it fast..
I recommend pple to my contacts regularly.
I can be a stubborn person too but i know where to draw the lines.
Would you Pl...... drag and argue with custom officers in their enclave?
I have a coded video of immigration officers asking for money at the airport.
DeleteThey are always asking me for money when i travel.
July last yr i said i wont give them a dime and wld expose them to the world..
so i startd recording as i got there.. luckily for them they dint ask me but i have on record asking oda pple.
Why wasnt i stupid not to put camera in their faces?
Dear PL lets not over flog our gender issue and use dt opportu ity to misbehave
Frsc is no diff.
Delete6 yrs ago i needed to renew my licence. I wanted to do official way.
I was going up and down for nothing.
On the 3rd visit (nb i work in VI and i did it in berger office) i formed vex and was speaking plenty grammar, one of d officers said madam give us money for coke and you wld do capture today.
I dint v cash on me but i had in the car.
I gathered all loose change in my wallet to make 1k and they passed me thru the back and i did capture in about an hour.
They were openly telling pple waiting that server was down.!!!!!!!! (Those that started wt me did capture after a year. I know becos i met 2 of my birthday mates there and we exchanged contacts and kept in touch).
Last yr i paid 15k sent my filled form via whatsapp,sent my passport photograph ,
i strolled in next day and did data capture in 15mins. The staff where even nice to me that am a fine woman and my skin is glowing. I dashed them 500 for cold drinks on top.
I got my PERMANENT IN 2 WEEKS.
Would i go the official way again? Never cos all that waiting and going up and down wld cost me more than 15k. Wld i use yes sir for them again? Yes i would.
Do i like them? No i hate all uniformed men and women and avoid them like a plague, but when in contact with them i comport myself.
Anonymous 13:52. I already knew you are a woman by reading your initial comment. Guess why...because you sound like the real itk. Extremely judgemental and very boastful.
DeleteStupid judgemental fool. May u meet with something worse than this. Idiot. You think she will just start being rude for no reason. You are a fucktard and u will die stupid. Useless nonentity.
DeleteNna, I'm pissed abeg.
And you knew all these behind the safety of your computer?
DeleteI sorry for you (pun intended)
Anon 16:25, walahi you got me in stitches. Esp the part where you say, you: "avoid all uniformed men/women like the plague but when in contact with them, comport yourself." Sharp girl...na you biko...naso me seeam 2.
DeleteIt cant happen to someone with sense and someone calm. Why would I take pictures inside a military enclosure?
ReplyDeleteI have renewed my passport several times and I've never encountered any hostility from the immigration officers. This woman definitely rubbed them the wrong way but she won't admit it. They are not animals to treat anyone so bad for no apparent reason. Something doesn't add up.
Delete@anon1 What is the "lol" about? This is inhumanity and injustice at its height... I am a woman and I feel broken by this story. Why are there women like Makinde who will not hesitate to hit other women at their boss's say so? This is horrible and ma'am... Please do not take this lying low, you have the social media, you can get the attention of the state's and nation's first ladies. I wish i were in position of power. Mrs Makinde need a full teaspoon of her own medicine and the men, all of them in the rotten picture need to be stripped and flogged. Women brutality, human brutality should never be condoned... hmmmm. I think my hormones are acting up, I get emotional so easily these days...
ReplyDeleteWow, im speechless. Lemme read again to be sure all these man-inhumanity to man really happened. CRUELTY AT ITS PEAK!
ReplyDeleteLinda that's fighting for women being assaulted and threatened, you no see this kain person help her get proper justice? It's an harmless social media threat you will carry on your head like pure water. Dear poster I sincere pray you get justice, it's extremely painful when you've to beg after being dehumanized! People are sick in this country and will never do things the right way. God will fight for you.
ReplyDeleteLinda's case will give u proper madness one day. Idiot!!!
DeleteWow, this is too bad!....Nigeria would only keep going backwards when the right and educated people refuse to speak nor take up action. Most nigerian is ignorant of their right, and the others who know their right is reluctant to act when trespassed... My dear, seek the opinion of a counsellor or a lawyer, prepare your backups and take this up! It must not be neglected, the culprits in question are mare humans, despite that they may be forces. Do not neglect they should be sacked and made to suffer for this act and other acts they must have performed before... This is simply daylight robbery...
ReplyDeleteI just have to comment on this one. Madam, I'm very sorry about your plight and it is very wrong in all its form. I don't support assault especially against women and I don't blame you. All what happened would not have been this complicated if u had known some rules
ReplyDelete1) when u are in nigeria, u act like a nigerian. For my first passport i was in abj then, I didn't want to go thru an agent, so i did it directly online, paid the prescribed fees, i was not in any hurry and i got my passport within 3weeks. But for u to want a same day service in a branch offc, I'm sorry u ll hv to pay more and there's no receipt tendered, its jst unfortunate.
2) Never put too much expectation when a nigerian makes u a promise. Cos they said u ll get ur passport same day doesn't necessarily mean u ll get it that day. I also paid almost d same amt as urs and I didn't get it for almost a week. Patience is the watchword. Its not right and its crazy but dat is reality.
3)u should not hv openly took pics, in short left to me, d moment dat Mr Umoh in d capture room told u to get out of his offc, u should pleaded over and over again till u achieve wat u came for
Lastly, never never argue with a military man in naija, in short dont talk bak to smeone dat is likely carrying a gun even if d person is a child! So many lives hv been lost o!
Uniformed men carry their selves with so much respect here any form of disrespect on ur part can be deadly! There's still one pending at d senate.
My dear, sorry once again. Ds place is a jungle, d rules are different here!
Well said... even if the officer is a gateman level he still wants you to sir sir sir for him talkless of full fledged staff.
DeleteYes she made a mistake why did she not stop and beg when they started, she wanted to show athletic body.
Stella, I'm not sure if this is the right way to comment because I never see my comment but plzz post this.
ReplyDeleteTo the victim of the story...I am deeply sorry about what happened to you. Reading yur story broke my heart because I have also been to that particular passport office and I know how much more we had to pay just to get our passport. We even had to extend our stay in Nigeria because it took them 3 weeks and they promised to give it to us in a day. I remember that Makinde of a woman, she was rude and violent to me and my sisters literally barking orders at us. The only reason she became a bit softer was when one of the male colleague that my dad knew talked to her. I am really really sorry about what you went through and I hope you get justice cuz that office is a horrible place.
I renewed my Nigerian passport at their Festac office some years ago where I paid I guess around N20,000 and told in clear terms that there was no receipt. Thinking that was Nigerian style, I went to Washington DC sometimes last year to renew same passport and what I experienced was worse that even Festac. You are asked to write tow money orders in different names. If you want same day processing, I think you have to pay another $75 in a different name. Space would not permit me to tell you the so unprofessional manners that they exhibit except for one Yoruba guy nicknames "pastor" who seemed to have the fear of God.
ReplyDeleteThe Ambassador won't tell me that he's not aware of all these shady deals and I want to believe he's part of the racket.
Minister of foreign affairs or any of his assistant, please take note unless this is the new "normal".
You don't have to tip anyone to renew America. Or British passport and all payments are duly receipted. Why is Nigeria, both home and abroad, turning to a jungle.
How do ppl like these get those positions? This sounds like a nightmare from hell. The sad part about it is that this type of behavior is pervasive throughout the length and breath of Nigeria. The worse part is that there is nothing, absolutely nothing in place to protect the citizens from this level of abuse.
ReplyDeleteI remember one day. I had just moved in to a new apartment. I was on leave from work and wanted to go to Yaba to get curtains and I was accosted by some VIO officers. I went through hell that week. My car was impouneded, I got 50k fine which The VIO Oga Toriola at the top helped me reduced to 25k. It was a sad week, a very very bad experience. Nigeria is a sad place, the officers are so useless. I miscarried my 7 weeks feotus that day in Yaba. They lied on me, I was subjected to them because of cause I needed to get my corolla. I remember, the head of VIO in Yaba made me write a letter saying I wont sue them. I paid 25k paid. Collected my car and Thursday and this incident happened on Monday. Bless my Mum... She stood with me. To think my wedding was coming up about in 6 weeks time. It was hell. Nigeria is no place for anyone.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry dear take the matter to Brekete family ordinary Ahmed radio station in abuja he is the voice of the voiceless u will surely get justice good luck.
ReplyDeleteAnd I see a mofo up there trying to justify the lady's torment, na Wa!!! Noone has any right to beat or harass anyone more so a lady. I just wonder if we will ever grow in this country, at the slightest provocation we scream our government is bad when in the actual sense the indiscipline and injustice begins with us the citizens, to think a lady joined in beating another lady up is really saddening. I'm so upset cos it could be me or anyone else and I'd be helpless and never get justice. Well I know is Nigerians generally get intimidated easily when they see someone is doing better than them, and they'd do all they can to prove their relevance/power/authority as well.
ReplyDeletePlease write to the Public Complaints Commission and copy CG-Immigration, IG-Police & National Human Rights Commission. Don't forget to state the facts of what happened (Not Sentiments) & provide explicit details including names and descriptions of those you remember. I don't know where you're from but if you could get in touch with the office of the members representing your constituency in NASS, that would help too. I can't guarantee they'll all act but it doesn't hurt to cast your net wide & savor the catch you'll get. In their HQ in Abuja, one cow threatened to detain me for talking back at an ATM (unknown to him, I'm also in the para military) and I triple dared him to do it & he cowardly walked away like a dog with its tail tucked in.
ReplyDeleteShocked.Can't even type.
ReplyDeleteGod!
Immigration officers at Abeokuta are so badly behaved, very unruly. The likes of Ogunnaike (Authentic), Oduwaye (Pepper), Olatunji and Adeyanju are the perpetrators of evil there. These animals in human skin are so rude and uncouth. These mannerless morons are the acclaimed 'ogas at the top' and they must be dealt with, justice must be served. And do you know these ugly ducklings will be 'toasting' you once they see you are a beautiful lady. Their women nko, story for another day. Please help us copy their oga patapata atAbuja this SOS o. Abeokuta immigration office don turn erujeje because of the nonentities in power there.
ReplyDeleteI feel so bad for the lady. The Nigerian immigration is in need of an overhaul. I always dread going to renew my passport. It's always such a hassle.
ReplyDeleteDis is serious
ReplyDeleteMy mouth was agape reading this story. Did this really happen? Lord have mercy. Oh Nigeria. My good Lord. What has become of you? How did we get to this stage? How Lord, how? Is this Buhari or Jonathan's fault? Where are the youths? Where are the police? Where is the NLC? Where are the women leaders?
ReplyDeleteI feel so broken reading this story. And I feel very very sorry for the generation coming.
YOT
See how she wrote it as if she's the first to collect passport there. Why haven't they treated other people that way? Itk and grá grá never take a anyone anywhere. Humility will take you everywhere. God resists the proud and gives grace th the humble. Just imagine how you were treated like a stubborn goat. See the humiliation you had to subject yourself to. Any way sorry sha
ReplyDeleteI'm really disappointed with this comment.
DeleteShe may not have handled this better but beating her up to "reduce her to nothing" should never have happened. It reeks of inferiority complex and total animalistic behaviour. Omo Iya Pull Him/Her Down Syndrome.
Everyday in that Nigeria, you have to dumbdown so that one alakori won't harm or kill you. How long are we going to keep doing that for? Is that honestly the way to live?
E ma binu oh, I no know say in this new Nigeria where una dey scream lie lie change, tomo eni ba buru, nise la nle fekun paje (if your child is wayward, make him or her into a delicious dinner for the Tiger... so that you can live na)
very manner-less woman who does'nt understand the way things operate in Nigeria, sure she can't even live with a man. wonder how in the whole story she never mentioned her husband? i know people like them, they can push you into becoming something you're not in the name of they have traveled far and wide. she will be like, in London its not done this way, in Germany it is done this way and in Switzerland it was done bla bla bla
ReplyDeleteYou are a big fool!
DeleteI spit on you.
Look at the things you typed - they all show hatred for someone you don't even know!
What has her husband or lack of one got to do with what she described above?
And you know her character how?
Jesus, so much bile from a faceless person.
You know how many people have been victimized like this? But they don't talk because they have no one to fight for them?
I'm ashamed if you are a man who typed this but doubly ashamed if you are a woman.
May you get this treatment sometime in life and it will be way worse.
Since you are a know-it-all and so quick to judge and condemn a total stranger, wherever you go, you will be assaulted brutally.
You will be spoken to harshly and treated like an animal. I'm so pained by your comment.
You think just because you have a phone and no one can see you, you can just type whatever you like.
Mark my words, these things I type will come to pass.
That will teach you to judge others.
Nonsense!
Omg!
ReplyDeleteThis upset me so much.
God, there is a monster in everyone.
Do not ever let me be in a situation like this where i'll have to flip the switch from good to bad, pls.
How can you treat a human like this?
Just because you think you got a little power?
Ah, I'm so angry.
Anyone tries this with me, you better kill me there cos if I get out, your own don finish.
Madam, go get a lawyer already.
You must seek justice.
Good God Almighty!
And some idiots above are justifying what those immigration animals did!
I need to calm down.
Anonymous 01:52...you must be a hermaphrodite or very lonely divorcee & that's why everything boils down to companionship with you. You're also very envious of people's travels, have complex around exposed & successful women and finally angry at the world for your low-life & misfortunes. Take heart, there's an easy way out for cowards like you, it's called rat poison (snipper)
ReplyDeleteMadam, I felt very angry while reading about your experience. What was done to you is very bad. If you want immediate justice, I will advise you to contact 'Ordinary Ahmed Isah' of 'Brekete Family' in Abuja. I promise you, those idiots would be made to lick the dust off your feet. Contact Ahmed Isah on this line 08033221149.Do not text. Call and keep calling until he picks. Please, do not let this issue to go down just like that, these idiots deserve to taught a lesson.
ReplyDeleteGod help us in this country .......
ReplyDeletethis is completely insane and atrocious...lawd!!!!
ReplyDelete