By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Nigeria Immigration Service Officers used to illustrate the story |
BADAGRY, LAGOS – In a shocking development at the Seme-Badagry border, officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) are facing serious allegations of illegal detention, harassment, and extortion.
A report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has detailed how a traveler, identified as Blessing, was allegedly extorted of hundreds of thousands of naira under duress.
The victim’s brother, Isaac Ben Etim, an Abuja resident, brought the incident to light. According to Etim, his sister was intercepted while traveling to Mali. Despite presenting valid identification—including her National Identification Number (NIN) and an Ambassade du Nigeria et Burkina Faso ID card—she was reportedly arrested and placed in handcuffs.
Etim revealed that the encounter took a dark turn when a female immigration officer accused Blessing of traveling for the purpose of prostitution. After a thorough search of her phone yielded no evidence of criminal activity or illicit intent, the officers reportedly shifted their tactics to financial intimidation.
“When the officer couldn’t find anything criminal on my sister’s phone, she demanded N2 million as a condition for her freedom,” Etim told FIJ.
The ordeal reportedly ended only after the family managed to pay N200,000. However, the allegations go beyond simple bribery; Etim claims that the immigration officers took steps to cover their tracks. After the funds were transferred, the officers allegedly seized Blessing’s phone and deleted one of the transfer receipts to destroy proof of the transaction.
This incident has sparked renewed concerns regarding the conduct of law enforcement agents at Nigerian land borders. While the Seme border is a critical hub for ECOWAS trade and movement, travelers frequently report cases of "profiling" and "toll-collecting" by uniform-clad officials.
At the time of this report, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has not issued an official statement. Efforts by investigative journalists to reach the service for a response regarding the conduct of its officers at the Seme command have so far been unsuccessful.