Turkish Returnee Alleges COVID-19 Extortion At Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport

A Turkish returnee, has alleged how she was extorted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for the mandatory COVID-19 test for passengers on international flights barely 48 hours after she undertook same test in Turkey.

According to Nigerian COVID-19 protocol, it is compulsory for all passengers coming into the country to provide negative COVID-19 test results prior to boarding.

BIGPENNGR reports that the returnee (name withheld) said that she took the COVID-19 test 48 hours before boarding from Turkey and was not expecting to be compelled to pay for another test on arrival to Nigeria after six hours flight.

She said that when she insisted that she can’t afford to pay N39,500 as being demanded from her by personnel of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for a test she just took in Turkey, some officials from the Federal Ministry of Health threatened to detain her at the airport, saying she either stay at the airport or be taken to destination unknown to her.

She said that out of fear, she had no option than to fill the form from where she transferred N40,000 to an account provided her with no receipt provided.

Severally other passengers at the airport got the same treatment with some paying directly from their pockets.

For her, the practice at the airport by officials who usually wear unofficial uniforms, was sheer extortion as the Turkish Government doesn’t subjects Nigerians to double COVID-19 test as being done at the nation’s airports.

She said that the practice by Nigeria government for not recognizing the Turkey COVID-19 test if reported by Turkish citizens to their government, may trigger diplomatic problem between the two countries.

Expressing concern over the level of extortions at the airport, she stated that she was not made to do another test on arrival at Turkey after presenting Nigeria’s COVID-19 test therefore wondered why Nigeria should subject Turkish to undertaking fresh test on arrival?

She queried if the practice was peculiar to Turkish citizens or doing this to other countries as well?

Speaking to BIGPENNGR in a telephone conversation she said; “When we arrived, we were in the immigration line but I noticed they were sending some persons to another side of the airport. So when it came to my turn, they asked for my PCR and my code because we done the test before arrival to Nigeria but asked me to pay for it. I asked why that I don’t understand. They said that was the practice. They said I should go to the other side.

“From there I spoke to some ladies, they said I should fill up the form and pay N39,500 and I asked why. They said that’s the policy. When you are coming to Nigeria you have to pay for another PCR. They threatened they will detain me if I don’t pay so I fill up the form online and was made to N40,000 before I left and was told to come for the test another day. You pay online or do a bank transfer. Some persons paid by hand.

“They booked me for test the next day. I have already done this test before coming for just 48 hours ago. So is that test not valid? They said it is compulsory, some people were even crying out of frustration and other looking for money to pay because we just came into the country by then.

“The people doing this were airport officials, but they had no uniform on, only one person wore a vest. It was not nice subjecting us to such treatment. Our test was still valid so why were they subjecting us to retake the test after just six hours flight?

“I did the test barely 3 hours ago before I boarded the plane and it was negative. Six hours later I was in Abuja and was asked to present the COVID-19 test which I presented. They said I should pay for the code again, they collected the money through online payment, though I haven’t gotten the debit alert yet. But I have email notification of the transaction already. Some people paid cash and it is going to federal ministry of health. It is written there and I think this is an extortion because when I eventually travelled back to Turkey all they asked me was where is my COVID-19 test and I showed them my code. The code is international. If you browse through the relevant website it will show up. So I showed them at the Turkish airport and they allowed me to pass after taking my temperature. No double payment, no extortion on me. But coming back there, we are subjected to all manners of payments and extortion in the name of. COVID-19.

“This practice can cause diplomatic problem between the two countries if reported because it means Nigeria doesn’t recognize Turkish COVID-19 test results”, she recounted.

All efforts to get comment from either the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria or the Federal Ministry of Health proved abortive as of when this report was filled for publication.

On November 8, 2021, the Managing Director, FAAN, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, had declared that any public or private sector official at the airport found to be involved in whatever form of corrupt practice would lose his or her On Duty Card permanently.

He stated that this and other measures had become necessary following the repeated trending online videos of passengers who were allegedly extorted by airports’ personnel and the embarrassment which such videos had brought to the country.

Yadudu had disclosed this in Abuja after a meeting with security agencies and presidency officials on the eradication of indiscipline and other corrupt practices at airports.