NEWS
Nigerian Immigration Officers Arrests, Extort Money From Youths Travelling To Visit Nnamdi Kanu, Dump Them In Zamfara
…as Victims Allege Seven-Hour Detention, ₦200,000 Demand, Phone Seizure And Abandonment In Unsafe Area
Three Nigerian youths travelling from Kano to Sokoto to visit the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have accused officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service of arresting, detaining and extorting money from them before abandoning them stranded in Zamfara State.
According to accounts made available to the press, the young travellers were intercepted during their journey and allegedly held for approximately seven hours by immigration officers at the entrance of Zamfara State. The victims claimed they were subjected to thorough searches, intimidation and financial demands before being left without adequate means to continue their trip.
A source familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that the travellers were intercepted and held for about seven hours during the journey.
“On our way to visit Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Sokoto we were arrested and detained here for 7hrs, extorted and left us stranded in Zamfara state by Nigeria immigration,” the source said.
A video obtained by reportedly captured moments showing the three youths during their detention by immigration officials, further intensifying public concerns over the alleged conduct of the officers involved.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, one of the victims, who identified himself as Cruise Naija, detailed how the events unfolded on Sunday.
“On Sunday, while travelling from Kano to Sokoto to visit Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we were stopped by immigration officers at the entrance of Zamfara State. After searching our vehicle, they asked me and my colleague (the shadow dancer) to step down,” he said.
According to him, the officers accused them of attempting to travel illegally to Libya despite their explanation that they were heading to Sokoto.
“They accused us of attempting to travel to Libya. We firmly denied this allegation and explained that we were simply on our way to Sokoto. Despite this, they searched our bags and thoroughly examined our phones,” he said.
The situation, he alleged, escalated after officers discovered photographs of him with activist and politician Omoyele Sowore and other activists on his phone.
“During the search of my phone, they saw photographs of me with Omoyele Sowore and other Nigerian activists. From that moment, they concluded that I am an activist. They immediately seized my phone and refused to allow me access to it,” he said.
He further alleged that repeated pleas to inform relatives or associates about their whereabouts were ignored.
“I pleaded with them to let me make calls so that people would know my whereabouts, but they refused. Instead, they repeatedly warned us about how dangerous the area was,” he added.
Cruise Naija claimed that the officers subsequently demanded significant sums of money before permitting them to proceed.
“We were taken into a room where we met five other people, two young girls and three men. The officers told us that if we wanted to continue our journey, we would have to pay ₦200,000, plus ₦30,000 for transportation to Sokoto,” he said.
According to him, after prolonged negotiations, the officers allegedly reduced the demand to ₦50,000, an amount the travellers still could not afford.
“They continued threatening us, saying bandits could attack at any moment and that the area was unsafe,” he said.
He also alleged that two young female travellers paid ₦230,000 after intense pressure from the officers.
“I tried to advise them to reconsider… The officers immediately shut me down and warned me not to speak to them.
“One officer stated that all they cared about was collecting their money, and that whatever happened to the girls afterward was none of their concern,” he alleged.
The victims claimed that the officers later arranged for a truck to transport the girls onward, while further pressure mounted on the remaining detainees.
Eventually, they said a Point-of-Sale (POS) operator was brought in, enabling them to transfer ₦30,000 before they were allowed to leave the checkpoint.
“Shockingly, shortly after leaving the checkpoint, the driver stopped and claimed he had only been given ₦3,000, not ₦30,000. We were left stranded without money and had to start calling people to send us funds so we could continue our journey,” he said.
In January, it was reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed an ex parte application filed by the imprisoned leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
Justice James Omotosho dismissed the application after Kanu’s lawyer announced his withdrawal from the case.
Kanu’s lawyer, Demdoo Asan, a senior legal officer with the Legal Aid Council, informed the court at the resumed hearing that he was stepping aside due to irreconcilable differences between him and the applicant.
Asan told the court that since the last adjourned date, he had maintained regular telephone communication with Kanu’s relatives, who were expected to visit the Legal Aid Council office to depose to the application.
The latest allegations against immigration officers have sparked renewed debate over security operations, travellers’ rights and accountability within enforcement agencies, particularly in sensitive cases linked to high-profile detainees.