Svelte Nigerian filmmaker and cinematographer, Kemi Adetiba has recounted the ugly experience she suffered in the hands of Lagos airport officials.
The movie director narrated her experience on her Twitter page on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.
Adetiba noted that due to her firmness and resistance she was able to dodge the resistant staff of the airport who were bent on extorting money from her.
Read her tale below
My flight from Paris was delayed for almost 6 hours yesterday. If I thought that was the worst my day could get, I was wrong. I got back into Lagos at about 2am and this is where a series of unfortunate events unfolded… Right there at MY country’s airport.
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
Going through immigration& picking my luggage was a relative breeze. As I approached customs, I knew all would not be well as I saw a lady’s eyes light up like I was a fowl approaching a den of hyenas. I was still a good distance away when she beckoned for my porter and I to pull
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
aside. Now I had only been gone a week (to give a KEYNOTE speech) and then took out a few days to rest before returning to Nigeria, so I didn’t do any shopping asides a bottle of perfume I had bought for a friend. Mildly irritated, I stepped aside and reached in my bag to get my
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
passport and keys to my suitcase. Luckily I had bumped into a friend in Paris. We ended up hanging together and as luck would have it, he sat next to me on the plane. He was there with me.
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
She asked to open all the bags, but not finding anything, zeroed in the perfume gift and my small travel speakers. She asked I show her an invoice for the speakers. I told her I no longer had it, and asked her WHY as it was a personal item. By the way this lady’s name is “Ojo”
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
She then leads me to a counter where she pulls out a booklet (i’m assuming rules manual), she drops the manual and pulls another one (no difference) then opens a page, and without showing me what was inside goes, “you know we charge duty on items more than N50,000, right?”
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
I said, duty on a personal/used item? She starts getting nervous. She goes back to the perfume and asks I open it. That’s when my patience starts to wear thin and I FIRMLY told her I would NOT open the bottle of perfume as it was a gift. Luckily my friend with me was present at
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
time of purchase, so he also decides to buy one for himself as well. As it was for personal use, he offers to open up the packaging of his own bottle for them to see. I apologize to him that he has to do this. Seeing she wasn’t winning there she goes back to my speaker..
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
Demands an invoice for it. Friend reiterates that it is a personal USED belonging. She insists on an invoice, I insist she joking and she can call her supervisor. She starts getting nervous as she sees I’m ready to take this to the end and will not be shaken down for money.
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
She makes an uninspired call for “valuation:” but no one shows up. Of course..Another rues to rattle me. I ask for the guy handling valuation, someone now says “he’s praying”. How convenient. Seeing as I was ready to take this on she transfers me to another gentleman “Eni . O.”
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
He asks for the invoice for the speaker. My friend again points out that it is a personal item. Just the same way he shouldn’t ask for the invoice of my laptop, why is he asking for this one. I give him the speaker to inspect.
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
He says something to another colleague which I mistake for him talking to me. I say, “i beg your pardon”, he RUDELY says “Madam I was not talking to you” like he was beneath speaking to me. A woman. He then turns to my friend to speak to him about MY speaker.
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018
Each time I try to add to the conversation concerning MY speaker with my male friend, he eyes me and RUDELY says, “Madam.. WE are not talking to you.” Like it was a man’s club and I wasn’t invited to participate. Meanwhile on MY property oh.
— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) November 14, 2018