Nigerians who pass through the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta in Indonesia have continued to complain over intimidation, bribery, and corruption by immigration officials at the airport.

Nigerians with genuine businesses in Indonesia have called on the government to look into the incessant extortion by immigration officials at the airport, as those who refuse to comply with the terms and conditions of the officials have been unjustly deported.

In a letter dated 21st of June, 2019 written by one Emeka Raphael Umeugoji, a Nigerian business man who deals in importation of cloths and textiles from Indonesia, exposed the report of bribery and corruption scandal at the airport.

According to Umeugoji, he started his business in Indonesia since 2007 and has been consistent and honest with his partners in Indonesia.

“In recent time, there is an on-going scandal and intimidation going on at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta. It has affected me seriously that I cannot bear it anymore, which prompted me to write and make this official report.

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“On the 17-06-19, I arrived at the airport at 3.30pm with an Emirates airline from Dubai EK0356. At the point of entry, an immigration officer by name RIFANANDA took me to his office. After interrogations, he told me I should choose between giving him 500 dollars or my deportation to Nigeria.

“When I noticed he meant what he said, I paid the demanded 500 dollars before he let me entry by stamping my passport. This was not the first time this is happening. On 09-10-18, a worse scenario occurred at my arrival at the said airport, when the immigration officer on duty demanded the sum of 200 dollars from me.

“While I was still pleading and explaining that I was on a business trip, he facilitated my deportation. He called the airline staff who took my luggage for immediate deportation. My saviour on that fateful day was the numerous calls I placed to my sponsor, who called the immigration team leader to reverse my deportation,” he narrated in his letter.

According to data by United Nations COMTRADE on international trade, Nigerian imports from Indonesia were 384.35 million dollars in 2018.

Some of the commodities Nigeria trades with Indonesia includes Paper and paperboard, articles of pulp, paper and board; Refrigerators, Freezers, Heat; animal, vegetable fats and oils, cleavage, textiles and cloths,  Organic chemicals, Soaps, lubricants, waxes, candles, modelling pastes; and articles of iron or steel, amongst others.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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