By Obasola Olatunde
Travelling through Nigeria’s major airports has become a perilous journey for passengers, who must navigate a maze of extortion, racketeering, and outright fraud that forces them to pay far above official rates, sometimes even in foreign currency.
An investigation by Nigerian Newsdirect reveals a disturbing pattern, airport staff and insiders are cornering flight tickets in bulk and reselling them at inflated, black market prices, while other officials routinely extort cash from passengers at multiple checkpoints throughout the terminals.
“They told me the flight was fully booked, but a ‘staff’ later offered me a ticket for ₦350,000 in cash,” said Chijioke Nnadozie, a Lagos-based businessman who traveled from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). “He asked if I had dollars. When I said no, he said, ‘then go and change first.’”
Sources within the aviation industry confirm that unscrupulous staff collude with touts to corner limited flight seats, especially on high-demand international routes. These tickets are then resold at a premium, reportedly ranging from ₦250,000 to ₦500,000 above normal fares. In some cases, passengers are explicitly asked to “pay in dollars to secure a seat immediately.”
A senior airline operations officer, speaking anonymously, described it as a “syndicate business” involving staff from airlines, airport security, and external ticket agents.
“They buy tickets ahead using internal access, then sell to desperate passengers… the racket continues because it enriches too many people,” he stated.
The scale of the fraud is significant as black market resale values for domestic tickets at Lagos airports have reportedly risen by over 45%.
The corruption extends well beyond ticketing. Once inside the airport, passengers face a continuous series of unofficial “tolls” from luggage checks to immigration stamps.
At MMIA, personnel from Customs, Immigration, and security agencies are frequently accused of demanding cash bribes under various pretexts. One returning Nigerian alleged that officers demanded ₦1 million to “clear” his luggage.
Even minors are not spared, in 2024, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) sanctioned immigration officials following an extortion incident involving a 14-year-old passenger at the Lagos airport.
A 2024 field study of 400 respondents ranked “extortion” as one of the most frequent crimes at Nigerian airports, ahead of theft and baggage tampering. Passengers admitted to paying small bribes, often between ₦2,000 and ₦10,000, just to avoid delays, intimidation, or missing their flights.
“You can’t pass two desks without someone asking, ‘Oga, wetin you drop?’” said Musa Lawal, a civil engineer returning from the UK. “It’s like everyone is waiting to collect their own share before you reach your gate.” Another passenger succinctly put it: “It’s not travel it’s survival.”
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, recently acknowledged the severity of the issue, admitting that the problem extends beyond his ministry’s purview.
“Several of the agencies involved are under other ministries. That complicates discipline,” he noted.
Experts point to a perfect storm of weak oversight, poor inter-agency coordination, and economic desperation among low-paid airport staff.
Dr. Michael Alabi, an aviation governance researcher, told Nigerian Newsdirect that the extortion network survives because “there is money to be made and no unified system to check it.”
“You have Customs, Immigration, FAAN, NDLEA, and airline staff all reporting to different authorities. That fragmented chain of command gives corruption room to thrive,” Dr. Alabi explained.
While FAAN’s Managing Director has deployed “mystery staff” and introduced an armed aviation security unit, many insiders view the measures as cosmetic against a deeply entrenched syndicate.
Travel and tour analyst Funke Adeyemi warns that the corruption could severely damage Nigeria’s international image, “When a country’s airports are known more for extortion than efficiency, investors take note,” she cautioned, adding that the racket could discourage tourism and foreign investment.
Aviation watchdogs recommend urgent, systemic reforms to tackle the crisis. Experts stress the necessity of establishing a unified command system that covers all airport agencies to end the fragmented chain of command. This must be complemented by the digitization of passenger processing to significantly reduce human contact and the opportunity for bribery.
Furthermore, authorities must enforce transparent online ticketing with stricter tracking of staff logins to monitor ticket purchases. To encourage reporting, whistleblower protection must be made available for honest workers and passengers, and convicted airport extortionists should face public naming and shaming to serve as a strong deterrent.
Despite official denials, evidence shows that Nigeria’s airports gateways meant to showcase the nation have become breeding grounds for corruption. Unless these urgent reforms are enforced, travellers may continue to pay more than just airfare to fly.