Beware of airport robbers, fraudsters in SA, Nigerians travellers warned

 The Nigerian Consul-General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke has expressed worry over the rising cases of robbery involving Nigerians who come into South Africa to do legitimate businesses.

“Since the beginning of the year, the Consulate in Johannesburg has received reports from at least 17 Nigerians who had been robbed and dispossessed of cash and valuables, including travel and other important documents, when they arrived at the Oliver Thambo International Airport,” the Ambassador said.

Stating that these armed robbery attacks have put the mission in a lot of problems, Ajulu-Okeke gave instances when even President Buhari’s aide on NEPAD was robbed.

“President Buhari’s aide on NEPAD arrived in South Africa, boarded a taxi recommended by the NEPAD Secretariat and was robbed at gunpoint, few meters away from the airport.

“Also, a top Nigerian cosmetologist was robbed when she came into South Africa to showcase traditional Nigerian cosmetics and improved local uses of Shea Butter.

“She was robbed at gunpoint with her husband when a car waylaid them in front of their hotel and took away all they had,” she said.

Besides, the consul-general recalled that another Nigerian couple had a similar experience on arrival in South Africa.

“The couple, Smith and Agnes Onakoya, had bitter story to tell when they came to the Consulate to report their case.

“They had boarded a taxi from the airport; just few metres from the airport, they were robbed of everything in their possession.

“When they came to the mission, they could not talk and the wife was very much traumatised. We had to buy them new clothes; we opened their e-mail and informed the company they came to see that they have lost everything.

“The mission also assisted the couple to inform the organisation organising the meeting they came to attend of what transpired,” she said.

Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), an umbrella body of all Nigerians living in South Africa, said that it has received several reports of such incidents involving Nigerians on arrival at the airport.

Its President, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, said: “We have received several reports of such robberies; we, therefore, appeal to our people to be cautious, while taking preventive measures.’’

Expressing his worry also, Mr Emeka Ezinteje, NUSA’s Public Relations Officer, recalled how he assisted a stranded Nigerian to return home.

Ezinteje said that he went to a petrol station on a Sundayto pick some friends who missed their way to his house.

“As I was about driving out with my friends, a young man made for my handsets inside my car and suddenly withdrew.

“The encounter was strange because the young man did not take anything from my car.

“The young man, 26-year-old Mohammed Kadiri, a graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, appeared not to be normal.

“When the police came and upon enquiries, it was discovered that Kadiri was a victim of robbery and suspected drugging.

“Kadiri only remembered that on arrival at the airport, he was given a cup of coffee by some people and he later found himself at the petrol station,’’ he said.

Ezinteje later took Kadiri to the Consulate where the mission assisted him with accommodation before sending him back home.

“From investigations, Kadiri appeared to have been drugged, robbed of all his possessions and dumped in the street by some unknown persons,” he said.

However, Miss Blessing Anya Hutchinson, a crisis consultant and psychological trauma counsellor in Durban, KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa, said that Kadiri, and others like him, ought to undergo effective trauma and post-traumatic stress support and counselling.

“This will help them to manage trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress development, depression and in severe cases, mental disorder,” she said.

Hutchinson also said that such treatment, particularly the provision of emotional and psychological support, would enable the victims to be free from manifesting trauma-induced habits.

All the same, Ajulu-Okeke urged Nigerians travelling to South Africa to make proper arrangements for people to receive them and be alert for any eventuality.

“Do not enter the local airport taxis because some of the taxis have entered into an unholy alliance with fraudsters to rob unsuspecting persons who come to South Africa for legitimate businesses,” she said.

The envoy noted that there could be several other cases that were not reported to the consulate.

However, she said that several victims had reported cases to the police for them to take action.

“We are working hard here to promote business relations between our two countries; there are more than 30,000 South Africans living in Nigeria and nothing like this happens to them,” she said.

Ajulu-Okeke urged the South African security agencies to stem the activities of fraudsters who rob people at the international airport.

Furthermore, Anyene appealed to the South African police to monitor airport taxi drivers and arrest those perpetrating such acts.

“The Nigeria Union wants such incidents checked and one way of doing this is for the police to regularly monitor taxi drivers, so as to remove the bad eggs among them.

“Several persons have been traumatised by their experiences in the hands of these fraudsters.

“Some have been rendered destitute after losing everything. It is important that urgent action is taken to stop this negative trend,” Anyene advised.