Returning from Lagos Embassy

[totes 0]

I believe we all know, and have discussed here, the corruption in Nigeria (many parts of Africa).

My SO picked up his visa on Wednesday along with his necessary paperwork. He had his package on him of course and was transferring from a "bike" to a bus on his way home when a police officer, apparently off duty as he was not in uniform, came up to him and asked him what was in the package. My SO told him it was just some personal paperwork. Three more police officers then approach him, they take the package from him and are looking in it. They tell him they will have to take him to the station (for what? who the hell knows). They drive him around and around punching him in his chest. He begs them not to open the envelope that has to be presented at the POE, they tell him they know. They finally tell him he will have to pay them or he will have to go to jail. They want $50.00. He doesn't have that kind of money on him so he has to call a friend to go get it and bring it to him. He gives these a__holes the $50.00, they give him his package and send him on his way.

We don't know if this off duty police officer followed him from the Embassy (my guess would be yes) or if he was just familiar with what the package looks like but it was quite obvious that he knew where my SO had just come from and that he had a visa.

Thank God, he wasn't hurt any more than he was and they didn't tamper with his paperwork!

Please, please, be very, very careful when leaving the Embassy in Lagos, especially with your visa!

hugs

totes

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

That just sickens me...what digusting behavior.

[galaxy_2008 0]

HELLO,

IT WAS VERY SAD THAT THE UGLY INCIDENT HAPPEN TO YOUR SO,I CAN NOT DENIED THAT IT DOES NOT HAPPEN BUT THANKS GOD THAT THE PAPER DOES NOT OPEN..... SO IT IS WARNING FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO EMBASSY TO BE CAREFUL AND WATCHFUL TOO. NIGERIA POLICE ARE FULL OF CORRUPTION. I WISH YOUR SO SAFETY TRIP TO STATES.

[ForeverAmen 0]

Totes,

Sorry for your troubles. I am glad he was not seriously injured.

Unfortunately, these types of situations happens all over. I have a relative who is married to a Cameroonian. Her sister-in-law was in the process of visiting the USA. Guess what happened to her after she left the embassy!?!??! She was robbed! No money was taken, all they wanted was her 'brown' envelope. It sickens me to think that people would stoop to such low levels. Especially when it concerns a female. Guess trouble is all around us.

In the meantime, the only advise I can give you is to be sure to cover your SO in the word of prayer.

Boaz

[Zee Bee 61]

Thank goodness they did not open the envelope. That would have been another headache for your SO to fix.

This kind of behavior is just deplorable. Your fiance must has a good head on his shoulders to be clam in that kind of situation and not react. I can see why people do not want to tell others when they are going through this visa process.

[lovin_my_boo 0]

So sorry for the misfortune. i am not proud to know that this kind of things happen to us on daily basis in nigeria. police believe they have power over common people, and use payment as means to show continued control. also one needs to be careful when leaving banks, as they are known to follow people expecting they have cash on them. good to know he is ok. Best wishes

[Simply_Uno 1]

that is just enough to send me over the edge....aarrrggggghhhhhh

Edited September 12, 2008 by UNO...

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

Wow! He probably was followed from the embassy. Incredible! Keep praying to get him safely home to you.

[tummyode 0]

Sorry about the incident.

This is really absurd of the attackers. I am so shocked by this revelation.

It is a call for those that are yet to get their visa not to tell anyone untill the visa gets home.

And one should be watchfully when taking a visa out of the embassy.

No stopping, no waiting,no greeting, keeping running home!

I believe we all know, and have discussed here, the corruption in Nigeria (many parts of Africa).

My SO picked up his visa on Wednesday along with his necessary paperwork. He had his package on him of course and was transferring from a "bike" to a bus on his way home when a police officer, apparently off duty as he was not in uniform, came up to him and asked him what was in the package. My SO told him it was just some personal paperwork. Three more police officers then approach him, they take the package from him and are looking in it. They tell him they will have to take him to the station (for what? who the hell knows). They drive him around and around punching him in his chest. He begs them not to open the envelope that has to be presented at the POE, they tell him they know. They finally tell him he will have to pay them or he will have to go to jail. They want $50.00. He doesn't have that kind of money on him so he has to call a friend to go get it and bring it to him. He gives these a__holes the $50.00, they give him his package and send him on his way.

We don't know if this off duty police officer followed him from the Embassy (my guess would be yes) or if he was just familiar with what the package looks like but it was quite obvious that he knew where my SO had just come from and that he had a visa.

Thank God, he wasn't hurt any more than he was and they didn't tamper with his paperwork!

Please, please, be very, very careful when leaving the Embassy in Lagos, especially with your visa!

hugs

totes

[Aezeala 0]

WOW..I AM SORRY TO HEAR THE STORY BUT GRATEFUL THEY DID NOT OPEN THE ENVELOPE!! MY QUESTION IS...SINCE I HAVEN'T REACHED THAT STAGE YET; WHAT IS IN THE ENVELOPE AND WHY CAN IT NOT BE OPENED?

[2Hearts2Joys 0]

Sorry, about what happen. Beyond crazi

Hope all is well now. God Bless you and your SO.

Ayomide

[Ta Ta 1]

So sorry totes,that is aweful, my fiance was robbed before the trip too. Glad your SO is ok and the papers intact.

[stevi1123 0]

Oh, I am so very sorry that this happened. I am thankful that he is ok, but so sorry that he had to go through such an ordeal.

My ex lived in Lagos and was robbed in an almost identical way, but it was not visa related. He just stayed calm and let the vandals do what they wanted, because they were armed. But there is good and bad everywhere.

I know that it is not pleasant for you either, being thousands of miles away from him, only wanting to comfort him.

God be with you both, and IT'S ALMOST OVER....Your love is on his way home to you.

Edited September 12, 2008 by stevi1123

[totes 0]

Thanks for all of your concern, we really do appreciate it!

I really just wanted to warn those who will be getting their visa's (as I know it will be many and of course very soon!).

Fortunately... Tony is the the calm one of the two of us (he keeps me sane, lol) and handled the situation very, very well. Of course when I told him how awesome I thought he was, all he could say was "it wasn't me, it was God". As I type that.... I'm thinking how lucky I am to have found such an amazing man.

We have his flight booked, I won't be posting the date until he gets here, for the obvious reasons.

He has been so very careful and has only told his family and his closest childhood friend that we were doing the visa and thank God for that! I think it's very sad that he cannot share his happiness with all of his friends and family but... I have a very good friend who is married to a Nigerian, he is still in Nigeria (they are going thru the process now), she has made many trips over there and after their very public wedding, once she left, he was being harrassed on a regular basis by family, friends and strangers so we learned from that.

What I recommend for anyone going to pick up their visa in Lagos is to either have a friend pick you/your SO up if you know someone with a car, if not, spend the money to hire a cab to wait for you and go directly to your final destination to secure your visa. My SO did have his closest friend go with him (he has a car) to the first interview for this very reason but this time his friend was not available. It would be well worth the money to hire a driver to wait for you in my opinion. Tony could have so very easily lost his visa to these corrupt bastards. I've often wondered how visa's are being sold over there..... NOW I KNOW!!!!

Thank you God is all I can say!

hugs,

totes

[boo boo 1]

OH-MY-GOODNESS, that is horrible, I am sorry that your SO had to go thru that. Hearing things like this breaks my heart.