Says He Was Asked For Cash ‘At Least 10 Times’ During Visit
An Australian author based in the United States, Mark Pollard, has sparked reactions online after alleging that he was repeatedly asked to pay cash while travelling through Nigerian airports and road checkpoints.
Pollard, who shared his experience in a video posted on his social media pages on Sunday, described Nigeria’s security procedures as excessive and, in some cases, bordering on extortion.
According to him, officials demanded money from him multiple times during his trip.
“Nigerian friends, is your entire country set up to shake people down? Because coming in and out of the airports there, I was told, you know, you give me cash at least 10 times,” he said.
The author further questioned the purpose of numerous security checkpoints mounted along major roads, suggesting that some of the operatives appeared more interested in collecting money than performing legitimate security duties.
“A lot of the roads have security checkpoints, but are they security checkpoints or shakedown checkpoints?” he queried.
Pollard added that the trend extended beyond airports and highways, alleging that even at his hotel, security personnel appeared to scrutinise him for possible financial gain rather than safety concerns.
“Even going into my hotel, people weren’t just looking me up and down to see if I was carrying anything dangerous. They were looking me up and down to see if there’s anything that they could ask me for,” he said.
Reflecting on the broader implications of his experience, Pollard questioned whether residents had become accustomed to such practices.
“Am I overreacting? Because this must stress you out on a daily basis,” he added.
While criticising what he described as systemic demands for cash, the author commended Nigeria in other respects, particularly its fashion industry.
“I was just visiting and I had a lot of fun. And I would say in Africa, Nigeria, number one in fashion,” he said.
His comments have since generated conversations online, with some Nigerians sharing similar experiences, while others argued that the issue of unofficial cash demands at checkpoints undermines the country’s image and efforts to attract tourism and foreign investment.
As of press time, relevant security agencies had yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
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