• Travellers Move Without COVID-19 PCR Test, International Passport, Identity CardsLike most countries across the world, Nigeria is already experiencing the third wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. Both the government of Lagos State , and the Federal Government often claim that the needful has been done to control the spread of the disease, as well as its negative impact.
Passengers are mandated to wear a facemask during the trip. But many that are travelling through the country’s land borders are in breach of these protocols. Indeed, citizens and non-citizens go in and out of Nigeria and ditto for Benin, Togo and Ghana without appropriate government functionaries enforcing compliance.
At the rowdy jetty located at Mazamaza, different fixers and transporters were on the ground to ensure that their clients were ushered into the next available boat since they do not own, or manage the boats. The transporters/fixers pay the jetty manager for the trip while he in turn pays the boat operators.
All that turned out to be empty threats as a transporter cum fixer, who was shepherding nine people to Ghana, alongside the deckhand, engaged the naval officer in a tete-a-tete. This scenario played out in the five other checkpoints, two of which were manned by the Nigeria Police Force , one by Rapid Respond Squad of the NPF, and two by the Nigeria Customs Service .
What constitutes a gateway as a traveller ventures into Benin Republic from Nigeria, is an improvised border post made up of two coaches of blocks, a makeshift tent, and a wooden signpost welcoming one to the former French colony. Abubakar thereafter negotiated with a driver to ferry the passengers to a place called Beat 4, at Aflao along with the Togo-Ghana Border Post.
Unexpectedly, while the driver of the bus from Aflao to Accra demanded GH₵40 from the Ghanaian passengers, non-Ghanaians, especially Nigerians were made to pay GH₵160 for the trip. The GH₵120 difference was distributed as bribes to different sets of uniformed men, including police, customs and immigration at several checkpoints on the way to Accra.
Upon crossing into Togo, Musa negotiated with a cab operator, who transported his clients to the Togo-Benin Republic Border Post. As he made efforts to reach an acquaintance, a crosser that he often works with, a band of youngsters pestered him to give them the task of crossing his clients/passengers. One of the boys eventually bagged the contract after convincing Musa that his preferred crosser was not around, even as he recalled working for him sometime in the past.
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