April 12, 2022 marked a day I will never forget. An emergency called me back to my homeland, the United States, but my departure from Nigeria via the Muritala Muhammad International Airport was anything but smooth. Accused of overstaying a week before my legal marriage (which according to Nigerian Law changes your immigration status when marrying a citizen), I faced intimidation, threat and an unequivocal demand. A staggering $4,000 USD in cash was the price set for the return of my passport and my freedom to board my flight. What was supposed to be a process, simple and regulated, turned into an unofficial trial. I had not broken any laws and, as per my knowledge, there exists no law that gives immigration the authority to seize a passport for overstaying.

But my distressing experience was not an isolated incident. There are numerous reports of extortion, theft of travelers' possessions, and illicit seizing of passports by the authorities at this airport. This disreputable conduct not just smears Nigeria's image, but also violates human rights.

According to Transparency International, Nigeria ranks 149 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Acknowledgement Index 2020. This betrays a systemic problem that extends well beyond Muritala Muhammad International Airport, but our cause starts here.

It's time we campaigned for change. A call for transparent, equitable, and incorrupt practices at the Muritala Muhammad International Airport is what we seek. We must ensure that no traveler, whether a citizen or visitor, is subjected to such disconcerting ordeals. This is a plea to the officials of the Nigerian Government to intervene in these practices, enforce regulatory reforms and monitor the implementation of such reforms strictly.

Please sign this petition to stop the undermining of fundamental human rights and to institute a transformation that resonates beyond the walls of an airport and into the lives of all who pass through its gates.