At Qatar, they asked where I was coming from-I said Nigeria. Then an official made a statement- Gideon Ezeh

Gideon Ezeh, a Nigerian data analyst, said in an interview with The Punch that he is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and works with both an international and a local company.

He explained that on May 7, 2025, he left Abuja around 1 p.m. on a Qatar Airways flight to Dallas to visit his wife, with a stopover in Doha. He said he arrived at the airport around 10 p.m. after an eight-hour journey.

He stated that he was traveling with two bags, including his laptop bag and another containing his clothes and a mannequin head he had purchased in Abuja to learn hair plaiting. According to him, he had been practicing with tutorials on TikTok and carried the mannequin in his hand luggage to continue learning while abroad.

He added that during airport screening, officials noticed the mannequin head and questioned him about it. He explained what it was, but they later claimed something might be inside it. He said he was unaware of any such contents, after which they carried out a swab test and screened it for narcotics.

When asked what the airport officials discovered after the test, Gideon Ezeh said that the result came out negative. However, he explained that the first set of officials asked him to wait as they needed to escalate the matter to security for further checks using more advanced machines, as they believed they had detected a dense area inside the mannequin head on their screen.

He stated that he agreed, and security personnel were called in. According to him, the officer examined the item and asked questions about where he purchased the mannequin. He told them it was from a popular market in Nigeria and also said he did not know what was inside the head.

He added that they decided to conduct another round of checks, and he consented. After the additional screening and tests, the result still came out negative.

He further stated, "It was while they were questioning me about where I was coming from and where I was going that I told them I was travelling to visit my wife in the US. They persistently asked where I was coming from, and I told them Nigeria. Then one of the officials made a statement."

"He said, ‘Nigeria, too much problem.’ Immediately he made that statement, everything changed—from routine checks on my items to suspicion that I was carrying narcotics. So, they immediately escalated the matter to the head at the airport."

He said that among the airport officials, there was a white woman with a European accent, while the others were Arabs speaking Arabic, which he could not understand. He explained that when the issue was escalated to her, she returned with additional officials who surrounded him, making it appear as though he was a major drug suspect, and attracting the attention of other people at the airport.

He added that the woman said they needed to open the mannequin to check what was inside and explained that it would have to be torn open. He told them he had no objection.

He said the situation became uncomfortable for him, so he allowed them to proceed with whatever checks were necessary, trusting the process, and maintaining that he was certain the mannequin head did not contain any drugs, as he had purchased it from a busy market like Maraba.

What did the airport officials discover after the test?

It came out negative, but the first line of officials at the airport said I should wait because they would need to escalate the matter to security so they could bring more machines to ensure that it did not contain narcotics. According to them, there was a dense area they could see in the head of the mannequin from their screen.

I said no problem, so they called security. The officer came, looked at it, and asked me a few questions about where I got the mannequin. I told them it was from a popular market in Nigeria. They asked if I knew what was inside the head, and I said I did not know.

After that, they said they wanted to check again, and I said, ‘No problem, check anything you want. Just go ahead.’ So, after checking and even doing another test, it still came out negative.

It was while they were questioning me about where I was coming from and where I was going that I told them I was travelling to visit my wife in the US. They persistently asked where I was coming from, and I told them Nigeria. Then one of the officials made a statement.

What did he say?

He said, ‘Nigeria, too much problem.’ Immediately he made that statement, everything changed—from routine checks on my items to suspicion that I was carrying narcotics. So, they immediately escalated the matter to the head at the airport.

There was one white woman with a European accent, but the other ones were Arabs, and they were speaking Arabic, so I could not understand them. When they escalated the matter to her, she later came with other airport officials. They surrounded me as if they had caught a major drug suspect, and everyone at the airport started staring at me.

When the matter got to the woman, she said they needed to open the mannequin to ascertain what was inside. She said they would need to tear it, and I said, ‘No problem, you can open it.’

 The situation was already getting to a point where I was no longer comfortable. So, I told them to do whatever they needed and ensure due process, because I was sure that whatever was inside the head was not drugs. One cannot go to a busy market like Maraba and buy drugs.

What was their next action?

After the checks, they took me to the security post and asked whether I had luggage on the plane. I said yes, and they brought it out and searched it. From the screen, I could see my bag being searched.

They brought out my clothes, food items, and everything. They ran everything through the machine twice. Two different sets of officials conducted the checks, but they found nothing. After the entire search, I missed my flight because the process lasted from 10 pm till around 4 am.

My stopover was just three hours, so I was meant to continue my journey around 1 am. I told them I would miss my flight, and they said I should not worry—they would put me on another one. So, I stayed there till 4 am.

What happened the next morning?

At about 4 am, the female official returned, confirmed that nothing incriminating was found, and directed that I be released. As I was being processed for another flight, another security officer intervened, spoke in Arabic, and I was subjected to fresh searches by customs.

The stones were tested again and confirmed harmless, yet officials conferred among themselves and halted my departure. Instead of putting me on a flight, I was taken to an office where I overheard repeated references to “cocaine” during phone calls, despite earlier tests proving otherwise.

My phone, passport, and belongings had already been seized, leaving me unable to contact anyone. I was moved from one office to another for hours without explanation, growing increasingly anxious.

Later, I was told I would be taken to a police station for a confirmatory test that would last two hours. Trusting the process, I cooperated. However, I was suddenly handcuffed and put in a bus. Instead of a brief test, I was taken to prison.

What was your experience in detention like?

When I was taken to the prison, they stripped me naked and subjected me to all manner of invasive searches. I did not understand why nobody was explaining anything to me because I did not understand Arabic, and most of them did not understand English.

They inserted objects into my anus in search of drugs. They opened my luggage and destroyed most of my clothes and laptop while searching for drugs. They even collected my urine as a sample. I complied, believing that once everything came out negative, I would be released.

Instead, they threw me into prison. The experience there was terrible. I nearly died because I do not smoke, yet smoking was everywhere. Nobody spoke to me.

I could not eat because I could not adapt to their food. My mum was devastated, and my wife was struggling because she could not reach me.

Did they allow you to make a call?

I was eventually allowed to call my wife. I told her what was happening and that I had been in a Qatar prison for six weeks.

What troubles me most is why a report alleging I carried 684 grammes of cocaine was sent to the US despite negative tests. Everything changed once they saw my Nigerian passport and said, ‘Nigeria, too many problems,’ suggesting profiling.

You mentioned that your visa was revoked. Can you explain?

They sent a report to the US, and my visa was revoked. When I came out, I could no longer continue my journey. I was given a document to sign, written in Arabic. I assumed it was a release document.

Later, I discovered it contained details of what they alleged against me. I had taken a snapshot because I no longer trusted them. My visa had already been revoked without my knowledge.

What steps did you take afterwards?

I reported the matter to the Nigerian Embassy in Doha. They wrote to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry twice, but there has been no response.

Through the embassy and a human rights official, Mr Kazeem, I obtained a document from the public prosecution in Qatar confirming my innocence. However, the airline and airport authorities have not retracted their report, and they refused to release the forensic report.

Why was your wife’s visa revoked?

It was because of the same report. The incident has affected our entire family financially and emotionally. Qatar Airways has also not refunded part of my ticket and initially banned me, only to lift the ban later.

Do you plan to seek redress?

Yes. I will pursue justice to clear my name and seek compensation. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has invited Qatar Airways, but they have not responded.

What resolution do you seek?

We want the report retracted, our visas reinstated, and compensation for the damages. This is something I will never forget.

Ayoola Olasupo