ABUJA, Nigeria — An Igbo lady has issued a viral video advising Igbos to boycott Ethiopia Airlines, alleging that Ethiopian authorities are systematically extorting and imprisoning Igbo travellers, with many languishing in Ethiopian prisons without having violated any law.
The video, which has circulated widely on social media, has sparked fresh outrage and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to intensify diplomatic efforts to protect its citizens abroad. The lady, whose identity has not been confirmed, claimed that Igbos are being targeted by Ethiopian security officials who search travellers upon departure from hotels and confiscate any money found on them, leading to detention and imprisonment.
“After lodging in a hotel, on your way out, the security will search you. If they see any money with you, you are gone. They will maltreat you and send you to prison,” she alleged in the video. She further stated that the Nigerian Senate’s intervention had not resolved the issue, as the matter remains ongoing.
The allegations echo accounts from other victims. A Nigerian businessman, Francis Chukwuma Uzoh, recently told SaharaReporters that he was detained in Ethiopia for 40 days and had $70,000 seized by officials after transiting from Dubai to Ethiopia . Uzoh said he won his case in court, but the money has not been refunded after four years . He also claimed that Ethiopian Airlines and officials remained unresponsive to Senate interventions .
The controversy comes after Nigeria and Ethiopia signed a Transfer of Sentenced Persons agreement on June 10, 2026, facilitating the repatriation of 98 Nigerian inmates from Ethiopian prisons . Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu confirmed that the list of prisoners online was fake, but admitted that Igbos dominate the original list of 98 inmates . She cautioned against ethnic stereotyping, saying, “Crime has no ethnicity” .
Peter Obi, former presidential candidate, commended the repatriation effort while lamenting that at least four Nigerians lost their lives in custody during the process . He also questioned the systemic drivers that push young Nigerians into desperate circumstances abroad .
The Nigerian Senate had previously launched investigations into the incarceration of Nigerian citizens in Ethiopia, following a motion by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, and Senator Victor Umeh . The Senate directed its Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to investigate the matter .
As of the time of this report, Ethiopia Airlines and Ethiopian authorities have not issued an official response to the latest allegations. The Nigerian government has yet to comment on the new video.
