Nigerian traveller detained at OR Tambo after controversial posts about South Africa
A Nigerian national, known on X(formerly Twitter) as @YemiFirstson, claims he and three others were detained at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg despite having valid visas and complete travel documents.
According to his posts, one of their phones was confiscated, they were not allowed to contact anyone, and officials refused their request to book a return flight home. He also asked the public to hold South Africa responsible if anything happened to them.
Reports and screenshots circulating online show that the same traveller had previously made strongly negative comments about South Africa and its people. These include calling South Africans “ugly” and “jobless,” describing the country as xenophobic, and claiming that South African women prefer Nigerians.
Other reports suggest the traveller may have already been on a watch list prior to arrival.
In later updates, a video believed to be recorded inside a restricted area at the airport was shared, with comparisons made to how similar actions might be handled in countries like Dubai.
The situation is now drawing attention, as the same individual who publicly criticised South Africa still chose to travel here — and is now raising concerns about how he was treated at the airport.
