Chinese travel vlogger reveals what happened to him when he visited Nigeria

• Chinese travel creator Xiao Jony shared a video of his experience in Lagos.

• He said men demanded money from him because he was a foreigner.

• Jony claimed he encountered more than 20 checkpoints over a 10-kilometre stretch.

• He later warned other travellers: “Don’t come to Nigeria.”

A Chinese travel content creator, Xiao Jony, has warned other travellers against visiting Nigeria after he said he was repeatedly stopped and asked for money while exploring Lagos.

Jony, who creates travel and African street-food content on platforms including YouTube and Douyin, shared his experience in a video that has since gone viral online.

In the video, he was seen exploring a market in Lagos and trying local food when a group of men approached him and demanded money.

According to Jony, when he questioned why they wanted him to pay, the men told him they were Nigerian citizens while he was a foreigner.

A translated version of the exchange quoted the men as saying: “We’re Nigerian, you’re not, so we can take money from you.”

The encounter appeared to leave the travel creator frustrated as he questioned why he should hand over money simply because he was a foreign visitor.

Jony also claimed that the incident was not an isolated encounter during his trip.

He said that while travelling through a stretch of more than 10 kilometres in Lagos, he encountered over 20 checkpoints where people allegedly stopped him and demanded money.

The creator subsequently issued a warning to other travellers considering a visit to Nigeria, ending his account with the message: “Don’t come to Nigeria.”

The video has generated reactions online, with Nigerians expressing embarrassment over the incident and criticising the alleged harassment of visitors.

Some social media users attributed the behaviour to touts or area boys commonly associated with informal street collections in parts of Lagos, while others called for stronger action against such harassment.

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The incident has also renewed concerns about how the treatment of visitors can affect Nigeria’s reputation among international tourists and content creators.

However, the claims in the viral video have not been independently verified by Nigerian authorities. There was also no official police statement confirming that the men involved had been identified or arrested at the time of reporting.

Jony’s experience therefore remains his account of what happened during his visit, rather than evidence that every foreign visitor to Lagos will have the same experience.

The video has nevertheless drawn attention to the problem of street harassment and informal extortion, particularly in areas where visitors may be unfamiliar with local practices.