After series of criticisms and exposure on video, the nefarious activities of many officials who work at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and extort money from passengers, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) decided to end the unscrupulous practice, which has damaged its image globally.
The agency recently announced measures and regulations geared towards reducing extortion of travellers by officials at the airports to its ‘barest minimum’.
FAAN Managing Director, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, while making the announcement recently in Abuja, said the new effort would go a long way in improving security and integrity at the country’s airports.
To show its seriousness this time, FAAN on Tuesday announced the apprehension of a staff of Nigerian carrier, Arik Air, for soliciting and collecting bribe from a passenger.
FAAN said, “Following an emergency FAAN management meeting on the incessant extortion of passengers by airport officials at the nation’s airports and steps being taken to address the situation, a staff of Arikairline had been apprehended while soliciting bribe from a travelling passenger at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Lagos.”
The agency immediately withdrew the On- Duty Card of the erring staff and handed her over to the relevant security agency for appropriate action in order to serve as deterrent to other bad eggs in the airport.
In reaction, Arik Air management announced the suspension of the staff in a statement, signed by the airline’s spokesman Adebanji Ola, it stated: “The management of Arik Air (in Receivership) has suspended with immediate effect one of its staff caught by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria for soliciting bribe at the domestic wing of the MurtalaMohammed International, Ikeja, Lagos, pending further investigations.
“While the management conducts its own internal investigation, we wish to reassure FAAN of our cooperation on this matter if further investigation is required. We fully support what FAAN is doing to rid our airports of this menace of corruption.”
FAAN also noted, “Recent embarrassing online videos where passengers complained of acts of extortion at the nation’s airport had necessitated the need to devise multi level strategies to curb the menace.”
But THISDAY findings indicate that this new determination by FAAN to eliminate corruption at the airports, especially the nation’s gateway, MMIA is not going to be easy. Investigations carried out by THISDAY confirm that the major officials who carry out extortion and solicit for bribery from passengers operate in semi-autonomous manner, so are not directly answerable to FAAN management.
These include officials of Nigerian Customs Service, Quarantine, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) even security operatives attached to FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC).
These officials always claim that they get directives from their head offices and therefore are not obligated to abide by the rule of engagement directed by FAAN management.
On September 26, 2021, THISDAY carried out survey of activities at the departure of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and found out those NDLEA officials, Immigration and Quarantine carved out spaces where they order passengers to come for the search of their luggage.
The investigation revealed that beside the x-ray machine which screens all passengers luggage at the entrance of the terminal, officials of the NDLEA, the Department of State Service (DSS), Quarantine and AVSEC located themselves in a booth where they direct every passenger to bring his luggage for physical search immediately it comes out of the x-ray machine.
This forces the passengers to queue in disorderly manner and form a crowd at the entrance of the terminal and the security operatives take time to search every bag.
THISDAY gathered that the same old routine of forcing some passengers to pay money or some of the things in their luggage would be seized, was being carried out by the security operatives and the passengers who were obviously in a hurry were paying so that they would be allowed to go to the airlines processing counter to check in.
But the General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, told THISDAY that adequate measures have been put in control to check the excesses of the security operatives who are not directly answerable to FAAN.
She said that if there was any infraction, FAAN would withdraw ON-Duty card from the official and then he would have to go and explain to his office why the card was withdrawn.
She also said that there is new directive that every official must wear his name tag clearly on his chest so that passengers would see it and passengers have also been given numbers to call or send messages towhen there is unfavourable interface.
In addition, cameras exposing areas of activities have been activated along with signage, which warn officials that cameras are zeroed on them.
Reacting to the new development, aviation security expert, the CEO of Centurion Securities and former Commandant of MMIA, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd) warned, “Without involving the Airport Security Committee, FAAN may bring conflicts within the multilateral government security agencies in the airports. National Civil Aviation Security Committee and the Airport Security Committee should see into the issue of extortion in the airports, which cuts across all the government agencies in the airports. With the level of homegrown terrorism, poverty, poor salaries or remuneration of staff in the country, we should begin to have the fears of insider threats.
“The Airport Security Committee consists of: FAAN, Customs, Immigration, police, DSS, military airport Commandant, AON, Foreign Airlines Representative. Although the Nig CARs Part 17 (Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation, 2006, as amended) designates FAAN to coordinate the government security agencies in the airport security programme, but that has been a Herculean task for an agency established more for airports development and management than security.”
He added that all the government security agencies in the airport are together more than four times the strength of FAAN security personnel
THISDAY
