June 25, 2024
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched an armed Aviation Security unit at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to address touting and illegal activities at airports.
This was made known in a post by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo on X on Monday, June 24.
According to the minister, the unit had been mandated to arrest and prosecute touts and other suspected criminals operating within the airport premises, adding that the initiative would be replicated at other international airports in the country to ensure a safer and more secure environment for passengers and airport users.
The post reads: “As part of the steps we earlier promised Nigerians to take to curb the menace of touting and other illegal activities around our airports, earlier today the Managing Director of FAAN, on my behalf, unveiled the armed Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
“We will replicate it at other international airports. They have the mandate to arrest and prosecute touts and other suspected criminals around our airports.
“This is apart from the other inter-ministerial effort that is still ongoing to deal specifically with the issue of agencies of government within the airports that are involved in extortion, bribery and begging.”
On Sunday, June 23, Keyamo, in a statement said the issue of extortion of passengers by officials of government agencies at the nation’s airports was beyond the ministry’s control.
He added that the Aviation ministry was working with other ministers responsible for the affected agencies to find a lasting solution to the problem following the numerous complaints by travellers over alleged extortion by officials at the airport.
Source: X | fkeyamo
