FAAN Arrests Over 90 Touts at Lagos, Abuja Airports
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in its determination to eliminate corrupt practices at the airports said it has arrested over 90 persons at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja respectively.
FAAN in statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu disclosed that the suspects were arrested for carrying out nefarious activities, including facilitating the issuance of fake COVID-19 test results, providing illegal yellow card to travellers, shortchanging travellers in the pretense of assisting them in their boarding process as well as acting as interface between passengers and airlines.
The statement added that the suspects’ illegal activities included unauthorised entry, trespass, illegal facilitation, forgery, loitering, theft, public nuisance and crowding the departure halls.
Mrs Yakubu stated that some of those arrested were identified to be staff of Patovilki Nigeria Limited, Lakewood Services, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) and other airport staff.
According to her “of the total arrested, 59 were handed over to the airport police command in Abuja for prosecution, while 30 were handed over to the police force in Lagos for same.
“FAAN will like to use this opportunity to warn those that do not have any legitimate business at the airports, as well as airport staff carrying out illegal duties to desist from such acts, as the authority will not hesitate to arrest and hand over such individuals for prosecution.”
Earlier, the management of FAAN had identified those who throng the airports to engage in illegitimate activities to include former airline workers, retired aviation agency workers, their relations and others who may be familiar with the airport environment.
The agency alleged that these groups of people conspire with some airport workers to carry out their illicit activities and assured that the touts must be eliminated from the airports because their activities could encourage insider threat as well as constitute critical security breach at the airports.
