The federal government on Wednesday threatened to sanction security agencies including heads of military and paramilitary organisations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over alleged extortion.
Daily Trust reports that there have been widespread concerns over the seemingly unending extortion of air travellers at the various international airports.
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Just Wednesday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed that no fewer than six staff of various security agencies were caught on camera extorting air travellers.
Speaking yesterday at a training powered by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and FAAN at the international wing of MMIA, the Managing Director of FAAN, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, said the authority would forward the details of indicted security officers to their various headquarters, while also alerting the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for appropriate action.
He warned that the recent conduct of some officers could lead to the blacklisting of Nigeria by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
He spoke just as the Presidential Adviser on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, described the Lagos airport as a national disgrace.
Oduwole expressed sadness over the poor image of Nigeria outside the country as a result of the high level of extortion at the airport.
She charged the senior security officers to monitor the conduct of their officers and men, saying the government was serious about imposing appropriate sanctions on any officer found wanting.
Oduwole commended the National Assembly for initiating the bill that aimed to centralise security screening checkpoints at the nation’s airports, saying that would go a long way in solving the present bottlenecks.
