Authority Battles Touts At Lagos, Abuja Airports: 90 Of Them Handed To Police

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced a battle with touts who are engaged in all manner of illegal activities, especially at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Such activities, according to the authority, include fake Covid-19 test results, touting, unauthorised entry, trespass, illegal facilitation, forgery, loitering, theft, public nuisance, and arguments, amongst others.

The General Manager, Corporate Affairs of the FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu confirmed that 90 of such touts have so far been arrested and handed over to the Nigerian police.

According to her, the arrest is part of efforts to rid the nation’s airports of touting and extortion.

She said that out of the number 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 to do the same.

Mrs. Yakubu said that those arrested are staff of Patovilki Nigeria Limited, Lakewood Services, NAHCO Plc, and other airport staff.

“We are using 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,” FAAN Spokeswoman warned

But the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), has asked FAAN to disclose the identity of its staff arrested for illegal activities at the airports. A statement from the company’s management reacting to the arrest read: ”NAHCO is in support of the arrest of airport staff for touting and other vices. We commend the move. “NAHCO is a responsible player in the industry, as such, will not condone any form of illegality. We urge FAAN to always carry us along in this fight.

“The current move will in no small measure help our industry to grow as well as bring sanity to the airports. We will however engage FAAN, to provide us  our personnel alleged to be involved, to enable us to activate our internal disciplinary process as we currently do not have any clue as to who is involved, when, and in what capacity.”