Nigeria airport authority ban officials for extorting 14-year-old passenger
EMERGENCY DIGEST- The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed the extortion of a 14-year-old passenger by its officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State.
The mother of the passenger Imoteda Aladekomo had tweeted a complaint at FAAN on how “Immigration took all…money” from the 14-year-old before they let her go.
“They took money …and didn’t even leave her with 1kobo or 1 thousand naira so she can buy food while she waits,” Aladekomo tweeted in February.
“Why are you stealing money from a child! And you took all of it and didn’t let her call her mother?.”
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FAAN spokesperson Faithful Hope-Ivbaze in a statement said a team of FAAN Aviation Security officers were commissioned to investigate the allegation and confirmed the extortion.
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She said the officials “were made to refund the exact amount collected from the passenger.”
“Upon investigation, they found the allegation to be true, as the officers involved were identified with the help of footages on our CCTV facility, and the cooperation from the Nigerian Immigration Service,” Hope-Ivbaze said.
The FAAN spokesperson disclosed that the On Duty Cards of the officials have been withdrawn permanently.
“They have been banned from working in any Nigerian airport, to serve as deterrent to others,” Hope-Ivbaze said.
She commended the mother of the child, who has “confirmed receipt of the money”, for deeming it fit to escalate the case, and assisting authorities during investigation.
She said FAAN “will continue to identify and sanction any airport official (including FAAN officials) found to be extorting passengers or perpetuating any act of illegality at our airports.”
