Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
- Immigration sanctions, strips officers of privileges
FEDERAL Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) has permanently withdrawn the On Duty Cards of two officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service who allegedly extorted the sum of eight thousand naira from a 14 year old girl travelling on Lufthansa in February this year.
The airport authority has equally banned said airport officials from working in any airport in Nigeria after making them
refund the exact amount collected from the passenger.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has equally approved the removal; of the two operatives from the airport for unprofessional conduct, as all their privileges are stripped off them while they await disciplinary action.
A statement signed by Ag. General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Faithful A. Hope-Ivbaze read:
“Following a tweeted allegation on the 19th of February 2022 by the mother of a 14year old girl travelling on Lufthansa Airline that two officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service extorted the sum of eight thousand naira from her daughter, a team of FAAN Aviation Security officers were commissioned to investigate the allegation.
“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.
“Consequently, the officers were made to refund the exact amount collected from the passenger.
“Their On Duty Cards were also withdrawn permanently, and they have been banned from working in any Nigerian airport, to serve as deterrent to others.
“We would like to commend the mother of the child, who has confirmed receipt of the money, for deeming it fit to escalate the case, and assisting us tremendously in the course of our investigation.
“Also, we would like to express our appreciation to the Comptroller of Immigration, MMA and her team for her cooperation and support in addressing this issue.
“The Authority 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.
Also in a related statement signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Amos Okpu, the Service Public Relations officer, the Acting Comptroller General of the Service Isah Jere Idris said there was zero tolerance for all form of indecent conduct, enjoining members of the public to report all noticed instances of poor conduct by officers.
He said,”After diligent investigation by the committee headed by the Lagos Airport Comptroller, CIS KN Nandap, two personnel who attended to the passenger were found culpable of unprofessional action in the handling of the clearance process of the passenger.
“They have been withdrawn from the airport and all former privileges as operatives at the airport stripped off them. They are currently undergoing necessary disciplinary procedures in line with the directives of the ag CGI,” the statement read.
