The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that the problem of passengers being extorted by officials of government agencies at airports is outside the jurisdiction of the ministry.
Keyamo made this assertion in a post on X on Sunday, mentioning that he has been receiving calls from concerned members of the public regarding this issue, which he believes has been tarnishing Nigeria’s public image.
He pointed out that many of the agencies responsible for this misconduct are not under the authority of the Aviation Ministry, even though they operate within airports.
He said, “I have received several complaints about the menace of begging and extortion at our International airports by a few unscrupulous persons who give all of us a bad image.
“My phones are beeping every minute with messages about this from well-meaning Nigerians.
“Just to set the records straight, most of the agencies involved in this menace are not under the control of the Aviation Ministry, though they are stationed at our airports.
Keyamo, however, added that the ministry is working with the relevant arms of government and agencies to find solutions to the complaints.
He said, “I have been working closely with other Ministers, arms of government and agencies who are responsible for these agencies and a solution is in sight soon.
“We are all working under the coordination of the National Security Adviser who called a meeting a few days ago on this issue and we shall soon unveil practical steps being taken to stem this ugly tide. We thank Nigerians for their eternal vigilance on this issue.”
The minister’s response coincides with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) announcement on June 14, warning airport users against offering bribes and supporting extortion.
FAAN declared that any employee or government agency operating at airports caught accepting bribes would be subject to disciplinary action.
Furthermore, the agency revealed the establishment of a task force dedicated to eradicating touting, extortion, and other unlawful activities at airports across the country.