A member of staff of Arik airline, names witheld, has been apprehended while soliciting bribe from a travelling passenger at the General Aviation Terminal, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The arrest is a follow up to the determination of the Management of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to put an end to cases of extortion within airports under its control.
Confirming the arrest of the staffer of Arik Air for extortion in the airport, spokeswoman at FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu said it was one of the steps being taken to address the situation.
According to Yakubu, it was a follow up to a meeting of FAAN management on the cases of incessant extortion of passengers by airport officials at the nation’s airports and steps being taken to address the situation.
She said, “the On Duty Card (ODC) of the erring staff has been withdrawn immediately, and she has been handed over to the relevant security agency for appropriate action to serve as deterrent to other bad eggs in the airport.”
The statement added that recent embarrassing online videos where passengers complained of acts of extortion at the nation’s airport had necessitated the need to devise multi level strategies to curb the menace.
The meeting also resolved that “Henceforth,” the statement affirmed, “any erring airport official caught soliciting for bribes at the nation’s airports will be permanently denied access to working at the airports. Officials were also directed to always wear conspicuous name tags anytime they are on duty.”
Yakubu said the managing Director of FAAN has further directed Airport Managers across the nation to ensure that all stakeholders at the airports are properly sensitized on the new development as there will be no sacred cows.
