Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, the managing director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has disclosed that security officials at Nigerian airports remit a certain percentage of the proceeds of ‘corporate’ begging prevalent at the airports to their supervisors.
Passenger experience at the airport has been badly affected by airport security officials and staff who regularly harass and beg travellers for gifts and money.
Speaking with team leads of some airport security staff on Tuesday, Kuku said such actions were demotivating to local and international users of Nigerian airports, particularly the airport in Lagos.
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The video Kuku posted on her official X handle on Tuesday.
“Investors are complaining. Lagos airport is the first thing they see. You get on a plane, this [Lagos airport] is welcome to Nigeria,” Kuku said.
“The number of messages that I receive from passengers, from the honourable minister [Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo] and the presidency is insane, especially from Lagos airport.”
She described the antics the airport personnel usually deployed to get money from passengers, especially by being unnecessarily friendly and talkative.
Kuku also mentioned a case where a staff gifted their personal necklace to a Chinese passenger, an unsolicited gift that looked awkward to the passenger.
“But I want to focus on AVSEC [Aviation Security], you represent an agency and an organisation. The way you engage, ‘Aunty, wetin you bring com for us?’ ‘Aunty, bye-bye’, ‘Aunty, open your bag’,” Kuku said.
“I have other individuals, I think I forwarded that to you, who were Chinese passengers who were flying through the terminal. They said someone gave them a gift; their necklace as a gift.
“I’ve also got feedback from AVSEC officers, from Customs saying that they are not collecting pension, so this is the way for them to generate or earn their pension. This has to stop.
“I have a very clear directive; it goes for the team leads, it goes for the HODs [head of departments] and it goes for the heads of organisations at the airport. If your organisation is found wanting, then it means that you as a leader have failed and it means that I have failed. And this better stop.
“I also hear that agencies are giving returns to their bosses. So, let’s have frank conversations in here. The airport is no longer a place to come and make money
“So, if anyone in your organisation is asking you to make returns, AVSEC, I am saying the same to you and to all of the other agencies here, you better tell them you don’t want to come here because the penalties are going to be stiff.”
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17 replies on “FAAN MD Admits Airport Security Agents Give Returns of Corporate Begging to Supervisors”
I so much like this warning by the MD. It is becoming alarming at MMIA LAGOS. Avsec ,trolley pushers, Stewards, toilet staff,quarantine ,are the most culprits.
Customs and immigration should also be cautioned too. The way customs search travellers bags is not in global best practices.Efforts should be applied to curb this anomalies. Passengers also need to be cautioned too. They induce staff too to accept bribe.
Getting some scapegoats and reprimanding is a way to corb the menace of harassing passengers at the airports.
Getting some scapegoats and reprimanding is a way to corb the menace of harassing passengers at the airports.
Getting some scapegoats and reprimanding is a way to corb the menace of harassing passengers at the airports.
As well as doing undercover checks.
Why don’t the FAAN Management for Once create a conducive working environment I mean welfare wise for her staff and that of other Agencies therein the Airport. FAAN can afford to pay them stipends weekly.Then FAAN can go ahead put in place all the stiff penalties there are clamouring.
I am a Nigerian living in Germany. To be precise with you readers, lagos airport is the worst Airport in the world. Nigeria is the most corrupt Country in the world as far as the whole world knows. Our people are like a pathological virus that is eating itself. I have travelled to so many Countries throughout my life, and i have never seen a people so corrupt. The fact that most of our people do not even love this Country and they are bent on destroying whatever is left of the Country.
Most of the times, we are ashamed to even identify ourselves as Nigerians outside.
I don’t think it is absolutely true, the Boss may have just accepted this remark just to avoid further delays and debates, what I know as an aviation staff is that some passengers without any experience of DG (Dangerous Goods) do carry those things out of ignorance and when you try to educate them they feel like it is their personal belongings and they feel like it is their right to travel with it, let’s use Honey as a good example, Honey of any quantity are Dangerous Goods and are not cleared to fly, Apart from other reasons, my number one reason being that a clan of bees who Sense honey on board a flying aircraft will definitely try to find access to the Honey in the aircraft therefore putting the life of everyone at risk because as many as they go close to the aircraft they will either mold around the aircraft engine or they be sucked by the aircraft engine which is devastating and desasterous, lets get it right; Bees are incredibly skilled at detecting the scent of honey and other sweet substances. While the exact distance they can sense honey is still a topic of research, studies have shown that:
– Honey bees (Apis mellifera) can detect the scent of honey and nectar-rich flowers from distances of up to 6-8 kilometers (3.7-5 miles) away.
– Some studies have reported that bees can detect the scent of honey from as far as 13-15 kilometers (8-9.3 miles) away, although these findings are less consistent.
It’s worth noting that bees use a combination of visual and olfactory (smell-based) cues to locate food sources. They can detect the scent of honey and other sweet substances through the tiny sensors on their antennae, which are incredibly sensitive to certain chemical compounds.
So, while the exact distance bees can sense honey is still a topic of research, it’s clear that they have an impressive ability to detect sweet substances from afar!
Let’s put other factors into consideration rather than pointing all the fingers at one side of the coin, thank you.
What’s even this?
It would have been helpful if the MD gave active gsm numbers to call to give feedback or complaint or e-mail otherwise she is just saving face with this meeting and the letter signed by her and aviation minister.
It’s unfortunate that those meant to keep watch over unfilty affairs of state are the very ones perpetrating criminality. Until men of state services are punished from police down to customs for unwholesome practices Nigeria may be in for more ridicule
After long talks, say what you are putting down as a way of checkmating it. Not enough to say, ” it has to stop”
In my own view, let’s make it a law that no one spends cash at the airport again and any official caught with cash must face the music. Because if cash is not banned, airport workers can task their agents or POS to help them pick those cash bribes. But, my fear is would they not devise another means?
In this day and age, technology can be used to minimize the unwholesome acts of airport officials. Install closed circuit cameras. Make officials wear mandatory body cameras. Have these monitored closely.
Redeploy and sack culprits summarily.
Nigerians will obey the law once there’s a possibility of being caught and reprimanded.
Spot on.
This the best way installation of invisible cameras 📸
In 2022 I was traveling a guy was acting nice to me, he told me I’ll give him something iii, I called my husband and told him. My husband asked for his details and sent him 10k this stewpid guy said the money was too small for him me as a gentle girl I asked him to return the money that was the last time I saw him