The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that his ministry is collaborating with the National Security Adviser to address the extortion of passengers by officials from various government agencies at Nigerian airports.
In a recent post on X, Keyamo mentioned that while the aviation ministry is actively working with other ministers overseeing the implicated agencies to devise a long-term solution, the issue of extortion has garnered numerous complaints from travelers.
“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,” Keyamo acknowledged.
He further elaborated, “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.
“However, 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.”
Keyamo highlighted the ongoing collaboration with the National Security Adviser and hinted at forthcoming measures to tackle the issue.
“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,” he added.
The Federal Government has recently become increasingly concerned with the rise of begging and extortion at the nation’s airports.
On June 14, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria issued a warning to airport users against offering bribes and encouraging extortion, emphasizing that any staff or government agency found guilty of such practices would face consequences.
Additionally, the agency has established a task force dedicated to eradicating touting, extortion, and other illicit activities at airports nationwide.
This task force is charged with enforcing discipline among airport staff and promoting a culture of professionalism at all levels.
