News Highlight:
- Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director of FAAN, launched “Operation AirClean” to tackle touting, harassment, extortion, and other unpatriotic practices at Murtala Muhammed Airport.
- The initiative aims to streamline passenger search processes, enhance inter-agency collaboration, and improve the overall travel experience by leveraging technology and intensifying monitoring measures.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, convened a high-level meeting on December 2, 2024, with heads of security agencies at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, to address the recurring issues of touting and harassment of passengers at screening points.
During the meeting, Mrs. Kuku launched the “Operation AirClean” initiative, emphasizing that her actions were fully endorsed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo.
She expressed urgency in cleaning up airport terminals and eliminating unpatriotic practices among security officers, stressing that it was “no longer business as usual.”
The initiative is designed to streamline passenger search processes and improve collaboration among agencies; eliminate extortion, harassment, and touting activities at the airport; and enhance the overall travel experience for passengers.
As part of the immediate actions, Mrs. Kuku ordered the dismantling search tables at screening points to reduce manual searches, leveraging technology to improve interactions with passengers, and strengthening collaboration and intelligence sharing among security agencies.
To ensure compliance and accountability, FAAN will deploy mystery shoppers equipped with body cameras to assess the conduct of officials in arrival and departure areas.
The meeting featured robust participation, with representatives from various security agencies proposing actionable solutions to improve services and eliminate unprofessional practices. Agency heads pledged heightened oversight of their officers to ensure strict accountability.
Key resolutions at the meeting included designating a secure waiting area for visitors to reduce unauthorized presence at terminals, setting up mobile courts to expedite the prosecution of offenders, intensifying activities of existing task forces to address misconduct, as well as directing all cases of officer misconduct to be promptly reported to their respective agency heads.
Security agencies represented at the meeting included the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Immigration Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Quarantine Services, Nigerian Police Force, Directorate of Security Services (DSS), Nigerian Customs Services, and Aviation Security Services.
Mrs. Kuku reaffirmed FAAN’s commitment to actively monitor airport operations through the efforts of its directors and urged unified action among agencies to achieve the goal of providing passengers with a safe and seamless travel experience.
She declared a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct, reinforcing her dedication to transforming Nigeria’s airports.