FG approves measures to curb passengers harassment, extortion at airports

The federal government has announced that some proactive measures have been approved to help prevent harassment and extortion of air travelers by various government agencies stationed at international airports in the country.

The development was made known by Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, in a statement posted on his official X page on Thursday.

According to the statement, the minister said he approved the measures on Wednesday.

He noted that they were necessary following several complaints about harassment faced at airports by travelling passengers.

“Yesterday, I approved some far-reaching measures by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) aimed at curbing the menace of harassment of travelers by various agencies of government stationed at our international airports. We have received too many complaints and it is time to act decisively,” the Minister said.

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the practice of soliciting tips from passengers—both those departing and arriving—by security personnel stationed at major international airports in Nigeria.