Consequent upon security threats at major public places in the country, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has ordered customs agents and vendors plying their trades at the Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, to vacate the airport premises.
Members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) were issued quit notices as they were accused of aiding and abetting illegal trucks into the airport using the association’s stickers.
Vendors with canopies in the airport have been given an ultimatum to remove their structures or have them demolished, and unauthorised trucks have been evacuated.
The terminal manager at MMIA, Uche Nwanguma, relayed the evacuation order to the association and others at the Hajj camp area of the airport.
The decision is believed to be predicated on the order of the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah and the National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi, who raised security alert on the porosity of Nigerian airports, especially the MMIA.
FAAN’s Public Affairs General Manager, Akin Olukunle, said the order was necessary in order to sanitise the airport and discourage illegality.
“Many things are wrong in the system. That place is not organised and we cannot continue to encourage illegality. That is the point of the Minister of Aviation and we must be seen to be implementing it. For the fact that it was not implemented before, doesn’t mean they won’t do it at all,” Olukunle said.