The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has ordered the immediate removal of a transport company from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following allegations of illegal vehicle clamping and the collection of N25,000 penalties from motorists.
Newsonspot gathered that the development followed a complaint over the enforcement of the airport’s no-parking and no-pick-up rules, with allegations that some motorists were directed to make payments through personal bank accounts and Point-of-Sale (POS) operators.
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the complaint was escalated to the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, who directed the immediate ejection of the company from the airport.
According to Achimugu, FAAN would continue to take action whenever there is evidence of illegal activity, particularly practices that inconvenience airport users.
The complaint, made public by a lawyer identified simply as Ogundele, alleged that motorists who stopped briefly within the airport environment risked having their vehicles clamped and being asked to pay a N25,000 penalty.
He claimed motorists were directed to a red-painted container, where the alleged penalty was demanded. However, instead of being directed to an official payment channel, some motorists were allegedly referred to POS operators and accounts bearing names including Sani Nasiru, Bala Matazu and Yahaya Matage.
Ogundele questioned why motorists were being asked to pay through unofficial channels, particularly when they were often in a hurry to catch flights or pick up passengers.
He further alleged that motorists who paid into the officially designated account could wait for hours or even days before their payments were confirmed, while payments made through the accounts allegedly provided by enforcement personnel were processed immediately.
FAAN has since distanced itself from the company and the alleged practices.
Responding to the complaint, FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku confirmed that the company did not have a current agreement with the airport and had previously been warned against such practices.
The authority’s decision is expected to provide relief to motorists and reinforce the need for transparent and authorised enforcement procedures at Nigerian airports.
