The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has ordered a transport company accused of unlawfully clamping vehicles and extorting drivers at the Abuja airport to immediately vacate the premises.
The directive followed complaints alleging that the operator improperly enforced no-parking and no-pick-up regulations while coercing drivers into paying ₦25,000 fines through personal bank accounts and Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals.
According to Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, the matter was brought to the attention of FAAN Managing Director Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, who promptly ordered the firm’s immediate expulsion from the airport.
Achimugu said, “Based on the escalation of this complaint to the Managing Director of FAAN, Ms Olubunmi Kuku, she has ordered the immediate ejection from the Abuja airport of the company responsible for this illegal action.”
Achimugu noted that Mrs. Kuku has consistently emphasized FAAN’s commitment to taking swift action whenever misconduct is proven—”especially actions that inconvenience airport users.”
According to the complaint, which was made public by a lawyer identified as Ogundele, law enforcement personnel were clamping vehicles that stopped briefly near the airport terminals and demanding a ₦25,000 fine for their release.
Ogundele stated that drivers were directed to a “red-painted container” to settle the fees. However, instead of using an official payment channel, motorists were allegedly instructed to transfer funds to Point-of-Sale (POS) operators and personal accounts registered under names including Sani Nasiru, Bala Matazu, and Yahaya Matage.
He further alleged that while transfers to the accounts supplied by the enforcement personnel were processed immediately, motorists paying into the official designated account often faced delays of hours or even days for confirmation.
In response, FAAN has taken immediate steps to distance itself from the firm and the alleged unauthorized practices.
Backstory…
FAAN’s decision to remove the company follows complaints that motorists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were being subjected to vehicle clamping and demanded to pay ₦25,000 penalties through questionable payment channels.
According to FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, the complaint was escalated to Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku, who ordered the company’s immediate ejection from the airport.
The controversy comes after separate complaints about selective enforcement and alleged extortion at Nigerian airports, including a July petition from a passenger who said her vehicle was clamped at Lagos airport after a brief stop and that she was asked to pay ₦25,500.
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