Airport Officials Arrested For Stealing 3 Million Naira From Passenger’s Luggage

That the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is a government organisation enmeshed in corruption has again been confirmed following the arrest of the organisation’s two security officials by the Inspector General of Police monitoring team on Wednesday for stealing $20,000 (3 Million Naira)  from a passenger’s baggage.

The security officials, who have been flown to Abuja on the order of the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, were said to have stolen the money from the baggage of an airline operator during the screening of his baggage at the screening point of the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal one.

According to the airline operator who does not want his name in print for now, trouble started when he was to board a 6.5 a.m. flight on First Nation to Abuja to perform a national exercise.

Getting to the screening point of the departure hall of the MMA2 terminal, as expected, he positioned his hand luggage on the screening machine and walked through the screening being conducted on passengers by the FAAN security officials.

When the flight was announced, he took his hand luggage and proceeded on board without knowing that the security officials had removed $20, 000 from his luggage.

However, the bubble burst when the airline operator tried to bring out his complimentary card which he wanted to give to a long-time friend whom he met on board but discovered that his money was gone.

The airline operator, who said his money was still intact at the screening point, said at that point, it was impossible for him to disembark from the aircraft as the gangway was already closed by the cabin crew hence, he decided to put a call through to the managing director of FAAN who said he was in Abuja but directed him to contact the director of security in FAAN.

But despite the complaints made by the passenger, neither the FAAN chief nor his director of security was forthcoming as they failed to communicate with him for a whole week.

Sensing that the management of FAAN was not interested in his case, he decided to report the matter to the police IG, who asked him to forward a letter of complaint to his office and copy the Minister of Aviation, Stella Adaeze Oduah.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Firstly, we are currently adopting a cashless policy in lagos, what was he doing with such a big amount of cash on him,then again, what gave him the undoubted evidence that its was actually the security officials that took the cash….so is he having such a big amount of money on him, because he is close to the people in the high places, and if this matter is not treated openly, the secuirity officials may bewrongly punished for what they did not do…..To me, it can be that the cash is just imaginary, actually stolen at the airport, and not concluding it was stolen by the securiy officials

  2. The victim has a lot to answer, what is he doing with such an amount in Lagos? The victim called top officials of FAAN n even the IGP, it means he is really connected and the money in question is highly questionable and if investigated properly the victim shd be in jail. The content of luggages in the Airport is not always booked n this victim has no evidence that the security men stole his money. Infact, this victim might just be a liar. And if this is true then he shd also be behind the bars.

  3. They are fond of doing that to passengers. People have been complaining,but the management always turns a deaf ear. There was a day my brother passed his phone through and it was stolen. As soon as we stepped out,he wanted to make a call and checked,but it wasn’t in his bag. On going back in,it was lost and already switched off. I hope something serious will be put in place to catch them. And they are always begging passengers for money.

  4. questions that came to mind – 1) Who is the nameless airline operator and why does he not want his name in print? He’s obviously covering up something. 2) Travelling with $20,000 (3 Million Naira) in cash – so much for a cashless country! 3) How long does it take for hand luggage to pass through and also walk through the screening machine? – correct me if I am wrong on point 3, I’ve not travelled through that airport before and might not know the process. I smell rat this story might not be true or was he sleeping during this process and his hand luggage was tampered with?