The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has ordered the immediate removal of a transport company accused of illegally clamping vehicles and imposing N25,000 penalties on motorists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The directive followed a complaint over alleged improper enforcement of the airport’s no-parking and no-pick-up regulations, including claims that motorists were pressured to make payments through personal bank accounts and point-of-sale operators.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the matter was escalated to FAAN Managing Director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, who subsequently ordered the immediate removal of the company 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.”

He said Kuku had repeatedly emphasised that FAAN would intervene whenever there was evidence of unlawful activity, particularly actions that inconvenience airport users.

The complaint, disclosed by a lawyer identified only as Ogundele, alleged that enforcement personnel clamped vehicles belonging to motorists who made brief stops around the airport and demanded a N25,000 penalty for their release.

According to him, motorists were directed to a “red-painted container” where the alleged penalties were demanded. He said that rather than being directed to an official payment channel, some motorists were referred to POS operators and accounts bearing names such as Sani Nasiru, Bala Matazu and Yahaya Matage.

Ogundele said the arrangement left motorists with little choice, especially those in a hurry to catch flights or pick up passengers. He recalled questioning why motorists were asked to pay random POS operators instead of using a designated official account.

He also alleged that motorists who paid into the authorised account could wait for hours or even days before their payments were confirmed, while payments made to accounts provided by enforcement personnel were processed immediately.

FAAN, however, has moved to dissociate itself from the company and the alleged practices.

When contacted over the matter, the Managing Director of FAAN said, “Yes, it is because they do not have a current agreement and they have been warned against such practices in the past.”