Customs and FAAN are government agencies charged with funds collection, now at loggerhead over superiority issues
By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday flayed the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), stating that the airport agency is publicly displaying a false sense of superiority.
Recall that FAAN had issued a statement on Monday, accusing Customs officials of disrupting security procedure at the airport.
However, responding to the FAAN report on social media, the Spokesman of the NCS, Comptroller Joseph Attah explained that for FAAN to say that a gate is restricted to Customs in an international cargo airport shows a lack of understanding of Customs roles.
According to the Customs spokesman, “Saying that a gate is restricted to Customs in an international cargo airport shows lack of understanding of NCS roles.
“Could it be that the gate is being used to ferry goods out of the airport without Customs clearance?
“What is the intention behind restricting Customs in what is by status a Customs controlled area?
“It’s curious that instead of engaging each other for better understanding between Government agencies, FAAN is engaging in public display of false sense of superiority,” Customs spokesman said.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had accused officials of Customs at the Hajj/Cargo terminal Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos Command of breach of airport security with the forceful opening of the security gate at the cargo terminal.
FAAN, in a statement by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu, said a Customs officer who was on the entourage of the comptroller of the area command shoved aside aviation security personnel on duty at the gate before carrying out the security breach.
Yakubu said that the incident happened under the watch of the Comptroller of the Command, Dan Galadima, who was in his car when the incident occurred.
The FAAN Spokesperson in her statement said, “At about 17:45hrs on Thursday, Jan. 20, while the AVSEC officers on day duty at Gate 3 were profiling a NAHCO vehicle that wanted to access the Security Restricted Area (SRA) via gate 3,
“The Customs Area Comptroller for Hajj and Cargo Terminal suddenly emerged and pulled off behind the NAHCO vehicle that was being attended to and CSC Agunbiade, a customs officer on the Area Comptroller’s entourage, later shoved aside the AVSEC officer at the gate,
“Forcefully took over the gate and opened the gate for the Comptroller and his escorts to forcefully access the security restricted Area via the gate.
“While accessing the gate, the armed escorts to the Comptroller threatened to beat up the AVSEC officers at the gate if they dare resist their assault and breach of security,” FAAN alleged.
The airport authority however noted that personnel of the NCS, who bear arms, are in the habit of flagrant disobedience to security measures in the airport with threat to deal with AvSec personnel who are not armed.
“This blatant abuse of the privilege of bearing firearms by the NCS has become a recurrent threat to the Safety and Security of our Staff and our operations.
“While we keep on working to resolve all our challenges decisively, we hereby urge all stakeholders to please respect our mandate by being of disciplined and professional conduct in the interest of national security and operational safety.’’
