The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has ordered the immediate removal of a company allegedly responsible for illegally imposing parking fines on motorists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The development was disclosed by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a post on……
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has ordered the immediate removal of a company allegedly responsible for illegally imposing parking fines on motorists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The development was disclosed by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a post on X, following a complaint over alleged irregularities in the enforcement of parking regulations at the airport.
Achimugu said the matter was escalated to FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, who directed immediate action against the company.
“Based off 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 wrote.
According to him, Kuku had consistently maintained that necessary action would be taken whenever there was evidence of illegal activities, particularly those that inconvenience airport users.
“FAAN MD has always made it clear that she will enforce necessary action where evidence exists of illegal activities, especially actions that inconvenience airport users,” Achimugu said.
He added that discussions were already underway to identify a suitable replacement company to handle the relevant responsibilities at the airport.
“A capable replacement company is being discussed,” he said.
Achimugu also advised vehicle owners using the airport to comply with designated parking and traffic instructions to help prevent similar incidents.
“Vehicle owners are also advised to comply with parking instructions at the airport to limit occurrences of this nature,” he added.
The FAAN spokesperson commended the managing director for what he described as a swift response to the complaint, noting that the matter had been a source of concern to airport users.
“Kudos to the MD for such a brisk response. This matter has been of grave concern to airport users for a while,” he said.
The action followed a post by a user identified as Ogundipe, Esq., who raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the enforcement of parking and pick-up restrictions at the Abuja airport.
Ogundipe said he was reluctant to describe the alleged practice as fraud or diversion but described it as an apparent anomaly that warranted scrutiny.
He alleged that some individuals enforcing the airport’s no-parking and no-pick-up rules clamp vehicles, including those whose owners may have stopped briefly to make calls.
According to him, motorists are then informed that they have violated airport parking regulations and are asked to pay a N25,000 fine.
He further alleged that motorists who ask how to pay the penalty are directed to a point-of-sale operator rather than an official payment channel.
Ogundipe claimed that some motorists were allegedly provided with personal account details into which the N25,000 penalty was paid, instead of an account designated for the collection of the airport-related fees.
He also alleged that motorists who opted to pay through the account displayed at the enforcement office were warned that the release of their vehicles could be delayed until the payment was confirmed.
The allegations raised concerns about the transparency of the enforcement and payment process and prompted the escalation of the matter to FAAN management.
FAAN’s decision to remove the company follows the complaint and the concerns raised over the alleged practices.
