The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has moved to stamp out criminal activities within airport cargo terminals with the introduction of sweeping new provisions in its recently reviewed Bye-Laws, imposing jail terms and fines of up to ₦2.5 million on offenders.
The landmark reforms, championed by FAAN’s Directorate of Cargo Development and Services, are aimed at sanitising Nigeria’s air cargo environment, strengthening security and restoring confidence in the country’s cargo handling system.
The revised regulations, unveiled by FAAN Board Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, alongside members of the Governing Board and Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, mark the first time in the Authority’s history that dedicated legal provisions have been introduced to specifically regulate cargo operations.
The new rules target long-standing challenges including unauthorized access to restricted cargo areas, touting for customers, impersonation of FAAN and other government officials, cargo theft, pilferage, and the alteration of invoices or receipts to defraud the Authority.
Under the strengthened Bye-Laws, anyone convicted of violating the new provisions faces a minimum of three months’ imprisonment, fines ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦2.5 million, or both, while corporate organisations found culpable will also be liable to the prescribed financial penalties.
FAAN said the tougher sanctions are expected to deter criminal activities, curb revenue leakages, enhance operational integrity and reinforce Nigeria’s airports as safe, transparent and globally competitive cargo gateways, boosting the confidence of airlines, freight forwarders, importers and exporters.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen