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Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has emphasised the urgent problem of touts at the nation’s international airports, calling them a major national embarrassment.
During the Ministerial Sectoral Press Briefings, Keyamo pointed out two groups of touts: those operating within the airports and those outside.
“There are two types of touts at the airports: official and non-official touts. That’s the truth,” Keyamo stated, according to The Nigerian Tribune.
He detailed the issue, highlighting that the presence of touts, often dressed in uniforms, at the airports is especially troublesome.
He noted that these people are notorious for misconduct, such as asking for money and searching passengers’ bags.
“You meet touts outside and inside the airport. You meet touts in uniforms, who dip hands into bags, ask for money. In many cases, we’ve seen disgraceful videos on social media,” Keyamo noted.
He admitted that although dealing with this issue may not be within ministry’s direct responsibility, it is still a major concern.
He revealed that the government is actively engaged in joint efforts with the Ministry of Interior and the National Security Adviser to combat this issue, instilling a sense of confidence in the public.
Keyamo proposed a potential solution to the problem, suggesting that reducing human interaction at airports could be a viable option.
He recommended that agencies working at the airports perform their duties from behind glass barriers, offering a glimmer of hope for enhanced airport security.
“We may have to present a joint memo very soon to try and reduce human contact at the airports. All of those agencies should be behind glass doors somewhere. They cannot all be seen embarrassing our country,” he asserted.
Keyamo emphasised the necessity of increased assistance from armed security forces to tackle the problem of touts outside airports, pointing out that these individuals frequently present a physical danger.
“For the touts outside, we are asking for backup because, FAAN, they don’t carry arms. Some of these boys [touts outside] are armed.
“So we’re trying to call for help from normal security agencies to see how they can cooperate with us to purge them out of the airports,” he said.
Keyamo assured travellers that extensive plans are underway to tackle these problems effectively.