Federal govt reacts to alleged harassment of Atiku at airport
The Presidency on Sunday reacted to the alleged harassment of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP), presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar,
by security agents.
DAILY POST had reported that Atiku, who returned to Nigeria after his
stay in Dubai, on Sunday hinted that he was intimated by security
operatives.
He was quoted as saying, “I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by
agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.”
Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in a series of tweet on Sunday, denied the alleged harassment.
Sirika maintained that Atiku’s claim was mischievous as the checks by the security agents was mandatory.
He, however, pointed out that the PDP presidential candidate was accorded full respect as expected.
The tweets read, “The claim by @atiku is a mischievous attempt to grab
the headlines. Nigerians need to know that one of the resolutions of the
Atiku team at their recently-concluded Dubai retreat was to embark on
scaremongering. This is one of such.
“For the records, all incoming passengers on international flights go
through customs, Immigration, health and security screening.
Where the aircraft is using the private, charter wing, as the PDP
Candidate did, such arrivals are met by a team of the Immìgration,
customs and other security agencies.
“They go to the arriving aircraft as a team. The airport authorities
confirm that this is a routine process, applying to all international
arrivals, including Ministers, unless the passenger is the President of
Nigeria.
“The President, the Vice President and passengers aboard planes on the
Presidential air fleet use the Presidential wing of the airport.
“It is also important to state that even in the Presidential Wing of the
airport which the President of Nigeria uses, there is the presence of
Immigration and other security officials who must stamp his or her
passport on arrival.
“By standard procedure, all aircraft on international arrivals must
first of all park at the international wing of the aircraft. They can
move to the domestic terminal only upon the completion of the arrival
processes.
“While it is true that the Task Force on Currency at the airport did the
routine action of checking the former Vice President’s travel bag, he
was accorded full respect as a former Vice President of Nigeria.
“These checks are mandatory, conventional, internationally applied and
routine. No one is excused from them under our laws. These checks are
carried out on all international arrivals and President Buhari does not
get involved in them.
“Law-abiding citizens are encouraged to respect the laws of the country
and our VIPs should not seek to be treated over and above the citizens
they wish to serve.”
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