Federal Government Threatens To Jail VIPs, Others That Flout Airports Protocols

The Federal Government has said that it is investigating the flouting of COVID-19 airports protocols by VIPs. These protocols were put in place at three domestic airports.  The authority warns that if found guilty, offenders will either go to jail for two months or pay a fine or get both sanctions combined.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja.

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Reports had it that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State reportedly flouted the COVID-19 protocol. It was reported that he violated it at the domestic wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.

Also, a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, was alleged to have assaulted an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Saturday. FAAN had on Wednesday tweeted on its official Twitter handle that the ex-governor allegedly assaulted an airport official on Saturday 11th July 2020.

Yari, however, denied the allegation, saying he followed all the COVID-19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.

Sirika said if investigations revealed that the VIPs did not flout the airports protocols as alleged by FAAN, an apology will be tenderer publicly to them.

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The minister said that the ministry and agencies have received lots of inquiry. The inquiries have to do with some alleged unruly passengers.

He said, “So FAAN has escalated what has transpired, these alleged unruly passengers included the former Governor of Zamfara state. Abdulaziz Yari, whom I spoke to yesterday (Wednesday) at length; the current governor of Adamawa Ahmadu Fintiri. “Abdulaziz Yari was on Saturday in Kano. And that of Fintiri is in Port Harcourt and Chief Nduka Obaigbena also alleged here in Abuja.

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