Extortion: Airport Officers To Wear Body Cameras As FG Implements New Security Measures

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to eliminating financial extortion by agency officers at Nigerian airports. 

In an interview on TVC’s ‘Journalists’ Hangout’ on October 10, 2024, Keyamo outlined the government’s plan to use technology to curb the problem. 

He revealed that, in collaboration with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, 1,000 body cameras have been distributed to officers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and other agencies to monitor activities at the airports.

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These body cameras, connected to a live transmission command center, will allow for real-time surveillance, enhancing security and reducing opportunities for extortion. Training for officers on how to use the cameras is already underway.

Keyamo assured Nigerians that reforms in the aviation sector are advancing swiftly, adding that his office is also addressing long-standing issues related to Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. 

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“An agreement has been signed for the establishment of an MRO facility in Abuja through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).” He said. 

The minister expressed confidence that these reforms will transform Nigeria’s aviation sector, making it a source of national pride.