The Federal Government has a few hours ago, released a statement admitting to having carried out a search on former Vice President of Nigeria, and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the Abuja Airport on his arrival from Dubai, which they described as a normal checks which are mandatory, and routine carried out on all passengers, but contrary to the claims by Atiku, he was accorded all the respect during and after the search.
The Honourable Minister of State on Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who released the statement, said the search carried out on Atiku and his team who were arriving from Dubai was a normal search carried out in all airports across the world and on all passengers, and the allegation being levelled on the government that he was treated differently (subjected to special security checks/intimidation) was just the former Vice President being mischievous and seeking attention from Nigerians, especially from the news media.
Chief Atiku Abubakar has earlier described being been searched by agents of Department of Security Services as:
“I arrived to Abuja airport this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.
“I am committed to building a Nigeria where no citizen is intimidated by agents of the state who are paid to protect them.
The statement released by the Federal Government through the Honourable Minister of State on Aviation refuting this allegation reads:
“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.
Signed
Senator Hadi Sirika
Hon. Minister of State,
Aviation
November 11, 2018