Aviation unions in the country have threatened to discontinue work at the nation’s airports effective March 31, if the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) fails to take immediate action to address the frequent physical and psychological assault on its staff by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), particularly at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
This was contained in a letter from the unions, dated March 7, 2025, and addressed to the managing Director FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku.
The aviation unions had earlier this month, raised concerns over repeated assault on Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel by NCS operatives, demanding immediate intervention.
The disagreement between staff of the two agencies arose from the management of the cargo terminal where the NCS has an area command known as the Murtala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC).
The NCS had also declared that the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) are Customs licensed Customs Bonded Warehouses.
In the letter titled: ‘Enough of Customs Officers’ Assault on FAAN Staff at MMIA’, signed by the General Secretaries of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba; Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Frances Akinjole, the unions demanded that the management should establish a clear framework of mutual respect among FAAN staff and security agencies operating at the airports.
The letter stated that despite the expiration of the ultimatum, no response or remedial action has been taken.
The unions called on the FAAN management to establish clear work protocols that guarantee the safety and human rights of FAAN staff, saying failure to do so would result in a withdrawal of all workers from the airports, effective March 31, 2025.
Citing the recent assault on the Director of Aviation Security at FAAN, the unions said it was the latest in a long string of incidents, and they have had enough.
“We cannot continue to tolerate this level of disrespect and violence towards our members,” the letter read in part.
