The Nigerian Federal Government has responded to claims of harassment by security agents on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as he stepped into the country from Dubai.
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The Federal Government through the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, dismissed PDP’s allegation of intimidation on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, by the security operatives on arrival from Dubai on Sunday.
The Minister described the allegations as a mischievous attempt by the PDP and its candidate to gain the attention and sympathy of the media.
Atiku and the PDP had had accused the APC led Federal Government of intimidation and harassment after he was searched by a combined team of airport security personnel on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja from Dubai.
According to Sirika, the search conducted on Atiku was a normal screening exercise being carried out on all passengers at the airport.
He then released a statement which read;
“This 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, opulently-held Dubai retreat was to embark on scaremongering. This is one of such.
For the records, all incoming passengers on international flights go through customs, Immìgration, 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 Immigration, 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 the minister 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 the President of Nigeria uses, there is the presence of Immìgration and other security officials who must stamp his or her passport on arrival.’’
The minister further explained that by standard procedure, all aircraft on international arrivals must first be parked at the international wing of the airport from where it would be moved to the domestic terminal after all procedures has been completed.
He continued;
“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 senior citizen.
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.”