Three aviation unions have announced plans to ground Nigerian airports from March 31, 2025, due to the failure to remove a customs officer who allegedly assaulted the Director of Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The unions, comprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), issued a statement on Monday signed by their leaders, Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, and Abdul Rasaq Saidu.
The unions condemned the repeated physical attacks on FAAN personnel and urged the government to reduce the number of customs officers operating in civil aviation, as is the global standard.
The statement reads in part: “Considering the frequency and severity of physical and psychological assaults on FAAN staff and management personnel, of which there is no end in sight, we are compelled to inform the management of our unions’ determination to cause the establishment of a clear framework of mutual respect among FAAN staff and security agencies operating at airports.”
The unions warned that they would direct all workers to withdraw from airports effective March 31, 2025, pending the establishment of such protocols.
“Consequential sanctions are in place that guarantee the safety and human rights of FAAN staff.
“We shall direct all the workers to withdraw from the airports with effect from March 31, 2025, pending when such protocols are established,” the statement reads in part.
In a recent statement, Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada attributed the clash between FAAN and Customs officials to a miscommunication regarding equipment movement and seating arrangements.