Search of Atiku’s luggage, aircraft a routine exercise on all international arrivals —FG

The Federal Government on Sunday said the search on the aircraft of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar , at the Abuja airport was a routine exercise that applied to all international arrivals .The Minister of State, Aviation , Hadi Sirika , said this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja .

Sirika said while it was 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.

He described the checks as mandatory , conventional , internationally applied and routine , adding that no one is excused from them under the nation’ s laws .

While urging law – abiding citizens to respect the laws of the country , Sirika advised prominent Nigerians not to seek to be treated over and above the citizens they wish to serve .

The minister claimed that the public outcry that followed the routine exercise was a mischievous attempt to grab headlines .
The statement 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 , 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 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 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 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 . ”

Atiku had earlier confirmed that he was searched upon arrival in the country from Dubai .

He had tweeted :

I arrived to Abuja 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 state who are paid to protect them.

Together, #LetsGetNigeriaWorkingAgain.

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) November 11, 2018

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