By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has said the Covid-19 protocols implemented at the nation’s airport give room to prosecute passengers for being unruly.
He disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at the briefing by the presidential taskforce on Covid-19.
The minister added that the punishment for unruly behaviour according to the law is a minimum of two months imprisonment.
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Sirika was reacting to allegations by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that some persons violated COVID-19 protocols at the airport.
The New Diplomat had reported how FAAN had alleged that Abdulaziz Yari, former governor of Zamfara state, and Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa state, refused to observe health protocols at the Aminu Kano Airport and the Port Harcourt International Airport respectively.
According to FAAN, Yari pushed away an unnamed airport official who tried to disinfect his luggage in line with COVID ’19 protocols.
Fintiri in his case was said to have allegedly stopped airport officials from taking his temperature; FAAN claimed his aides too rejected temperature check.
Yari has denied the allegations.
“They are being investigated and if it is found that it was true we will do the needful and if it is found untrue, we would definitely apologize to these individuals,” Sirika said.
“Any passenger who becomes unruly at the airport terminal building or on-board a particular aircraft commits an offence.
“Fighting or other disorderly conduct on-board of an aircraft or in the terminal building which means in the vicinity of an airport or inside an aircraft and according to E part: unruly behaviour means disobedience of lawful instructions issued by the aircraft commander, which is the captain; or flight crew means any pilot; or flight engineer; cabin crew; cabin attendants, check-in staff; and all security screening staff; or any local staff on lawful duty at the airport.
“So if you refuse their instructions, you will be termed an unruly passenger.”
Buttressing his claim Sirika quoted regulations provided by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the minister said: “an unruly passenger behaviour requires the punishment of criminal referral for imprisonment for not less than two months, so it can be 10 years”.
“So if you are found to be an unruly passenger because you are a big man ‘VIP’, the simplest thing we could do is to refer you to the police and they must by law prosecute you regardless and it will be not less than two months.
“Please VIPs, show that you are a VIP by conducting yourself in the manner that you would want to be identified with.
“If you are caught, we have some videos on these unruly passengers who will investigate and the punishment will be not less than two months of being criminally liable by a court of law. We mean business we are very serious about this.”
He stressed that agencies operating at the airport have a responsibility to keep passengers and staff safe.
