Atiku, who returned to Nigeria after his stay in Dubai, on Sunday hinted that he was intimated by security operatives.
He was quoted as saying, “I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.”
Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in a series of tweet on Sunday, denied the alleged harassment.
Sirika maintained that Atiku’s claim was mischievous as the checks by the security agents was mandatory.
He, however, pointed out that the PDP presidential candidate was accorded full respect as expected.
The tweets read, “The claim by @atiku 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 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 Immìgration, 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 Ministers, 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 which 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 former Vice President of Nigeria.
“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.”
He was quoted as saying, “I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.”
Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in a series of tweet on Sunday, denied the alleged harassment.
Sirika maintained that Atiku’s claim was mischievous as the checks by the security agents was mandatory.
He, however, pointed out that the PDP presidential candidate was accorded full respect as expected.
The tweets read, “The claim by @atiku 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 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 Immìgration, 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 Ministers, 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 which 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 former Vice President of Nigeria.
“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.”
from dailypost
Hmmmm.....
ReplyDeleteAtiku, please stop playing politics with every situation. You should be exemplary if you want a position as the president of Nigeria so it is not out of place to do the needful. You were also a custom officer so you know how security stuffs are done at airports and borders. I feel sorry for vulnerable Nigerians who will buy into this cheap politicking tactics.
DeleteA retired decorated officer of the Nigeria Customs Service playing politics with routine checks all in a bid to score cheap political point.
DeleteA word of advice Sir..... Those who will vote for you will go ahead to vote for you while those who won't will definitely not vote for you.
You once occupied the seat of the VP so act maturely.
Na wa oh
ReplyDeleteVery soon the real story will show up.
ReplyDeletePls this is normal , once you fly in with private jet your will be serched.Stop making noise out if nothing .
ReplyDeleteYou*of* searched
DeleteThis is the idiot that wants to be President but sees himself as superior to the laws of the land.Was his jet not searched in Dubai so why politicize a well known security procedure worldwide?
ReplyDeleteOnly a President is exempt from such in all the countries of the world.
Foolish anon. We remain atikulated
ReplyDeleteOK na
ReplyDeleteAwon politicians
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteyes normal routine but they dont do this for our VIPs so why now? atiku should have known it was bad belle and just let it slide, now they are using it in their favour.
ReplyDelete