Many airport users who drive to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos have many gory tales to tell about the nefarious activities of individuals supposedly employed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to check indiscriminate parking of vehicles at thoroughfares around the airport.
The objective of towing vehicles that park indiscriminately or around places not designated for parking was to put an end to such excesses, where motorists block the busy roads, causing traffic gridlock and forcing people to miss their flights.
The concession of towing vehicles was predicated on the believe that it would leave the roads open and at the same time the penalty charge would be used to sustain the people who do the job.
FAAN some years ago decided to concession the towing of vehicles, as the agency saw it also as a way to generate money.
But because of the calibre of people employed by the concessionaire, the well conceived idea is being abused by the workers who simply saw the job as another work for touts.
They harass motorists, forcefully tow and damage their vehicle, exhibiting arbitrary powers that are inclement for airport environment.
Many people who had gone through the experience told Businessday that the vehicle towing workers flaunt so much powers as if they are not accountable to anyone and no one checks their excesses.
Beyond monitoring the busy roads to ensure they are not blocked, these workers seize vehicles parked at offices at the airport, they sneak in on people who park their vehicles far away from the terminals and jack up the vehicle with bad towing vans that surely damage any vehicle they tow.
Businessday also learnt that their charges are arbitrary because there is no specific charge for offences committed. Parking vehicles at the non designated parking areas can attract from N5,000 to N15000. This is contrary to the laid down rules by FAAN, which specified penalties that should be paid.
Motorists have continued to face untold harassments, intimidation and extortions by airport authorities in partnership with touts at the MMIA old car park over what it claims ‘Illegal parking.’
A visit by BusinessDay to the old car park last week show that FAAN since the construction of the new car park has failed to put a sign board or any form of direction, indicating that passengers are not allowed to drive in or park at the location.
As a result, hundreds of motorist fall victim of the ‘snare’ by these touts who compel people to pay exorbitantly where they ought to be guided on government property.
Motorists who drive into the car park, even without parking are welcomed by hoodlums who either tow the vehicles or forcefully drive in the car. A sum of N10,500 are collected from each car they towed in and N5,500 for the cars they drive in.
BusinessDay’s checks also show that rather than issue FAAN receipt to the motorists paying, a receipt bearing the name ‘Y Michika Nig Ltd’ is issued to them.
Abiodun Ojurongbe, one of the motorists who fell victim of the exploitation shared his story with BusinessDay. “I went to drop a friend who was traveling out of the country at the International airports, while he was going to check in and was to come back to meet me in the car for short discussion prior to the time his plan will be taken off, I turned to park at the first car park (seeing several cars park there, I taught it was also functioning).
“While I was parking (not up to 15 sec.) a man came to asked me to identify myself. I told him that I came to drop a friend. He however informed me that I should have parked at the new car park. I immediately told him that seeing these hundreds of cars, I taught this park is functioning. Not knowing that those cars parked there belongs to staff (it was their bait).
“While making attempt to drive off, they immediately brought a towing vehicle to tow my car. They are four now four in number, their appearance is so frightening. They said they most tow the car.”
Ojurongbe who insisted his car will not be towed, had his car driven in and paid a sum of N5,500.
Another motorist at the airport also shared his experience with BusinessDay. “I went to the Airport at about 2pm on Sunday May 24. I went to ATM point opposite MM2 on the road leading to FAAN quarters and the staff school.
“As I stopped by the ATM, a tow truck with no registration plates rushed to block my car. Three men with menacing demeanors jumped out of the truck and started reeling down the tow chain, threatening to tow my car away. They said once they towed the car I would have to pay N25,000 at their office and that even then, I would not get the car out until Monday.
“One of them forced the car key from my hands and drove the car to a corner , parked and asked me what I wanted to do. He said I should give him N10,000 and go away quietly instead of having them tow the car away, paying N25,000 and then having to leave my car in their office until Monday as their ticketing people did not work on Sundays. He eventually extorted N5,000 from me before allowing me to go with my car. I eventually found out that the place was not a restricted area and that was why the ATM point was there.”
However, Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN told BusinessDay that she wasn’t aware of these issues and she was going to reach the airport manager at the international airport to find out what was really going on.
IFEOMA OKEKE
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