Robbery: FAAN bans Bureaux de Change operators from airports on MARCH 15, 2013 ·

Robbery: FAAN bans Bureaux de Change operators from airports

on MARCH 15, 2013 · 

LAGOS—Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria,  FAAN, has banned Bureaux de Change operators from all airports across the country.

This was the fall out of Wednesday night’s robbery attack at the Terminal Zero Car Park of the Murtala Mouhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos where no fewer than three people lost their lives.

FAAN management had in an emergency security meeting yesterday decided that activities of the Bureaux de Change operators attracted unscrupulous elements to the airports.

The robbery attack which lasted for about 30 minutes left in its wake  shattered windscreens, deflated tyres and blood stains on four escort vehicles belonging to the Police.

The vehicles with policemen inside were first attacked by the robbers before attacking the BDC operators after which they carted away money in local and foreign currencies.

Speaking on the attack and the decision of FAAN’s management, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati said the corpse of the  killed robber had been recovered.

He further said the latest attack on the airport had made FAAN management ban  the Bureaux de Change operators at the terminal with immediate effect, insisting that there was no going back on the decision.

Dati said the ban became necessary so that FAAN can   ensure the safety of airport  users and clear the environment of elements that attract miscreants to the airports. He insisted that the car parks should be strictly used for parking spaces and not for any other purposes, but noted that the robbery incident did not happen inside the terminal building.

He said, “what we need to do is to protect lives and property of airport users across the country. We have given the BDC operators time to carry their tables and property within the car park.

He added: “There are some of the BDC operators who are organised and given a space at the local wing of the airport, but there is no space for the operators outside the terminal building anymore. The robbery incident took place about 2,000 metres away from the terminal building.”