Why Atiku was searched and must submit to checks says Sirika - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Hon. Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has revealed why the former Vice President and current flag bearer of Peoples Democratic Party for 2019 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was made to undergo security checks on arrival from his Dubai retreat, reports ITREALMS.

He also confirmed that a task force on currency checked Atiku’s bag, obviously in search of foreign currencies.

“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,” he declared.

He equally described as mischievous attempt to grab the headlines, the report that former Vice President, insisting that all incoming passengers on international flights undergo security checks across all agencies at the airports.

“For the records, all incoming passengers on international flights go through customs, Immìgration, health and security screening,” Sirika said in a press statement made available to ITREALMS.

“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 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 Immìgration 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,” he said.

These checks, Sirika said, 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 said.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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