The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into security procedures at Yola Airport following multiple incidents involving Mrs Patience Abbo, wife of former Adamawa North Senator, Ishaku Abbo, gaining access to restricted airside areas without travelling.
LEADERSHIP reports that the directive followed the emergence of videos showing Mrs Abbo repeatedly accompanying her husband beyond security checkpoints and onto the airport tarmac, raising concerns about compliance with aviation safety regulations.
Accord to Premium Times, sources familiar with the development disclosed that the minister requested formal explanations from airport security authorities after receiving reports on the incidents.
Mrs Abbo had informed Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel that she was travelling with her husband and was consequently granted access beyond the terminal gates.
In a report submitted to the ministry, the Airport Chief of Security stated that officers only realised Mrs Abbo was not a passenger when she returned alone to the terminal after seeing her husband off at the aircraft.
However, the explanation came under scrutiny following the release of a second video showing Mrs Abbo once again accompanying her husband across the tarmac. In the footage, she was seen dressed in a brown loose gown, popularly known as ‘Abaya’ and wheeling a colourful suitcase to the foot of an aircraft staircase.
The latest footage cast doubt on claims that the initial incident was an isolated misunderstanding, suggesting instead a recurring breach of airport access-control procedures.
The development has triggered heightened concern within the aviation sector and prompted the minister to order a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the repeated access.
Industry observers have questioned the justification offered by airport officials, noting that standard security protocols require passengers to present valid boarding passes and travel documents before accessing restricted operational zones.
Under Part 17 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), airport aprons and other operational areas are classified as Security Restricted Areas (SRAs), with access limited to authorised personnel and screened passengers.
Aviation stakeholders also expressed concern over what they describe as a longstanding culture of preferential treatment for influential individuals at some domestic airports. According to insiders, airport personnel occasionally allow VIPs and their associates to bypass security checks, practices that contrast sharply with the rigorous screening routinely imposed on ordinary passengers.
The ministerial investigation is expected to examine the role of Aviation Security personnel on duty during both incidents and determine how access was repeatedly granted. Investigators are also expected to review the circumstances under which a videographer was allowed into restricted areas to film the departures.
Speaking on the risks associated with unauthorised access to operational aircraft areas, Abubakar Manir, Officer-in-Charge of the Crime, Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Sokoto, warned that such actions could have serious safety implications.
“There are a lot of risks associated… Some aircraft have propeller engines. Once they start the engine, a civilian might not know the safety procedure. If you are close, it can hit you,” Manir said during an earlier field interview.
Efforts to reach former lawmaker Abbo for comments on whether any formal airside permits were obtained for his wife’s movements within the airport proved unsuccessful as of press time.
