Aviation unions in the industry have called on the management of the Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take immediate action to address the frequent physical and psychological assault on its staff by Customs officers at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

The unions in a letter dated March 7, 2025, and addressed to the managing Director FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku threatened a withdrawal of service with effect from March 31st.

Daily Trust reports that the aviation workers and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) officers at the MMA had been at loggerheads, breeding inter-agency rivalry among agencies at the airport.

Early in the month, aviation unions raised concerns over repeated assaults on Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel by NCS operatives, demanding immediate intervention.

Our correspondent reports that the disagreement between FAAN officials and customs officers stemmed from the management of the cargo terminal where the NCS has an area command known as the Murtala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC).

The NCS had also declared that the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) are Customs licensed Customs Bonded Warehouses.

But in a letter titled: ‘Enough of Customs Officers’ Assault on FAAN Staff at MMIA’, the unions demanded that the management should establish a clear framework of mutual respect among FAAN staff and security agencies operating at the airports.

The letter signed by the General Secretaries of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba; Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Frances Akinjole stated that despite the expiration of the ultimatum Monday, no response or remedial action has been taken.

The unions however gave FAAN’s management an ultimatum to establish clear work protocols that guarantee the safety and human rights of FAAN staff, saying failure to do so would result in a withdrawal of all workers from the airports, effective March 31, 2025.

According to the unions, the recent assault on the Director of Aviation Security at FAAN is the latest in a long string of incidents, and the unions have had enough.

The letter notes, “We cannot continue to tolerate this level of disrespect and violence towards our members”.

The NCS had urged all stakeholders to prioritise cooperation, adhere to due process, and maintain mutual respect to sustain a conducive environment for economic growth and seamless cargo operations.