Airport Assault: FAAN Exonerates Amaechi’s Wife

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has dismissed reports alleging that aides to the wife of the Minister of Transportation, Mrs Judith Amaechi, assaulted some airport officials at the Port Harcourt International Airport last Saturday.

Reports said Mrs Amaechi and her entourage arrived late for boarding an Abuja bound Air Peace Airline flight and thereafter prevented the fully boarded aircraft from taking off.

The report further claimed that during the process her armed security aides beat up two of the airline’s ground staff for not allowing their principal board the flight.

But in a statement on Friday, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, exonerated the minister’s wife, saying the brawl was between airport and Air Peace officials.

Yakubu said: “The authority will like to state emphatically that the incident has nothing to do with the minister’s wife.

“It was between some security personnel at the airport and the airline officials.’’

Also, Mr Chris Iwarah, General Manager, Corporate Communications, Air Peace, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the airline was still investigating the alleged incident.

“We are still investigating the incident but as an airline, it is not in our character to join issues with our customers who are part of the Air Peace family,’’ he said.