Federal Government Shuts Down Bureaux De Change at Lagos and Abuja Airports

Managing Director of the agency, Mr George Uriese

The Federal Government, through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, has ordered the closure of all Bureaux De Change offices at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The development followed the invasion of BDC offices at the Lagos airport on Wednesday night by a gang of heavily armed robbers, leading to the killing of two policemen and a robber.

General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, told reporters that the Managing Director of the agency, Mr George Uriese, had ordered all the BDC operators at the two airports to leave with immediate effect.

There are scores of registered and unregistered BDC operators at the Lagos and Abuja airports.

Dati said, “As a remedy the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has banned the activities of bureau de change from the car park and other car parks at all the airports across the country.

“The report we are receiving is that it was the activities of bureaux-de- change that attracted the armed robbers into the facility and so the Managing Director of the Authority, Mr. George Uriesi has given an order to evacuate all the bureau de change.

“We have given them time to come and pick whatever they have here because at the end of today they will never enter this car park again. Task force will move in and evacuate them”

The FAAN spokesman also said the government had beefed up security at the Lagos airport with a combination of State Anti-Robbery Squad and Aviation Security personnel.