Footage posted on the social media account of Patience Abbo, wife of former Adamawa North senator, Ishaku Abbo, has exposed a breach of airport security protocols after she gained access to a restricted operational area to escort her husband to the foot of a waiting aircraft.
In the video, believed to have been recorded at the Yola Airport, based on visible terminal markings, Mrs Abbo is seen walking across the apron near the aircraft staircase. She is captured exchanging a black phone case with her husband, embracing him in a farewell gesture, and then turning back as he boarded the plane.
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The footage also shows the interaction being recorded from within the restricted area by a third party, raising further questions about who had access to the operational zone at the time.
The video, which remained publicly accessible on her account at the time of filing this report, sparked concerns about the enforcement of Nigeria’s aviation security regulations.
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What the law says
Aviation security globally is governed by strict standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Under ICAO Annex 17, member states are required to establish stringent measures “to prevent unauthorised access to aircraft, restricted airport areas and other sensitive operational zones.”
Nigeria domesticates these standards through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) Part 17 on Aviation Security.
The regulations define the airport “airside” as “the movement area of an airport, adjacent terrain and buildings or portions thereof, access to which is controlled.”
Under the Nig.CARs Part 17.50 series, aerodrome operators are legally required to implement strict access control measures to prevent unauthorised access to aircraft and to closely supervise all activities around aircraft operations.
Access beyond security screening points to the ramp or aircraft is strictly restricted to screened passengers with valid boarding passes, accredited airline crew, and airport personnel wearing visible On-Duty Cards (ODCs). While regulations make provision for an “escort,” this is strictly defined as authorised security accompaniment for cleared personnel. It does not extend to casual tarmac farewells by non-travelling family members.
Strict protocols on paper
Airport security officials interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES at Sokoto Airport said only screened travellers and authorised personnel are permitted access to restricted airside areas.
Abubakar Manir, officer-in-charge of the Crime, Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Sokoto, told this reporter that high-profile individuals are not exempt from core safety procedures.
“Everyone is subject to screening. The Sultan – even if the Sultan comes here, he must pass through the screening points,” Mr Manir said.
He noted that while certain top-tier VIPs, such as governors, ministers, and first-class traditional rulers, are traditionally afforded protocol aides, regular lawmakers often travel without large entourages.
More importantly, he stressed that no protocol privilege permits a non-travelling spouse to bypass terminal gates onto the aircraft movement area.
“Nobody is allowed to access the ramp. Nobody is allowed to go beyond these screening points unless you are a traveller,” another terminal security officer said. “As far as the rules are concerned, there is no escort beyond the screening point.”
Severe safety hazards
Beyond the regulatory breach, security experts warn that the presence of untrained civilians on the airport apron poses serious operational risks.
Mr Manir disclosed the dangers of influential figures converging on operational airfields.
“There are a lot of risks associated, especially for those who are not travelling… Some aircraft have propeller engines. Once they start the engine, a civilian might not know the safety procedure. If you are too close, the jet blast or propeller can hit you,” he warned.
Selective enforcement and VIP culture
The video has reignited public debate about the selective enforcement of airport rules in Nigeria. While ordinary citizens are routinely stopped at terminal glass doors and prevented from walking relatives to boarding gates, political elites and their families frequently enjoy unhindered access to aircraft steps through informal “VIP protocol” arrangements.
The incident raises serious questions for FAAN about how a non-travelling civilian and an accompanying videographer gained access to the restricted tarmac, and whether airport security personnel on duty compromised established safety protocols.
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Responses still expected
Mr Abbo did not answer multiple calls to his official line.
Similarly, inquiries made through the official channels of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and FAAN headquarters yielded no immediate response, with officials stating that responses were being processed.
