The Federal Government has set up a committee to probe a security breach at the Lagos airport.
It has also suspended the Chief Security Officer, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Mr. Joshua Obanle, and the Director of Aviation Security at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Saleh Dunuma, over the incident.
Vandals, in the early hours of Saturday, reportedly dug into some underground installations at the airport and cut vital cables. This damaged the recently installed 24-hour radar system at the airport.
The damage of the cables also severed the communication links as well as the navigation system at the airport.
The Minister of State for Air Transport, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who disclosed this in Abuja on Monday, named the Special Adviser to the President on Aviation Matters, Captain Shehu Iyal, as the Chairman of the Committee.
The newly-appointed Special Adviser to the Minister on Airport Security, Mr. Nta Imeh, will serve as the secretary.
Others on the committee are representatives of the State Security Services; the Nigerian Intelligence Agency; National Security Adviser; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; the Nigeria Police and one AVM Onugha.
The committee is expected to conclude its assignment in two weeks.
Fani-Kayode also announced replacements for the suspended security chiefs, who will hold office on acting capacity until investigations into the incident are concluded.
While Mr. John Oma-ghomi takes over from Dunuma at FAAN, Mr. Mohammed Zakari will take over from Obanle.
The minister, who blasted the management of FAAN for negligence and possible collusion, also commended the management of the National Aviation Management Agency for restoring the damaged systems within 30 minutes after the incident was discovered.
According to the minister, the system which is now at 90 per cent capacity will be fully back by Monday (yesterday).
He described the security breach as �premeditated, well thought about and well-organised sabotage�.
He said, �I have directed that hard military action be taken against anybody that comes to our airport to sabotage the aviation industry. We will uproot them and we will get them out of the system.�
The minister, who described the perpetrators of the act as �beasts in human garb�, added that there would be a total coverage of MMIA with close circuit television within a week.
He added that operatives of the EFCC had been given the authority to operate at the nation�s airports, while stringent security measures would also be implemented to safeguard lives and property.