Against the backdrop of renewed security threats across the nation, stakeholders in the aviation industry have asked the Federal Government, including aviation and other security agencies working at airports, to go beyond the security requirements prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to protect the gateways, which are major targets of would-be terrorists. They jointly expressed worry over the level of insecurity at airports, following recent bombing of the police headquarter in Abuja, and incessant bombings targeting major places across the nation.
Dele Ore, a renowned aviation consultant, thereby urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to secure all access gates to all the airports in the country. While also calling for an upgrade of airport security, Ore advised that there should be a background check of all security personnel at the airports, and should be profiled to ascertain their character. He thus urge for the procurement of additional gadgets for screening, and for FAAN to embark on crowd-control mechanism at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, especially during the peak period.
“The crowd outside the MMIA is a source of concern. Some people have no business being at the airport. More so, a hotel close to the terminal building is a security risk,” he lamented. In the same vein, Muhammed Tukur, assistant secretary general, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), urged the government to nip in the bud, activities of ‘would be’ terrorists from expanding their scope to airports.According to him, all over the world, terrorists such as those that bombed the force headquarter, usually target aviation sector to commit mass murder
The AON scribe, therefore, urged security personnel to ensure they beef up security, and increase surveillance to prevent people with sinister motives from causing problem in the area. He disclosed that the airlines had already beef up security of their own to ensure safety of lives and property, just as he charged aviation workers to report any suspicious movement of persons in to security operatives. Tukur also called on all Nigerians to close ranks and support the Federal Government to provide security at all time, noting that terrorism or act of terrorism has no colour. He stressed that nobody knows where else the perpetrators are targeting.
However, to curb terrorism on board flights emanating from Nigeria, the Federal Government has signed an in-flight security agreement with the United States of America (USA). This agreement involves the deployment of in-flight security officers and air marshals. Harold Demuren, director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), signed on behalf of Nigeria, while John W.Halinski, assistant administrator, Office of Global Strategies, Transport Security Administration (TSA) of America, signed on behalf of the United States of America.
The agreement was signed recently at the Transport Security Administration (TSA) Headquarters, Arlington, Virginia, USA, in the presence the Nigeria ambassador to the United States, Professor Adefuye. The use of air marshals, plain clothes security personnel, have been the near tradition since September 11, when terrorism through the hijack of passenger planes, took a different dimension.