Time To Rethink Nigerian Airports’ Security

As the general consensus on arms bearing by aviation security personnel at Nigerian airports plays out, the relevant authorities have been advised to be cautious, considering the sensitivity of the decision, writes WOLE SHADARE

Crime is a perpetual disease, a plague. Crime’s epidemic is growing and finding new venues with which to spread its havoc. More specifically, crime has mobilised itself in society’s most vital link, transportation. Transportation plays an important role in a community both socially and economically.

Communities depend on mass transit via rail, airlines, ports and canals to transport their assets: people, valuable goods, and vital information. Unfortunately, mass transit is viewed as a suitable target for criminal mischief as it breeds criminal activities.

Terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, cargo theft, organised crime, and the threat of the spread of hazardous cargo, can render unspeakable damage to public safety. One of the most memorable events was that of the terrorist attacks on The World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. Prior to September 11, 2011, there were a number of areas that needed to be addressed with regard to airline security.

One of these areas pertained to those hired by the airlines to act as security screeners. They were often unable to detect possible threats found on passengers and/or on their luggage. These threats include weapons such as cutting devices, guns, bombs, and airborne pathogens.

The failure to detect these devices were a result of constant turnover in the workplace coupled with poor training due to unattractive wages and benefits, which resulted in the hiring of an unskilled, inexperienced labour force.

Another area of concern before the terrorist attacks involved the actual security access areas of the infrastructure. The access control of the airports was not as secure as the government had intended it to be. For example, the incursion unto the airside of Nigeria’s major airports called for a great concern.

Security lapses and insider threats again brought the issue to the fore. Concerned about this situation, government has also given consideration to the abuse and influx of passengers to the restricted areas of the airport by some unruly passengers, thus causing security breach, which is sensitive and dangerous in the airport environment. These agents could have been carrying out threats to the aircraft or its passengers. With their fake credentials, the agents were able to access secure areas 70 per cent of the time.

At that time, there were no real regulations with regard to employee or passenger background checks. The airline industry has grown a great deal in comparison to the past.

Twenty years ago and until recently, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) only existed without power to detect and prevent serious threats to people around the aerodromes. But airports now are even larger and more complex than ever. Airlines provide those who use their facilities with a swifter and more efficient form of transportation.

The population of an airport now exceeds that of a medium-size city. According to an airline operator, who preferred anonymity, “airports are intertwined with a mesh of runways, hangars, warehouses, terminals, container stations, high risk storage areas, parking lots, truck depots, vehicle storage centers, car rental businesses, gas stations, restaurants and banks, which make airports even more vulnerable to criminal activity.” FAAN AVSEC have many concerns to deal with on an average day.

These concerns range from normal procedures such as traffic enforcement and auto thefts, to the abnormal violations such as ticket fraud and thefts, as well as homeless persons living within the facility. Compared to early aviation history, airlines have grown dramatically and AVSEC today are confronted with a complex list of duties and obligations.

These obligations have occurred due to the rise in terrorist activities. Nigerians’ everyday lives are now bombarded with threat levels and nightly news of terrorist threats. Based on this, Nigeria seems to have had a rethink on airport security with the Federal Government approving that aviation security personnel should bear arms to enhance security of passengers and installations at the airports.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), only AVSEC personnel are recognised in civil aviation but in Nigeria, there are other security operatives who render auxiliary services at the airport though not trained in civil aviation security.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently said his ministry would partner with the Ministry of Interior and other stakeholders in the training of the affected aviation security personnel in arms’ handling.

“We are very serious about aviation security; just last week, the president approved that aviation security should bear arms, so we are trying to make them take the form and shape. “The Minister of Interior is helping us in that regard from the directive of Mr President to partner with them and other stakeholders to ensure we keep our airports secure.

“So, very soon you will see them with uniform, doing different functions and securing our airports.” He explained that details would be provided at the next stakeholders meeting.

Reacting to the development, an aviation security expert, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), however called for caution before implementing the new directive, stating that all the government security agencies must be put under one command and control if they must work at the airports to avoid any form of working at cross purposes by extracting AVSEC from FAAN.

He said the issue of FAAN AVSEC carrying arms needed serious evaluation of the operational command and control of the various government security agencies at the nation’s airports.

“There is already inherent danger in the present setups and increase in the danger with the approval for FAAN AVSEC to carry arms. “This is not what ICAO Annex 17 envisaged for member states to establish a national aviation security committee as against the establishment of national civil aviation security committee which we have established by the National Civil Aviation Act 2006,” he added. Today, the role of a security professional is a complex one.

Two years after the 9/11 attacks, airline security still seems to remain very strict.

However, people seem to have familiarised themselves with these new changes and no longer gripe about the long lines and time restraints the new regulations have caused. People tend to understand that for their safety, these regulations had to occur and seem to take the long lines and having to come to the airport even earlier in stride. The new security measures have become routine.

Wole Shadare