Experts Warn against Frequent Security Breaches at Airports
Chinedu Eze
Aviation security experts have warned that if the frequent security breaches at the airports continue it may lead to threat of lives and property, which would be injurious to the image of Nigeria and the air transport sector.
Last week, a 25-year-old man was caught at the runway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, attempting to hide in aircraft wheel-well of Air Peace flight.
He was, however, arrested by Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Earlier this year, similar incident happened where a middle-aged man identified as Nigerien attempted to climb Azman Air aircraft on the same runway but was stopped and eventually he was arrested by security operatives.
There have also been unconfirmed reports of runway incursion, where it was alleged that some people access the airside of the airport to rob aircraft at withholding point, waiting for another aircraft movement.
Owing to this, industry security consultant and CEO of Centurion Securities, Group Capt John Ojikutu (retd), has warned that FAAN and concerned security operatives should reinforce security at the airports.
Ojikutu, said that major security challenge is insider threat in which aviation security officials could be recruited by terrorists to carry out maximum damage at airport facilities.
“Insiders threats from airport staff when and where there are no sufficient background checks on them before employment; there are others who have been disengaged but whose ID cards and IDC have not been retrieved but somehow gained access to the security controlled areas; there are issues of workers of contractors who are not adequately processed for access into to security controlled areas, etc. “There are many access into the security controlled areas that need to be fortified, outside the 23km perimeter fence, especially around the cargo terminals, the general aviation operation terminals, etc.”, Ojikutu said.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Hamisu Yadudu had acknowledged in a recent interview after the recent incident, that there could be insider threats at the airport who could help would-be stowaways to access the airport.