Imagine the Aviation Security (AVSEC) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) held a crucial meeting on Monday morning involving all the security operatives that work at the airport terminal on how to further secure the passengers, other airport users and facilities from terror attacks and any other security breach.
Imagine that after the meeting where every possible loophole was discussed and options suggested on how to close such loopholes and after that a member of the security operatives who attended the meeting took the discussions to a terror organisation that is planning to invade the airport and do maximum damage.
This is what is called insider threat and many successful and failed airport invasion and terror attacks in the past in some countries had such insider help. It is even being speculated that despite the assertion of Egypt that the Russian airliner that crashed at Sham el Sheik late last year was not bombed, it is alleged in some quarters that the bomb might have been taken to the aircraft by a compromised AVSEC personnel.
With such compromise the whole edifice of security apparatus crashes. That is why few years ago the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) started the profiling of its AVSEC officials and according to the Director of Security then, these officials were scrutinised at intervals and their superiors continuously kept a check on them. According to the spokesman of FAAN, Yakubu Dati, the agency has reinforced that policy, taking cognizance of the increase in terror threat in the world. Airports are always prime target for terror attacks.
Recently the Commissioner of Police, Airport Police Command, CP Victory Menta gave a presentation at the Lagos airport on terror threat and insider threat in and around Nigerian airports.
Menta said in the Nigerian airports, the chances of success or failure for a terrorist to launch a successful strike in the air are greatly predetermined by what takes place on land. He noted that airport security, to a great extent, forms the greatest hurdle for a successful terrorist attack and thus remains the best and often times last option for a terrorist attack to be easily identified and thwarted.
“It may interest you to know that if a tout can infiltrate sensitive and restricted areas of the airport without being thwarted, a terrorist can, in most likelihood, do the same. An insider’s cruel act is therefore more challenging to detect and thwart,” Menta said.
He noted that in the Nigerian aviation sector, there are critical components that are stakeholders at the airports. These comprise of the government agencies and the private sector and these include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB). There are also support organisations and private sector companies.
He said police are expected to carry out some security roles at the airport, noting that police designated for such responsiblities are officers and men who are trained to provide physical/visible security to curtail insurgency/terror and are presently at the nation’s airports.
“The explosive ordinance department is a section in the Police that are involved in the detection, detonation of explosive device – such as bombs and improvised explosive devices (I.E.D.). They are at all critical areas of the airport at checking counters, screening points, entrances to terminal buildings, airside etc.,” he said.
There are also the security intelligence bureau that are involved in intelligence gathering, profiling and security information with a view to fish out the “chaff from the wheat”. They provide intelligence on global and national security threats and determine the level of security threat at all times and they work round the clock to achieve this.
Menta said some of the challenges facing the effective tackling of terrorists and insiders threats around the airport include human fallibility, recommending that security officials, particularly those manning entry and exit points, need to be diligent in screening whoever enters the secured areas.
Another challenge is complacency when after some time security officials relapse with the notion that since terrorists such as the Boko Haram insurgents have yet to infiltrate airports, it can therefore never happen.
The third challenge is the variable levels of airport security particularly between smaller and bigger airports, whereby the prevailing notion is that smaller airports are not viable terrorist targets or conduits for terrorism.
Menta therefore recommended that all the stakeholders/general public to be extra vigilant and suspicious of strange elements, adding that there should be continuous public awareness to all airport users on dangers of terror; the training and retraining of both the security agencies and all other stakeholders on the need for security consciousness.
He said concerned authorities should ensure all the Close Circuit Cameras (CCTV) are working and more to be deployed to remote areas/perimeter fence.
He also recommended that there should be improved lighting/search lights installation at the airside as well as increased visibility at all the land side at nights; reinforcement and continuous checks on both inner and outer perimeter fences and that “insiders’ threats” is a more dangerous dimension that involves profiling of staff on regular basis by those involved.
“It is not a job to be left for DSS and Police,” he said.
Industry analyst and former Managing Director of FAAN, Richard Aisuebeogun recently remarked that airports and aircraft continue to offer series of highly attractive targets to terrorists and insurgents for the following reasons:
The high value of the aircraft themselves, the concentration of people (often representing different nationalities), the automatic media coverage (breaking news/headlines) generated by aviation related terrorism due to the drama, publicity and psychological effect associated with it and the uniqueness of airlines and airports as veritable instruments of national identity, which makes it targets for terrorist attacks.
To tackle insider threat, experts recommend that profiling of AVSEC personnel is important but beyond that they should be well motivated.
