The federal government plans to arm aviation security (AVSEC) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is an effort to fortify the airports against possible terror attacks, THISDAY has learnt.
AVSEC is trained to manage airport security and it is recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as the only body that provides security at the airports.
THISDAY learnt that with increasing terror attacks at different airports in the world and with home-grown terror threats, AVSEC personnel are the best trained security operatives to secure the airports in accordance to international principles.
Inside source told THISDAY on Wednesday that following the pronouncement made to arm the officials that the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Internal Affairs have raised a ministerial committee to oversea the training and modalities have been laid on for the training programme.
In addition to existing skills acquired as trained security personnel for airports, AVSEC will undergo training by the Department of Security Service (DSS), the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) and the Nigeria Police.
The AVSEC officials would also be trained on the latest terror tactics, how to detect insider threats and how to efficiently deploy anti-terror equipment already acquired by FAAN.
In addition to fighting terror, agency sources told THISDAY that arming AVSEC would help curb corruption at the airports, including extortion, stowaway, luggage pilfering, as the airport security operatives would now take full charge of the airports.
Currently AVSEC personnel who are not armed are usually assisted by police that carry arms and NAF who were not trained on airport security and who allegedly create porous system for the influx of touts and others who connive with airport workers to commit various crimes at the airport.
THISDAY learnt that in the Act that established FAAN it was indicated that AVSEC officials should carry arms, “this will cut down corruption as the airport security personnel will become answerable to the system. They will effectively check the stealing that is predominant at the nation’s airports.”
Currently most of the airport gates are manned joined by different security operatives but when fully armed, AVSEC would take charge of all the gates.
Inside source also told THISDAY that the armed security operatives currently working at the nation’s airports intimidate FAAN personnel because they carry guns and they are not answerable to the agency and attributed the passage of questionable characters that gain access to the airports to the undesirable actions of the armed security personnel.
“By the time AVSEC is armed the report of stowaway will come to an end because there will be strict monitoring and protection of the airside. Presently there is lack of symmetry in the security system because of the joint activities of these security personnel. They are not answerable to FAAN. There should be a central command which will become effective immediately AVSEC takes full charge of the airports,” the source said.
A former Managing Director of FAAN, Richard Aisuebeogun in a resent presentation remarked that airports and aircraft continue to offer series of highly attractive targets to terrorists and insurgents, so the airports need improved security personnel abreast of anti-terror technology and equipment.
He said terrorists target airports because of 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.
“It is worthy to note that the protection of civil aviation against global terrorism (Aviation Security) is normally tackled by a two-prong approach: the regulatory framework and the technical/physical protection measures,” Aisuebeogun said.
THISDAY
