By Special Aviation Correspondent/Analyst
Security Managers across airports in the country have been charged to up their game at various levels and develop well coordinated and robust measures in order to mitigate the worrisome sophisticated trend of terrorism, cyber crime, insider threat among others.
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Capt Hamisu Yadudu, who gave this charge at the Annual Retreat of Aviation Security personnel in Benin City said, there was need to address the ever evolving and increasing security threats in the aviation industry that have assumed alarming rate globally.
Yadudu noted that security of civil aviation was top priority saying that States have an obligation to maintain an efficient air transport system with a view to managing confusion and disorder in airport terminals as an essential to the security of the system.
He said that FAAN had embarked on strategic restructuring of its security and safety initiatives adding that under the present administration there had been provision and procurement of new scanning security equipment with the latest technology capable of explosive and narcotics detection.
The FAAN boss said the X-ray equipment comprised of passenger Cabin baggage scanners, hold baggage scanners, body scanners and walk through metal detectors would be delivered on scheduled and deployed to all the five international airports and local ones.
Yadudu remarked that the construction of bi-metal security fence with anti climb and intrusion detection systems were on going in Benin, Ilorin, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna.
According to the FAAN Managing Director upgrade of CCTV was on going and in various stages of completion in some airports stressing that those for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Ikeja and four others would be ready soon while other airports will also enjoy the facility soon.
Yadudu said that the huge investment in technological equipment had been matched by capacity building in terms of staff recruitment and training.
A total of 727 aviation security and aerodrome rescue and fire fighting officers according to the FAAN boss, were recruited, trained and graduated from the Security Institute in Kaduna.
In his keynote address at the occasion, the Director of security services Capt. Usman Abubakar Sadiq commended the Minister of Aviation for his commitment to the growth and development of the aviation industry in Nigeria with necessary attention to the aviation security.
He said the approval by the government for aviation security personnel to bear arms and the engagement of 500 additional hands to existing manpower were all in a bid to improve security at airports.
Sadiq noted that as a result of the demonstration of professionalism by airport security officers and men and cooperation of other stakeholders major incidents have not been recorded in Nigerian airports. He also sued for more cooperation, collaborative efforts and synergy.
