Stowaway: FAAN tightens security at nation’s airports

My Yakubu Dati, General Manager,
Corporate Communications, Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said that
additional security measures would be put
in place to prevent a reoccurrence of a
stowaway from the runways of the nation’s
airports.
Dati said this on Thursday while addressing
aviation correspondents at the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja.
He stressed that the additional security
measures would specifically be placed on
airports without perimeter fencing.
He said that the decision was inline with the
recent stowaway incident which occurred at
the Benin Airport on Aug. 24.
“First, at every airport without fully
functional perimeter fence, a FAAN security
vehicle will be deployed to a point within full
view of the aircraft as it taxies out to take
off.
“And the FAAN security will maintain visual
scrutiny and, if necessary, respond to any
situation, until every departing aircraft is
safely airborne.
“Secondly, bushes at all airports are to be
cleared to ensure full view of the perimeter,
the control tower, FAAN Fire and Rescue
observation posts.
“And also to allow aviation security patrol
teams have a sweeping view of the entire
perimeter of an airport from their duty
posts, “ he said.
According to him, static observation posts
would be erected at strategic locations
within the perimeter fence of all airports to
forestall premeditated and inadvertent
unauthorised access to the airside.
He said that the measure would be
complemented by motorised and foot
patrols.
Dati noted that the absence of perimeter
fences at most of the airports had always
posed a challenge to FAAN because of the
huge capital outlay required in constructing
the fences.
He said that some of the fences were as
long as 40 kilometres, across the 22
network of airports in the country.
“Most of these projects are expected to
commence in 2014, while the remaining
ones will be executed in 2015, in line with
the Transformation Agenda in the aviation
industry,“ he said.
He said that FAAN has taken the issue of
security at the country’s airports more
seriously in recent times, as shown in the
dismantling and removal of abandoned
aircraft. (NAN)