The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday identified the man who attempted to illegally board a flight at the taxiway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos a Nigerien.
The FAAN added that the name of the violator “is Mr. Usman Adamu, a citizen of Niger Republic,” though no detailed information was available about him.
The agency’s Managing Director, Captain Hamisu Yadudu disclosed the man’s identity at a news conference he addressed at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano yesterday.
Speaking at the conference, Yadudu said the suspect had been handed over to the Nigerian Police for further interrogation.
He, also, confirmed that the federal government through the Ministry of Transport had already assisted in the award of contracts for perimeter fences at the airports, including detection devices and CCTV cameras with infrared capacity for night operations.
He added that plans “are also underway to erect observation towers this year, so as to enable proper monitor and coverage of the airport.”
Yadudu said FAAN already “has a security patrol/escort team in place for arriving and departing aircraft, but will arrange another joint patrol team involving FAAN AVSEC (Aviation Security), the police and the military to assist in protecting the sanctity of the airside of the airport and ensure the security of flight operations and the travelling public.
Yadudu said globally new threats “are springing up daily and the criminal elements are fashioning out ways to circumvent security architectures and this calls for security reinforcement and for security operatives to be more observant.”
He however added that it was up to FAAN to continuously improve on security and put adequate measures in place to mitigate the threats.
He said FAAN would continue “to work with relevant stakeholders and the regulatory agencies towards ensuring safe operations at nation’s airports.”
Although no detailed information was made available about the man by the agency, there are indications that the violator has been parading the airside of the runway for sometime, which aviation security experts consider as serious runway incursion.
To prevent such incident from happening, FAAN said it had ordered for the immediately completion of the perimeter and security fencing of the airside of the Lagos airport and to fortify security patrol of the entire airport 24 hours a day.
The agency also said it has taken full responsibility of the security breach.
Adamu on Friday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos wanted to forcefully enter Azman Air aircraft with registration number 5N-HAI, which was at the holding point of the runway, waiting for a signal from the control towers to take off.
The passengers raised an alarm, which prompted the pilot of the flight to notify Aviation Security through the control tower and he shut down the engine of the aircraft so that the man would not be sucked in.
Similar breached had taken place in the past at the airport. There are reports where aircraft on holding point at the runway were robbed but from indications, FAAN is determined to put an end to such breaches in future.
Source: THISDAY
