The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) decision to deploy armed security personnel at international airports has generated mixed reactions.
There are mixed reactions to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) decision to deploy armed Aviation Security (AVSEC) special force officers at international airports across the country.
There are differing opinions on the development, and there
have also been concerns raised about the growing number of armed security
personnel.
During discussions, certain aviation security specialists
expressed concerns that the presence of firearms may not be appealing to
international travelers who have a fear of guns. They suggested that this could
potentially have a negative impact on the psychological well-being of travelers.
Nevertheless, other parties advocated for the perspective to
be discarded, elucidating that the sequence of events that transpired during
the 1980s and 1990s rendered the development justifiable.
Multiplication or application of arms
The Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security and Safety
Consults, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retired), emphasize that aviation
security does not solely rely on the proliferation or utilization of weapons.
He said: “From the beginning to the end, it is profiling and
screening. It is only when you have breaches that you can now bring them (armed
men) in. It is in the contingency plan. Every airport has a contingency plan
for aviation security.
”Those who come for the contingency plan are not part of
aviation security, they come from outside. Real aviation security anywhere is
not about arms carrying, it is the profiling, screening, the screening of
carry-on luggage, screening of check-in baggage and the screening of cargo that
would go inside the aircraft.
Shooting
“Everybody in the airport now is carrying arms, which is
wrong. Customs is carrying arms, immigration is carrying arms, DSS is carrying
arms, who is in control? If anything happens in that airport between one agency
and another, they will start shooting one another.
“Even the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO,
will be watching us from behind and they will be telling us that this is not
part of it.
”Aviation people are carrying guns, the civil defence are in
the airport carrying guns, the police are there too. What are they doing?
Everybody wants to have a piece of the cake in the airport.”
Prime target
However, aviation security expert, Dr. Ayodele Obilana,
offered a contrasting perspective, asserting that it is a global expectation
for states to deploy armed security personnel at their airports.
Obilana said: “According to ICAO, states are expected to
deploy armed guards, following a series of incidents in the 80s and 90s. It is
part of the life we live all over the world because aviation remains a prime
target.
”For many reasons, aviation brings together people from
different nationalities, cultures and countries.”