Security agencies devised ways of securing the airports. The security agencies including personnel from the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN), Aviation security unit, Nigeria police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, the State Security Service, National Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Air Force promised to redouble their efforts at countering terrorism.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Airport Command Mr Haliru Gwandu, said the synergy among the agencies must be strengthened to keep potential terrorists at bay from the airport.
He observed that theft in the airport, which he attributed to connivance among airport personnel, is a great cause for worry for the Police.
Gwandu called for more logistics for the Police to do their job, especially in perimeter patrol, arrest of miscreants and other unlawful interferences on the land and airside.
Johnpaul Echeta, the Commanding Officer, Anti-Terrorism, stressed the need to enhance security around the airports at both peak and non-peak period to miscreants from catching in on the loopholes.
He appealed to the authorities to put right pegs in the right holes to avoid compromise among security agencies, adding that security is everyone’s duty.
Other participants advised that the latest security technologies should be acquired to assist airport security agencies to achieve success in protecting the airport and its teeming passengers.
The first yearly international airport security and safety summit with the theme: Getting it right was organised by Karamba Consulting.
The organiser, Daniel Young, said the event would afford experts the opportunity to learn advanced strategies and technologies deployed to enhance national security.
Young said the event was designed to discover cutting edge technologies and approaches towards achieving optimal physical security of personnel and infrastructure.
He explained that the summit provided a robust platform for experts to examine how to execute appriopriate security training programmes that will meet domestic and international security threat, its needs as well as vulnerabilities in the airport operating environment and the resultant culture.
He said: “The summit has gone a long way in addressing the issues of security and the safety needs in Nigerian airports.” Part of the issues discussed include securing Nigerian airports, airspace safety and security, cross border strategies for sharing intelligence as well as innovative strategies that facilitate risk-based airport security and safety.
Other issues include contingency planning- threat assessment and airport in internal security, protecting air travellers in Nigeria a security imperative.
Young explained that the effects of the threat of terrorism has become imperative to attract the attention of aviation experts, because the industry is often used as target by terrorists.
He said: “There is need to explore new strategies of combating domestic and cross border security threats. This has become serious because the airports serve as the main link between national and international boundaries.”
