Update: FAAN Suspends Officers On Duty During Plane Climbing Saga

BY Uche Mbah

In what may be described as panic reaction, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, made a sweeping suspension of all security unit heads on duty during the recent stowaway plane-climbing incident pending the outcome of an investigation already instituted by the agency, the first time they will react so swiftly over security breaches.

This Magazine found out that all Airports in the country have porous security fences, with many completely lacking perimeter Fences.

At the Murtala Muhammed Airport, both security and Perimeter fences have completely collapsed in some places, while the barbed wire that form part of the security is non existent in many places.

There has been reports in the past of Herdsmen taking over aprons with cows due to security lapses. This has resulted in Air France landing on top of cows in Portharcourt, with the pilot, who never imagined they could be cows thinking they were a flock of geese.

In Sokoto, Miscreants overtook the apron to welcome a politician that came for campaign.

All these and other stowaway crisis always ends up in business as usual for the ground handling agency.

But this time, according to Henrietts Yakubu, FAAN spokes person, “the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has suspended indefinitely the Aviation Security unit heads who were on duty when the incident occurred, pending completion of ongoing investigation into the regrettable security infringement.”

She listed the affected officers as the Airport Chief of Security, Mamman Mohammed Sadiku, International Terminal Security Officer, Oni Adedamola Abiodun, Head of Department Domestic Terminal 2, Owotor Kenneth Okezie and Head of Department Domestic Terminal 1, Badejo Adebowale Ayodele.

“In the interim, a General Manager of the Authority, Dr. Anne Enyinnaya-Egbadon, has been detailed to take charge of security at the airport. Other affected officers have also been replaced,” she said.

According to her, the current arrangement is aimed at “ensuring an efficient and thorough investigation towards the recovery and sustenance of the airport’s proactive security integrity. FAAN views this breach as a serious security concern and has commenced investigation to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of this incident to forestall future occurrence.”

Stakeholders insist that the arrangement is probably to assuage frayed nerves, as little or nothing is being done about the porous fences. The staff strength may be spread thin for all angles to be covered by security personnel. “Moreover, the current rule of mediocrity in the country is having a band wagon effect on all government agencies”, a stakeholder told this magazine after the incident.