FAAN deploys new equipment at airports to improve safety

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigerian (FAAN) says it has deployed new equipment at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja (NAIA) and Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos for the safety of flying public.

FAAN Aviation Security Services Director, Usman Sodiq, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

According to him, the equipment include screening machines, IED vapour detectors and hand-held scanners.

The director, who stated that some of the areas in the airports were now automated, added that Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved deployment of K9, which were the Canine dogs.

He said FAAN had concluded issue of arms to its personnel to cover areas that ordinarily would not be covered without such kind of protective equipment.

He said, “The deployment of the security equipment was based on the dynamic challenges at the various airports, as well as their respective threat assessments.

“Based on threat assessments, we looked at areas that require these equipment, for instance, they called from Makurdi today that they needed additional screening machines. So we have to work towards that.

“Therefore it is based on demand and the availability of budget, because we present our budget demands and await results. But we don’t relax, rather we ensure that we are provided with most of these requirements.”

The director gave assurance that all international airports would be well covered security-wise very soon.

According to him, a lot has been virtually covered regarding the coming in of the new terminals constructed by China Engineering Construction Corporation ( CCECC).

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Me Sodiq, who said the Federal Government had approved the provision of CCTV cameras in virtually all airports, added that the aviation security department was currently trying to see available gaps that required full coverage.

On the forthcoming security week, he said that further awareness would be created by making people to be conscious of the needs to promote security culture.

NAN reports that ACI-Africa Security Week beginning from October 25.

ACI-Africa is the international association of African airports that serves as the voice of African airports, with the prime objective of representing and advancing the collective security and safety interests of African airports.

The director said the ACI-Africa would make people to be watchful and aware of threats around them whether perceived or real.

“We want everyone to make it a daily thing. This is part of the elements of the security culture we are talking about,” he stated. (NAN)