Criticisms Trail Assault of FAAN’s Staff by Security Operatives

Chinedu Eze

One of the major criticisms of Nigerian airports security apparatus is that there is no synergy among the different layers of security and different security agencies that coalesce to secure the facilities all over the country.

That synergy would ensure that all the security personnel work together and not at variance of one another’s narrow objectives.
Security operatives said that it is that lack of synergy that has created chasm in the midst of the operators, which has pitted one agency against another.

This has given rise to misunderstanding, which at different times had given vent to violent outrage, where most often the staff of the federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) becomes the victim of the violence.
Several similar incidents that have occurred over the years have prompted the aviation lavour unions to threaten that FAAN staff might withdrew services if such obnoxious incidents continue to occur.

Last week the unions issued a release and said that it has become absolutely necessary to cry out about the unceasing assault and brutality being metted to aviation security personnel of FAAN and other aviation workers by national security personnel serving at Nigerian airports, noting that such incidents have been more prevalent at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, indicting Customs Officers as having been most guilty of these atrocities.

The unions said that all recorded assaults by security personnel so far have arisen from forceful entry, or attempted forceful entry, into restricted areas by unauthorised security personnel; leaving attendant FAAN Aviation Security staff brutalised, sometimes heavily, adding that all such acts allude to serious security breaches at the airports concerned.
The national security personnel refer to the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Air Force and the Nigeria Police Force.

“The question remains as to how long these delinquent national security personnel shall continue to breach national security, brutalise other aviation workers and carry on flouting civil aviation regulations made for safe and secure operations at the airports. How long shall our unions turn blind eyes to the continuing debasement of the dignity of labour of these hapless aviation workers in the hands of armed and marauding Customs Officers and other security forces at the airports? We hold that time has come to state clearly that enough is enough,” the labour unions said in the joint statement.

They also said, “In the light of the foregoing, we find it necessary and urgent to call the attention of the Honourable Minister of Aviation, the Director General of the NCAA, the Management Director of FAAN, and the Heads of the security agencies at the airports to put heads together for the purpose of putting an end to assault and brutality against aviation workers, particular to FAAN Aviation security personnel, by airports security forces.

“In the first place, it should be noted that the airports in question are civil, and not military, airports, which are under the purview of the regulations of NCAA, and of which aviation security is an important part. This should speak to the manner of inter-relationship of all security agencies at the airports. Considering that all the security agencies perform important functions, none less than the other, we expect that they should all work with mutual respect for each other, instead of the present anachronism.”

The unions also called on the heads of all security forces at the airports – the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and any other, to urgently reign in their officers and bring about collaboration and co-operation among themselves in the interest of National Security and the dignity of other civilian colleagues at the airports workplaces.

“However, and very importantly, we should warn that our unions would no longer tolerate any further assault and brutalisation of our members who are civilian airport workers. Should there be another incidence of such, we shall not hesitate to direct withdrawal of all our members from identified danger zones in which threat to the lives of workers is allowed free reign,” the statement said.
In January 2022, FAAN had accused the Nigeria Customs Service of breaching airport security by forcefully opening security gate at the Cargo Terminal of the Lagos airport.

FAAN explained that in airport management, Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel of FAAN are recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as being in charge of airport security.

Therefore, the agency stated that other security operatives support and ought to take directives from FAAN. It, however, accused Customs officials of breaching security protocol by unilaterally opening security gate against the rule of engagement.
In June 2015, about eight security officers with FAAN were allegedly beaten-up by some men of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The security personnel under the Aviation Security (AVSEC), the security arm of FAAN, were carrying out their statutory duties when the incident happened. They were rushed to the FAAN clinic for treatment after the incident.
Aviation security expert and consultant, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd) said these assaults would stop when the security operatives start working together under one unit.

“We need a unitary control for the multiple security agencies and multiple control brings conflict of interest and put the airport and national security in danger; the reason for the establishment of TSA (Transport Security Administration) of US,” Ojikutu advised.