FAAN accuses Customs of breaching security at airport

Abiola Seun

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of security breaches at the nation’s airport, saying the privilege of bearing firearms by the NCS has become a recurrent threat to safety, security, staff and its operations.

In a press statement by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu and a copy made available to newsmen, she said a convoy belonging to the Customs Area Controller, Hajj and Cargo Terminal, breached security screening and allegedly assaulted an on-duty Aviation Security (AVSEC) official.

Yakubu said the privilege of bearing firearms by the NCS has become a recurrent threat to the Safety and Security of our Staff and our operations.

“At about 1745hrs on Thursday, January 20, 2022, while the AVSEC officers on day duty at Gate 3 were profiling a NAHCO vehicle that wanted to access the Security Restricted Area (SRA) via gate 3, the Customs Area Comptroller for Hajj and Cargo Terminal suddenly emerged  and pulled off behind the NAHCO vehicle  that was being  attended  to and CSC Agunbiade, a customs officer on the Area Comptroller’s entourage later shoved aside  the Avsec Officer at the gate, forcefully took over the gate and opened  the gate for the Comptroller  and his escorts  to forcefully  access the Security Restricted Area via the gate.

“While accessing the gate, the  armed escorts to the Comptroller threatened to beat up the Avsec officers at the gate if they dare resist their assault and breach of security,” Yakubu said in the statement.

She, however, urged stakeholders and other security operatives at the airports to be disciplined and professional in their conduct,

“This blatant  abuse of the privilege of bearing firearms by the NCS has become a recurrent threat to the Safety and Security of our Staff and our operations.”

“While we keep on working to resolve all our challenges decisively, we hereby urge all stakeholders to please respect our mandate by being of disciplined and Professional  conduct in the interest of national security and operational safety,” she warned,