Mixed reactions are trailing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN’s, move to deploy gun-wielding officers of Aviation Security, AVSEC, special force across international airports in the country.
Opinion is not only divided over the development, facts regarding the increasing presence of arms bearing security personnel have also been expressed.
In separate conversations with Vanguard, some aviation security experts complained that foreign travellers who have a phobia for guns might not find their presence attractive, saying it could affect the psyche of travellers.
However, others called for the perspective to be jettisoned, explaining that the series of incidents in the 80s and 90s had made the development justifiable.
Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security and Safety Consults, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retd, said aviation security was not about multiplication or application of arms.
He said: “From the beginning to the end, it is profiling and screening. It is only when you have breaches that you can now bring them (armed men) in. It is in the contingency plan. Every airport has a contingency plan for aviation security.
”Those who come for the contingency plan are not part of aviation security, they come from outside. Real aviation security anywhere is not about arms carrying, it is the profiling, screening, the screening of carry-on luggage, screening of check-in baggage and the screening of cargo that would go inside the aircraft.
Shooting
“Everybody in the airport now is carrying arms, which is wrong. Customs is carrying arms, immigration is carrying arms, DSS is carrying arms, who is in control? If anything happens in that airport between one agency and another, they will start shooting one another.
“Even the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, will be watching us from behind and they will be telling us that this is not part of it.
”Aviation people are carrying guns, the civil defence are in the airport carrying guns, the police are there too. What are they doing? Everybody wants to have a piece of the cake in the airport.”
Prime target
However, aviation security expert, Dr Ayodele Obilana, on his part, shared a different view, saying all over the world, states were expected to deploy armed guards at their airports.
Obilana said: “According to ICAO, states are expected to deploy armed guards, following a series of incidents in the 80s and 90s. It is part of the life we live all over the world because aviation remains a prime target.
”For many reasons, aviation brings together people from different nationalities, cultures and countries.”
