FAAN Accuses Customs Of Security Breach

FAAN accused several customs personnel at Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s Hajj/Cargo terminal, Lagos Command, of breaking airport security by forcibly opening the security barrier at the cargo terminal.

FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu, issued a statement headlined “Breach of Airport Security; Customs agents forcefully open security gate.”

Before carrying out the security breach, the customs officer in the entourage of the comptroller of the area command shoved aside aviation security employees on duty at the gate, according to Yakubu.

He said that the incident occurred under the watchful eye of the Command’s Comptroller, Dan Galadima, who was in his car at the time.

The statement read “At about 17:45hrs on Thursday, Jan. 20, 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,” FAAN alleged.

The airport authority however noted that personnel of the NCS, who bear arms, are in the habit of flagrant disobedience to security measures in the airport with threat to deal with AvSec personnel who are not armed.

“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.’’

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