Terrorism: US Delists Nigeria

The United States of America  has delisted Nigeria and thirteen other countries as terrorists nations in the world.

Consequently, the US will implement new airline security measures this month to replace mandatory screening of air travellers from the earlier targetted 14 countries, including Nigeria.

The others 13 countries are Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan Syria and Yemen.

Under the new measures, all travellers to the US will be affected and not just travellers from Nigeria, and the 13 other countries earlier short listed by the US last January as either  sponsors of state terrorisms or “countries of interest”.

Announcing the new measures yesterday, Department of Homeland security, Janet Napolitano said ‘the transformation security administration will begin the new enhanced security measures for all are carriers with international flights to the US.

Reacting to the new measures announced by the US , Nigerian Ambassador, Prof Adebowale Adefuye, said “ it is very heart warming coming so soon after my visit to President Barak Obama on behalf of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan

It shows how sensitive the US is to Nigerian plight and interest. Taking alongside the forthcoming of signing of the bi-national commission agreement, the decision  taking alongside.

With the new measures, Napolitano said passengers travelling to the US from international destinations may notice enhanced security and random security screening measures through out the passengers check-in and boarding processes, including the use of explosive trace detection advanced imaging technology, canines terms or pat downs, among other security measures.

Noting that terrorists threat to global aviation is a shared challenge and ensuring  aviation security is a shared responsibility” the US top official said, these new enhanced measures are part of a dynamic threat-based aviation security.

Adefuye had on Monday at the White House, Washington DC delivered a message from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan urging President Barack Obama to revisit Nigeria’s classification as a country of interest.

Elaborating on the new screening measures, a US department of Homeland Security official confirmed “if he or she matches a description, which is tantamount to intelligence profiling, events of officials do not have a suspects name.