Aviation Security Personnel To Carry Arms At Airports

The Aviation Security otherwise known as  AVSEC will soon begin to carry arms while on duty at the various nation’s airports.
The Director of Security Services of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Usman Sadiq disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
He explained that the approval for the AVSEC to bear fire arms had been given to FAAN security over a decade ago by the Presidency.
He said that inspite of the approval given to AVSEC personnel to bear light fire arms while on dutys, such approval has not been actualised due to operational exigencies.
“We have gone far with the profiling of those to pioneer the project. In addition, requisite logistics have been identified and articulated.
“All arrangement has reached an advance stage. As to the issue of time, let us just say very soon,
we have so much to tidy up and would like to be highly professional in our preparations before execution”, he said.
Sadiq, who is a retired Group Captain and an experienced administrator with versatile knowledge in military operations noted that the need to protect passengers, goods and staff from assault by fanatics, mentally deranged persons and terrorists have become paramount to the officials nation’s aviation industry.
He said the AVSEC directorate is saddled with the responsibility of providing security in all of our airports, adding that AVSEC role can be summarised as safeguarding the civil aviation in all ramifications.
It is however interesting to note that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has given approval to that effect for the AVSEC to bear firearms at the nation’s airports.

Stories by Corlins Walter