Tackling Terror at Airports

Following reports that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has threatened to bomb flights at different parts of the world, Chinedu Eze writes that Nigeria must reinforce its security apparatus to forestall possible attacks at any of the nation’s airports

Aviation experts have posited that terrorists prefer attacking airports and airplanes because it gives them the opportunity to do maximum damage and earn wide publicity.

That is why the recent threat to Nigeria which was confirmed by the federal government in circulars it sent to the Nigeria Customs, Immigration, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), directing the agencies to fortify security at airports and borders, calls for concern.

According to the memo from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), “Available report reveals that AI-Abd al-Faqlr Media, a pro Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (1515) media outlet, on 26^th April, 2018, warned that ISIS plans to attack commercial flights and bring “bloodshed to the ’ skies.”

The warning, which was issued in English, French and Arabic was distributed by Telegram and other online fora and was accompanied by an image of a clean-shaven dark-haired white man sitting on the aisle seat of a flight with a knife in his hand.

 “Statements from ISIS affiliated media groups such as Al-Abd al-Faqir media are often used to advise followers on new attack methods and targets.

“The image of a white man with knife in his hand suggest that the attack could be carried out with a knife as was the case during the 9/11 attacks in the US in 2001.

“It would be recalled that ISIS claimed responsibility for the explosion and death of all two hundred and 224 passengers aboard the Russian Metrojet flight 9268 shortly after take-off from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in October, 2015.

  “The ISIS appears to be re-strategising with more focus on the Middle East and Asia, following the loss of most of its territory in Iraq and Syria.

“Although Africa of appears not to be on ISIS immediate focus, the return to Africa of former ISIS fighters from Iraq and Syria as well as the existence of ISIS-linked groups such as the technically suave Abu Musab Al-Barnawiled Boko Haram faction call for increased vigilance in the aviation sector, to counter possible new strategies in the 1515 terror campaign.”

Global Terror Threat

 Last year, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Cancun, Mexico, the Director-General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexandre de Juniac,  said with the growing spate of terror attacks in different parts of the world, it had become the greatest threat faced by global air transport.

“The freedom that is at the core of aviation remains a target for terrorists. That was clear in UN Security Council Resolution 2309. It confirmed that states have more to do in fulfilling their responsibility to keep their citizens secure when travelling by plane.

“That is vital to airlines because keeping our passengers and crew safe and secure is our top priority. While that creates a natural partnership with governments on security, the relationship is showing cracks,” De Juniac said.

Nigeria’s Lax Security System

Owing to this development, aviation security experts have said Nigerian security system may not be prepared to effectively fight terror attacks because it would need advanced technology to detect possible incendiary devices hidden in electronic gadgets.

 The CEO of Scope Centre, Adebayo Babatunde told THISDAY that it has become obvious that cyber security is the new focus in terrorism and the advancement and international dimensions are worrisome.

 “The extent of breach a tablet or pad or any of such devices can cause is overwhelming and I’m not sure anyone can affirm what maximum damage they can cause.

In response to these threats, the United States of America at a time came up with this prohibition order on tablets, pads and other electronic devices carried on passengers flying to the US from certain airports, this was swiftly followed by the UK government having received the intelligence from the US. But the prohibition was later lifted.

 “For us in Nigeria, the growing activism and militancy coupled with the tactical shift of the Boko Haram insurgents call for maximum alerts and surveillance.

“No proactive measure is too much for threat prevention. It is incumbent on our security managers to measure the threat levels in the different regions and come up with the appropriate measures but as it relates to international aviation,” Babatunde said.

 He added that other measures currently in place should be maintained and upgraded if there is advancement in counter technology.

Terror Attacks

 Former Managing Director of FAAM, Richard Aisuebeogun in a recent presentation remarked that airports and aircraft continue to offer series of highly attractive targets to terrorists and insurgents for the following reasons:

The high value of the aircraft themselves, the concentration of people (often representing different nationalities), the automatic media coverage (breaking news/headlines) generated by aviation related terrorism due to the drama, publicity and psychological effect associated with it and the uniqueness of airlines and airports as veritable instruments of national identity, which makes it targets for terrorist attacks.

“It is worthy to note that the protection of civil aviation against global terrorism (Aviation Security) is normally tackled by a two-prong approach: the regulatory framework and the technical/physical protection measures,” Aisuebeogun said.

 He noted that the regulatory framework for the protection of civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference is established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and domesticated by the Member State Civil Aviation Authority for implementation by service providers.

“Since the formation of ICAO, the aviation industry has developed in leaps and bounds thereby requiring oversight and regulation in the interest of security and safety of the stakeholders. The civil aviation regulations have been consequently developed from time to time in response to emerging new threats.

                                                                                             “Over a thirty-year period for instance, the industry has experienced major challenges and changes including technological advancement as well as criminal activity of international dimension and terrorism. These have called for reassessment of security measures by all players beyond national, territorial and regional scope,” the former FAAN boss said.

Technology has helped to advance airport security but as the aviation security expert, Adebayo Babatunde once noted, as the world manufactures the latest equipment to checkmate the activities of terrorists, they are inventing new ways to avert such equipment in order to carry out their nefarious activities.

Aisuebeogun remarked however, that it is obvious that technology alone cannot safeguard worldwide security without an active involvement of the human elements, a highly trained and properly motivated professional staff is required at all levels.

“High emphasis is therefore placed on the continuing high level professional training of the staff worldwide and this requires that each country must make appropriate resources available,” he said.

Airport Security

The challenge in airport security is the ability of a security programme to avert persons with bad intentions from gaining access to sensitive areas of the airport and the overall prevention of any kind of security breach.

So it is the responsibility of airport managers to ensure that certain security elements are in place and this includes airport perimeter control.

According to Aisuebeogun, African airports within the limit of resources available to them have secured the perimeters of the airports by providing both Perimeter and Operational fences in some airports. The World Bank is also assisting African countries with some perimeter fence work.

“We have also provided access control at designated gates / entry points to ensure strict access control to the airside so that only genuine passengers and staff gain access.

“African airports are equipped with perimeter roads to enable security patrol and aid emergency operations.  All entry points/gates are also manned and access control measures put in place to prevent intrusion; during periods of red alert, aircraft may also be escorted to holding points by security agents.

“The introduction of the machine-readable travel document (MRTD) programme by most African countries Immigration Services which became a mandatory global standard by April 2010 is also a vital tool in addressing aviation terrorism. This programme has been acknowledged as one of the most important available tools for enhancing the security of global civil aviation and promoting global inter-operability, and an essential tool for preventing terrorist movement across borders,” Aisuebeogun said.

The major challenge Nigerian airports face in the fight against terrorist incursion is the porous nature of the airports.

However, FAAN said that it is reinvigorated the security apparatus at the airports with the support of the federal government.

“We have reinforced our security at the international airports both on passengers and on luggage. We have CCTV at the airside that is working 24 hours and we also have at the terminals. They are all working 24 hours. We also have joint military patrol team, the joint military task force that accompanies aircraft while taxiing to take off and on arrival. We ensure that we monitor every movement at the airport and we have patrol the fences of these major airport,” explained FAAN spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu.

Yakubu said since the memo was received by FAAN it had tightened its security both at cargo sections of the major airports and on passengers, noting that the CCTV, which is unobstrusive, is closely monitored as every passenger is scrutinized, adding that with technology, there is reinforcement of scrutiny because passengers are physically search, while technology us used to monitor every movement.