‘Is Gate 3 of MMIA hajj terminal for smugglers?’ Customs replies FAAN, as NCS, AVSEC bickering rages

[By VICTOR NZE]

Bickering between the Aviation Security (AVSEC) outfit of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has flared, as an attempt by the government’s approved airport management agency to respond to issues of responsibility has been rebuffed by the Customs.

FAAN, while attempting to clarify its position and that of the point raised by the NCS Airport Command, Tuesday, was met with backlash, as the Customs questioned the capacity of FAAN’s AVSEC to interrogate it on its security responsibilities.

It would be recalled that, the Airport Security (AVSEC) outfit of FAAN had physically clashed with officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Gate 3 of the Cargo and Hajj Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja in Lagos, last Thursday, with the airport operatives urging the latter to ‘respect its mandate of ensuring security at the country’s airports in the interest of national security.’

This, is however, as the NCS responded immediately to the allegation as they called AVSEC officials’ action as a ‘display of false sense of superiority.’

FAAN had issued a statement, on Monday, recounting an incident of last Thursday, at the Hajj and Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, when officials of the NCS reportedly ‘shoved aside the AVSEC officer’ stationed at the Gate 3 of the terminal to gain entrance into the airport, even as they allegedly ‘threatened to beat up the AVSEC officers’ if challenged.

FAAN, in a statement by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu (Mrs.), Monday, said the incident of last Thursday, ‘was a blatant abuse of the privilege of bearing firearms by the NCS,’ which according to her, ‘has become a recurrent threat to the safety and security of our staff and our operations.’

FAAN in the statement titled; ‘Breach of Airport Security; Customs Officials forcefully open security gate,’ therefore, urged ‘urge all stakeholders to please respect our mandate by being of disciplined and professional conduct in the interest of national security and operational safety.’

“At about 1745mhrs on Thursday, January 20, 2022 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, 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.

“This incident was a 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,” read the statement.

However, the Nigeria Customs Service reacted to the FAAN allegation, as it described the incident involving its personnel and the AVSEC officials as a ‘display of false sense of superiority.’

Responding via its official Twitter handle (@CustomsNG), Monday, the NCS urged its own operatives and those of the AVSEC to ‘engage and understand each other’s roles.’

“The senior officials of both agencies should engage and understand each other’s roles instead of this display of false sense of superiority,” NCS said.

However, FAAN, Tuesday, responded to Monday’s NCS claims of ‘superiority,’ when it issued a statement via its verified Twitter handle (@FAAN_Official) explaining that airfields all over the world are ‘Security Restricted Areas, be it a cargo or non cargo airport.’

“It’s a cargo terminal in Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA is not a dedicated International Cargo Airport. In the interest of National security, all airfields worldwide are Security Restricted Areas (SRA), be it a cargo or non cargo airport.

“No staff or agency is beyond or above submitting to standard security procedures in any airport..no matter what ‘role’ the agency plays. There is no role that Justifies serial Indiscipline, and assault on fellow citizens.

“FAAN assumes no superiority over any other agency.  We support and cooperate with all agencies in the national interest, provided the safety and security of our staff is assured, otherwise, NO.

“We must not trivialise this matter as about FAAN or the NCIS, it’s about the Dignity and safety of our security personnel that are regularly being assaulted and humiliated in Public.

“It is unacceptable because they are also human with families, and fellow citizens discharging a no less important national responsibility,” FAAN said.

Replying to FAAN statement, immediately on Tuesday, the NCS also via its verified Twitter handle (@CustomsNG), berated FAAN for displaying a ‘lack of understanding of NCS roles,’ over the former’s claims that parts of the MMIA are off-limits to its operatives.

“Saying that a gate is restricted to Customs in an international cargo airport shows lack of understanding of NCS roles.

“Could it be that the gate is being made available for Smugglers?” NCS said.