Personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service on January 20, 2022 displayed the I-can-kill-you-nothing-will-happen attitude at the international wing of the Murtala Muahmmed Airport, Lagos when they overwhelmed the aviation security officials and forcefully gained access to the security restricted area of the airport.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which disclosed this in a statement yesterday, said some gun-wielding NCS officers who were on the entourage of an area comptroller, threatened to beat up aviation security men on duty.
The statement reads: “At about 1745hrs on Thursday, January 20, 2022, while the AVSEC officers on day duty at Gate 3 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport were profiling a NAHCO vehicle that wanted to access the security restricted area 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.
“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.”
