Aviation ministry approves carrying of arms for airports’ security officers

The Federal Government has approved the carrying of arms for Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers at airports across the country as part of measures to improve security of lives and property.

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who disclosed this yesterday, said the AVSEC personnel would soon be given licenses to carry arms, to complement other agencies in combating security threats.

Speaking at the 2018 AVSEC retreat in Kastina, Sirika noted that the pre-implementation discussion had reached the final stage, saying it would further strengthen the security at the airports in view of the growing threats to the aviation industry.

He disclosed that pilots of local and foreign airlines had reported cases of alleged robbery and attempted attacks at the airports, especially the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

He further explained that rebranding and equipping of the AVSEC were important to build brand identity and create a recognisable corporate identity for officers to make them more professional and customer friendly and meet up with the Ease of Doing Business and safety tasks.

Sirika said most countries have shown keen interest in the country’s growing and expanding aviation industry, stressing that the industry security was crucial to sustaining safety at the airports, which remained a model to the country’s integrity.