The Kano airport security breach, an example of a red flag

How a strange man found his way into an aircraft parked at the Malam Aminu Kano International airport late last year has continued to raise dust.

There was a security breach at the Kano airport towards the end of the outgone year when the questionable man beat all security apparatus at the airport and walked freely into one of the aircraft parked at the apron.

According to the trending news, the presence of the unwanted guest  was discovered by the crew, who saw him hiding inside the aircraft toilet.

The indigenous airline was said to have parked the aircraft at Kano airport on a Wednesday night for an early morning flight to the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos after the last day’s sector, only for the crew to find the man inside the aircraft’s toilet when they resumed for duty.

A source had alleged that the incident was the second escapade coming from the same man at the airport.

The crew as expected immediately alerted the Aviation Security (AVSEC), a directorate under FAAN responsible for  security at the airports  and the police anti-bomb squad to arrest the suspect and frisk the aircraft. The development delayed the Lagos bound flight by two hours.

According to the source who works at the Kano airport: “AVSEC was passive, they checked your boarding pass, but didn’t ask for matching identity card and others. Also, boarding was chaotic. FAAN needs to take a look at this airport.

“Where the aircraft was parked is a security control area (restricted area). You can only be allowed access to some of these areas at the airport with your on-duty-cards, which even restrict you to particular areas within the airport.”

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While the breach has continued to generate debates even in the new year, the development has once again called for questioning the safety and security around the country’s airports at a time the entire length and breadth of the country is under siege.

What was baffling about the sad development was the fact that the mystery man in the aircraft had formed the habit of regularly beating the airport security layer to not only find its way into the airport but puncture the security layers and then walk majestically into any choice parked plane unnoticed.

Amongst the numerous questions calling for answers from FAAN, the agency of government responsible for keeping the airports safe and secured include: the job of AVSEC officials assigned to prevent undesirable elements from straying into the sterile parts of the airport, how functional are the CCTV  and other security gadgets installed at the airport , or are they not functioning. These and many more questions are blowing in the wind.

Unfortunately, the security breach at the Kano airport is not peculiar to it as there are many other airports around the country including even the number one gateway airport, the Muritala Muhammed Airport that had witnessed such an incursion many times.

The country, particularly its aviation sector should count itself lucky that none of these recorded incidents had gone beyond mere incursion, but this should not be taken for granted by the relevant aviation security authorizes including the office of the National Security Adviser and other government security operatives at the airports.

There  is the urgent need for FAAN in particular to up its ante in the new year to avoid these kinds of incidents which may paint the picture of inefficiency and safety negligence before the international bodies like the International Civil Aviation  Organization (ICAO).

Besides the negative implications of the safety negligence, FAAN and other relevant bodies should realize that it may be calamitous to take security around any of the airports for granted as terrorists or people with ulterior motives may capitalise on the lacuna at the airports to unleash havoc.

While everyone awaits the outcome of the investigations into the  Kano security breach, it is hoped that lessons must have been learnt from the embarrassment with fresh ideas being put in place to secure the airports, passengers and the aircraft.

The mystery man who has been caught twice at the Kano airport must be thoroughly investigated to know his mission and if he is just testing the waters to see how proactive the airport security operatives can be during emergencies.

The idea of referring to the man as a mentally challenged should never be considered because for him to have successfully found his way into an aircraft parked at a restricted area was an indication that he was well coordinated in his mission very well.

The role of insider threats should not even be ruled out, for the possibility is very high that he may have some collaborators inside who are aiding and giving him the cover needed to subsequently accomplish his means.

The second incident from the same man can be likened to an adage that says ‘once is happenstance, twice is coincidence and the third time is enemy action’, hence, all hands must be on the deck to prevent a third action from the mysterious man who may be waiving the red flag as to an imminent danger.