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| Explosives Intercepted, Security Beefed up at Nigeria's Airports |
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Security has been beefed up at all major airports in Nigeria following the interception of five cylinders containing explosives by the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Bellview Airlines security officers in Lagos on Saturday. Nigerian Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode told reporters in the nation's commercial capital Lagos on Sunday that the unaccompanied luggage were being smuggled aboard a Lagos-Abuja morning flight of Bellview Airlines. He added that he had given the order for the security beef-up and said a suspect had been arrested and handed over to the State Security Service (SSS) to explain his intention. The newly-appointed minister explained that the suspect said he was sending the baggage on behalf of another person who went to Abuja by road. He said it was unclear whether the suspect intended to blow up the aircraft or convey the explosives which weighed about five kg to Abuja for another purpose. "Whatever his purpose, he had declared that the explosives were microphones when asked and only a forceful opening of the baggage revealed that they were explosives," he stated. Fani-Kayode wondered why the suspect lied about the contents, but said the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) and all other security agencies had been brought in to help unravel the real mission. He has also directed that all travelers should submit themselves for security screening and cautioned that the screening should be done with courtesy. Fani-Kayode also said the investigations into the cause of the Bellview Airline crash of Oct. 22, 2005 which killed all the 117 people aboard in Lisa, had re-opened. Fani-Kayode said the report he had read so far about the crash had many unanswered questions and the aborted attempt to smuggle explosives aboard the plane on Saturday raised suspicion. The newly-appointed minister also said he was working to get presidential approval to invite experts from the National Transport and Safety Board in the United States to help with the investigations again. He said that the NTSB input into the Bellview crash was not forwarded to President Olusegun Obasanjo and there was need to present all sides to it. Fani-Kayode stated that only the report of the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau was made available to Obasanjoand said he would immediately restructure the bureau to make it more efficient. FAAN Managing Director Mohammed Yusuf said the organization would bring in 30 new screening machines that were trapped at the ports to beef up security. Managing Director of Bellview Kayode Odukoya said the decision to re-open the investigation into the cause of the Lisa crash was welcome as sabotage could not be ruled out. (Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2006) |
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