Photo caption : Director of Aviation Security, Mr. Afegbai Igbafe
Afegbai Igbafe, a former Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and the Director of Aviation Security Services (AVSEC), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in this interview, said that during the last audit conducted on Nigeria’s aviation industry by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), there were a lot of opened items and that presently FAAN, with the support of the Managing Director of agency, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo is closing the items. He also spoke on other issues such as Airport Access Control, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and perimeter fence among others. Excerpts.
Please, introduce yourself and tell us what you met on the ground when you assumed office as the Director of Aviation Security Service (AVSEC), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
My name is Afegbai Igbafe, former Assistant Commissioner of Police(Rtd), I am the Director of Aviation Security Services (AVSEC), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN).When we came on board, we had the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit and they gave us their own marks. We met a lot of issues when we came on board. We tried to fix a lot of them by providing some of the amenities like the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, we upgraded them. Presently, we are trying to do access control whereby every individual that is coming to the airport will be properly checked because we found out that we have a lot of concessionaires, a lot of security people who are not supposed to be at the airport that come in and out. Right now we want to put access control in place and I think it will help us a great lot.We had a lot of gaps during the ICAO audits so we’re trying to close those gaps.
What do you have to say about the airport security and the perimeter fence which has been an issue for years?
Well, if you’re talking about the perimeter fence, it’s an issue in the sense that first of all when we came on board, there was a lot of encroachments in the perimeter areas because it is a vast land. We have been trying to put in place patrol measures, we have patrols at night and we have observation posts manned by the AVSEC personnel with the little resources that we have. Then we have the joint patrols with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), and the AVSEC personnel. And because of the perimeter area too we just recently launched the armed unit of AVSEC.
But most of the issues we have have to do with fencing. A lot of the fencing has been destroyed by the neighbouring communities. There is a big challenge because we will get as many as 20 to 30 intruders every night. Another problem we are having is our court system. When we hand them over to the police before we know they are released. The Legal Department of FAAN is collaborating with the Attorney General of the state to help us get mobile courts so these things will be handled swiftly.
Talking about security, there are allegations that some private jet owners are using their airplanes for money laundering. How are you monitoring the activities of some of these private airlines?
Recently, the Minister launched a Task Force that is currently investigating private jet owners. When you are talking about money laundering it is a different ball game, because we are talking about private jet owners. We had a meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA), who gave us directives that we are following through the Minister, the Managing Director and we are monitoring them. With the Task Force in place,what we want to do first of all now is to make sure all the private jet owners adhere to the rules of FAAN, whereby everybody that is coming, coming through their hangars will be properly screened by AVSEC personnel. That is being worked out.
Is there any mechanism put in place to ensure that everyone is checked?
When you talk about Very Important Persons(VIPs). So, we are trying to launch the fast track. But the fast track system is not going to be just only for the VIPs. Anybody that is interested will come in if you want to be attended to swiftly and seamlessly. It happens all over the world. We have it at Chicago Airport in the United States.
Going back to what you are saying, nobody is given preferential treatment in the airport. The Honourable Minister subjects himself to search, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) subjects herself to search. I subject myself to search.You will pass through the screening machines or the body detector machine. You must adhere to the rules when you come to the airport.
How prepared is Nigeria as a nation to embrace this modern technology trend?
Yes, like in my own department, when I came, I introduced a database system because Aviation Security(AVSEC) is a professional body in which the staff undergo instructor courses by ICAO standards.
What we are putting in place is an algorithm whereby everybody will put in the database. And with the flick of the button, we know those who have done their courses, those who are certified, the time they are supposed to go on certification, the time their certificates will be expiring. All those are being worked on.
Specifically, let’s talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI). In some parts of the world, AI is used, especially to monitor, to check, and to see whether things have been done properly. Are you looking at that?
My MD and the Honourable Minister, are looking at some companies who have made propositions for what you are saying, and as I said, we are going to do the access control, and the access control will work with an AI system whereby when somebody is coming into the airport, there is a way the camera can be affixed to you. If you have any weapons with you, if you have anything that is with you, the AI will detect it and immediately send a signal to the Command Centre. We are working on that.
What else have you done since you got into office?
When I came on board, I was shocked that AVSEC has been in existence for over ten years. But, their uniforms were not gazetted. But I have done that. AVSEC personnel were not trained. Some people have not been trained for five years, 10 and 15 years. Some people have been in AVSEC for about 20 years but they have not gone on the course. So, with the assistance of the Managing Director and the Honourable Minister. They released funds. Presently, as we are talking, we have Ghanaians, Sierra Leoneans, Gambians, who are attending courses in Aviation Security Training Centre (ASTC) because Nigeria happens to be one of the security outfits or one of the countries that is certified by ICAO. So, we have achieved a lot.
When we came, the second international runway had been closed for over nine months and we tried our best, the Managing Director, the Minister, the Director of Airport Operations and the Director of Engineering. They all put their heads together and it was re-opened.
I can assure you that between now and December, you will see a new face of aviation and the airports.
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