The National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA) and the UK Government have taken steps to mitigate aviation threats associated with counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria.
The national coordinator, NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, speaking at the opening of the Counter Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) Workshop in Abuja yesterday, said the workshop was one of the aviation security aspects covered during the Nigeria-UK Strategic Defence Partnership Conference in February 2024.
He said the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by terrorists and other criminal elements to disrupt the country’s socio-economic activities was of serious concern.
He added that the development must be adequately tackled through continuous collaboration by aviation security stakeholders.
According to him, the workshop is a welcome development and could not have come at a better time as no agency can solely achieve laudable success in the fight against terrorism.
“It once again emphasises the need for us to work together, identifying our crucial roles and collaborating to record great progress in the country’s aviation security.
“It therefore stresses the need for inter-agency collaboration and cross-border relationships to stem this tide because terrorism recognizes no borders.
In view of this, the NCTC-ONSA in collaboration with the UK Department for Transport Aviation Security seeks to address this aspect of aviation security management in Nigeria with this workshop.
“This workshop should be seen as a call to re-awakening for collaborative effort which we all must embrace, as victory by one is victory by all of us and a greater victory for our entire nation, the African continent and the world at large,’’ he said.
On his part the Aviation Security Assistance officer for the UK Department for Transport, at the British High Commission, Mr Jonathan Kendall said the workshop was looking to mitigate what he called a ‘standoff threat’.
Kendall said that while a nation could secure the terminal building as much as it could, the workshop looks at countering the wider threat beyond the perimeter fence.
According to him, on takeoff and landing, aircraft are vulnerable to shoulder launched missiles which can impact an aircraft up to 30,000ft.
“So we have brought a team from the Royal Air Force regiment who are experienced in countering these threats and they are looking to further develop the Nigerian capability in this area, particularly in the area of vulnerability mapping.
“So I would expect the Nigerian agencies to further develop their MANPADS capability, the counter MANPADS capability, particularly when it comes to patrolling and mapping vulnerable areas of the airport,’’ he said.
