Nigerian authorities yesterday protested the placement of the country by the United States (US) on the terror list, along with 13 other countries, whose citizens will now go through enhanced screening at airports.
The special screening, which started yesterday at several airports all around the world, targets people from Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.
The procedures are in reaction to the botched Christmas Day bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound US airliner blamed on Nigerian Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, who US officials believe was trained by al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Citizens of the listed countries were, yesterday, subjected to extraordinary security screening, including full body pat-downs and thorough luggage search.
The Federal Government, however, condemned the procedures which it described as unfair discrimination against over 150 million Nigerians because of the behaviour of one person.
Information and Communications Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili, said yesterday, while addressing a team from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) officials, who visited her in her office in Abuja that it was unfair for the US to include Nigeria on the list for tighter screening because Nigerians do not have terrorists tendency.
The new rule says travellers flying to the United States from or through any of these countries will face enhanced screening at airports.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the U.S outlined the new rules in a directive sent to airlines on Sunday.
Prof Akunyili said: AbdulMutallabs act was a one-off thing. He was not influenced in Nigeria. He was not recruited or trained in Nigeria and he was not supported whatsoever in Nigeria.
Abdulmutallabs behaviour is not reflective of Nigerians and should therefore not be used as a yardstick to judge all Nigerians. It is unfair to discriminate against over 150 million people because of the behaviour of one person.
Abdulmutallab was a well behaved child from a responsible family who developed ugly tendency to do what he tried to do because of his exposure outside the shores of Nigeria. Generally, no Nigerian wants to die. We are peace loving and happy people. We were even voted as the happiest people on earth.
The House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora also opposed, yesterday, any plan for a secret trial for the suspected Nigerian bomber.
The chairman of the committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement, reacted to the comment by US Congressman, Peter King, of Republican Party, New York and a member of U.S. House of Representatives, Homeland Security Committee, that Farouk should be tried in a secret military court.
The committee described the call as unfair and unjustifiable, adding that it would rather prefer an open court trial for the suspect.
Dabiri-Erewa, who joined others to condemn AbdulMutallabs action, appealed to Nigerians in Diaspora to exercise restraint and caution when being subjected to screening at various airports.
The committee also advised the security agencies globally not to use the event of December 25, 2009 as an excuse to molest and harass innocent Nigerians in Diaspora.
Having watched with keen interest the investigation being carried out by the security agencies in the US on the alleged bomber, Farouk, the committee is hereby insisting on an open court trial, rather than a military one for the suspected bomber.
This is so important in order to allow the global community listen to Farouk talk in an open court, understand his motivation and take the necessary learning as individuals and as nations. It will be in the global interest to share the information and lessons to be learnt through an open court trial by the global community, so as to forestall any likely future occurrence.
Reports say U.S. airports have also been instructed to increase threat-based screening of passengers who may be acting in a suspicious manner. The screening will include full body pat-downs, bag searches, full body scanning and scans by explosive detectors.
Further information say that the introduction of the new measures coincided with a security alert at New Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, which was locked down for several hours after a man walked through a security checkpoint without being screened on Sunday night.
Planes were grounded for six hours, and thousands of passengers had to go through security again, while the authorities went through CCTV footage in search of the man.
He was eventually tracked down.
The TSA said the ability to enforce the new security measures was the result of extraordinary co-operation from our global aviation partners.
The body said in a statement: TSA is mandating that every individual flying into the US from anywhere in the world travelling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening.
Pakistan International Airlines said it had been applying the new approach to US-bound passengers since Saturday.
In a related development, Katie Hulme, spokesman of Delta Airline, the only American flag carrier that flies directly between Nigeria and the U.S., said that it had fully complied with all the security directives as mandated by government on security worldwide.
Delta is fully compliant with all security directives as mandated by governments worldwide. However, in the interests of security, Delta does not discuss security, Hulme said.
Arik Airline, the only Nigerian airline that has direct flight to the U.S., says it has put total restrictions on liquids, gels and aerosols in its cabin. The airline says it will not allow any of the items in its cabin even though government directive allows 100ml of such items in the cabin.
The airlines spokesman, Banji Ola, said: No liquids, gels, or aerosols will be allowed in the cabin, irrespective of the 100ml rules.
Prior to the new measure, the Federal Government had given directives, through the Aviation security committee of Nigerian airports, that enhanced security measures should be applied on every passenger travelling out of the country with the installation of Three Dimensional (3D) total body screening in all the gateway airports across the country; security screening of passengers should also be stepped up in all the domestic airports, which every passenger must comply with before boarding an aircraft.
The Three Dimensional (3D) Total Body Imaging Scanner is a security equipment that uses millimeter waves to detect what is concealed in human body.
Addressing a world press conference after the meeting, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, who reeled out the directives, said no person, including crew members, would be allowed to board an aircraft without passing through all aviation security screening procedures and formalities.
He added that 100 per cent examination is mandatory for all passengers.
He also said that secondary screening of passengers and carry-on baggage should be total and performed for all departing flights at the boarding gates including body search.
He also added that it would be mandatory to conduct 100 per cent physical inspection of all passengers accessible property at the boarding gate prior to boarding.
Besides liquids and gels, the directives ordered for the thorough security checks on catering fuel and maintenance vehicles accessing the tarmac.
Other directives, according to Demuren, are that all liquid gels and aerosols that are more than 100ml should not be allowed on board aircraft. He noted that the liquid, which must be in compliance with 100ml, must be in transparent resealable plastic bag.
Hundred per cent screening of check-in baggage would also be carried out, as well as positive passenger match.
According to Demuren, all airlines have also been directed to ensure that all passengers comply with the directive and that any passenger who refuses to comply 100 per cent would be denied boarding.
Demuren, who urged that strict compliance must be demonstrated at all times, noted that the directives were already in place at the airports long ago, but they were being repeated for the purpose of emphasis.
Although Demuren said that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was in the process of purchasing the equipment, he added that they would not be installed in the gateway airports until later in the first quarter of the year.
Meanwhile, Ghanas Deputy Information Minister said yesterday that AbdulMutallab arrived in Ghana on December 9, from Dubai and left on December 24 for Lagos. He added that the country was unaware of any security alert on him during that time.
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