The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to install new artificial intelligence (AI)-driven security scanners at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, as part of efforts to enhance passenger screening and eliminate manual luggage checks.
Director of Aviation Security Services at FAAN, Afegbai Igbafe, disclosed the development during a media briefing at the airport over the weekend. He stated that once the installation is complete, customs inspection tables at the screening area will be removed, and luggage will be monitored digitally.“We are phasing out physical contact at screening points. The tables will no longer be there. Instead, each of the six airport agencies will have dedicated monitors to observe baggage directly through the new machines,” Igbafe said.
He added that if the system flags any suspicious item, the passenger and their luggage will be taken to a designated area equipped with CCTV cameras for further inspection. Agencies such as the NDLEA, Customs, and quarantine services will be alerted to carry out the necessary checks.
Addressing concerns about the detection of illicit substances, Igbafe acknowledged that older machines struggled with identifying certain drugs. However, with the upgrade, security agencies including the NDLEA, DSS, Immigration, and Quarantine will undergo training to better utilize the new technology.Chima Oge, Head of ICT at MMIA, highlighted the capabilities of one of the newly acquired devices, the Orion 927DX, which can efficiently identify organic materials using range and interactive modes for enhanced accuracy.Despite the advancements, aviation security analyst, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd), expressed skepticism.
He questioned whether these machines would replace the secondary baggage checks currently required by foreign airlines. “Technology is only as reliable as the people operating it,” he said, raising concerns about past failures in maintaining similar equipment, such as the body scanner previously donated by the TSA after the Abdulmutallab incident.Ojikutu emphasized that for the new system to be effective, it must be trusted and accepted internationally—especially by foreign carriers who may still insist on additional screening protocols.
Source : https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/
