Nigeria Content Online

Over one month
after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) announced the
installation of its acquired three-dimensional (3D) body scanners at
the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the equipment
remained unused.

The scanners, being
an off-shoot of the foiled attempted bombing of a United States
aircraft en-route Detroit from Nigeria by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on
Christmas day last year, are to detect and reveal substances concealed
on a person’s body that could pose security threats to travellers and
the country.

“The scanners are
in good shape, although we have not started using them,” said a senior
aviation security personnel who spoke on conditions of anonymity at the
international airport on Tuesday.

The delay

According to the
source, the “major” delay is because some aviation security officers
expected to man the equipment are still on training, adding that most
airports in the world where the scanners are installed have not started
using the machines on passengers.

“Most airports
globally with the 3D scanners have not commenced operation with the
equipment because of series of protest and objections against the
machines,” the source said. “Though some of us have travelled out of
the country for training on how to us the machine, but the truth is
that some people are against the use of the machine as the say it
reveals the entire human body.”

Confirming that the
delay is due to the training of officers expected to man the equipment,
Akin Olukunle, general manager of public affairs for FAAN, disclosed
that, upon arrival of the aviation security personnel, the scanners
will begin operation.

“The officers are
now on training and the scanners will be used when these men are
around,” he said. “But for now the scanners have been successfully
installed and are ready to use.”

Changing the system

Stationed at the
internal boarding gate of the departure terminal, Mr. Olukunle
disclosed that the scanners will not only reveal and detect illegal
substances, but will enhance facilitation of passengers, reduce time
spent on screening, and will also relieve aviation security officials
of the need to do 100 per cent “pat down” on travellers.

“Such pat down will only be done when suspicious items are seen on the image generated after screening,” he said.

Commenting on the
health implications of the radiations from the scanners, the
authority’s spokesperson disclosed that the amount of x-ray energy
generated by the scanner is very small, adding that it is much less
than naturally occurring radiation that people are often exposed to.

“The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP)
has reported that a traveller would need to experience 100 backscatter
scans per year to reach what they classify as a negligible individual
dose,” he said.