DSS chief breaches airport protocol, slaps security officer – FAAN

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on Wednesday, reported another case of security breach at the airport with the alleged assault of Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

It berated the Head of the Department of State Security (DSS) at the airport, Mr. Safiyanu Abba, which it said, “deliberately obstructed airport security process, and slapped an Aviation Security Officer who was performing his duty by calling on Mr Safiyanu Abba to desist from doing so.”

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The incident happened on the 17th July at about 15:25 hours, FAAN said in a statement on its official twitter page.

“He (Abba) breached security procedure by obstructing further searching for a visitor who had just walked through the metal detector and activated the alarm,” it said.

The authority “strongly condemns this abuse of power and the security process in our airport. This has also been duly escalated.”

Daily Trust reports that this would be the third incident of breach of COVID-19 protocol since the airports reopened.

Meanwhile, aviation workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) backed FAAN against “unruly behaviour” by some VIPs.

National President of the union, Comrade Ben Nnabue, described recent incidents as “unfortunate.”

However, the Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday denied assaulting any FAAN staff at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

A statement from the DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya further said “DSS personnel are well-mannered and could not have slapped or fought a worker of another agency.”

He said the news, as reported by sections of the media, had left an impression that was not factual and should therefore be disregarded.

He added that, for the records, no DSS staff fought or engaged in any acts prejudicial to discipline or inimical to public safety at the airport under reference.

He noted that as a strategic partner, the service holds FAAN and its staff in good esteem and have, over time, enjoyed robust working relationship in the areas of training and exchange programmes.

He said the DSS will not join issues with FAAN, and noted that there were other avenues than the social media to resolve any misunderstanding among staff of the two agencies.