EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria’s Airports Lack Explosive Detectors, Patrol Vehicles, Leaving Passengers At Risk Of Terror Attacks —Sources

Nigerian airports are currently vulnerable to terror threats as facilities across the country lack basic explosive detection equipment and patrol vehicles, SaharaReporters has learnt.

Aviation sources who spoke with SaharaReporters on Monday revealed that even the country’s so-called “best airports” in Lagos and Abuja are grossly under-equipped, leaving local terminals and cargo wings in a precarious state.

“Abuja, Lagos, and even Port Harcourt are the most and best equipped airports we have in the country. But they don’t have Explosive Trace Detectors (ETDs), particularly at their local terminals,” one of the sources said.

According to sources, explosive detection machines, officially known as Explosive Trace Detectors (ETDs), which are standard safety tools in modern airports worldwide, are practically absent in Nigeria’s airports.

“The local airports as a whole have no ETD in Nigeria. Even Lagos and Abuja, the best equipped, don’t have the tools to track or detect explosives. At the international terminals, it’s just bare minimum stuff,” a source explained.

Explosive Trace Detection machines are designed to identify even the slightest trace of explosives on passengers or luggage.

Their absence puts both domestic and international travellers at significant risk.

The source further disclosed that efforts to install ETDs at cargo wings in Abuja were only triggered by pressure from foreign airlines.

“In Abuja, they tried to have it at the international cargo place because of the pressure from international airlines and aircraft. But in Lagos, even the one they claimed they installed is just 10 percent functional, based on recent assessment,” one of the sources said.

Beyond the absence of ETDs, security operatives at airports across the country reportedly lack basic patrol vehicles, making it challenging to cover sprawling terminals and monitor suspicious activities.

“There are no patrol vehicles for the security people to work with. The airport is obviously large, and there is a need for them to go around with vehicles. It is safe to say the situation is everywhere in Nigeria, particularly at the local terminals,” the source added.

The source warned that cargo flights, in particular, pose a grave danger if not properly monitored, as goods being moved often contain hazardous materials.

“We are supposed to have these detectors at the local places and cargo flights too, because items people are trying to move can contain something that could lead to an explosion,” the source stressed.

Follow the Sahara Reporters channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFClvtH5JM6SSsP7M2Y