Nigeria Condemns
Terrorism, Beefs Airport Security
The
Nigerian government has reiterated its condemnation of all forms
of terrorism.
Reacting to an attempted terrorist attack on a US airliner by a
Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Minister of Information
and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili said Nigerian
security agencies were working hand in hand with international
security agencies on the incident.
The Minister said Abdulmutallab had been living outside Nigeria
for a while before sneaking in on December twenty-four and
leaving on the same day.
Shock, regrets
Professor Akunyili said his father, Alhaji Umar Muttalab who had
earlier reported his son’s extreme views and tendencies to
relevant American authorities had expressed deep shock and
regret over his action.
Assurances
Professor Akunyili gave assurances that Nigeria’s airports were
very safe having just passed ICAO security audit and American
Transportation Security Administration audit in November, 2009.
She however said security systems in the entire nation’s airport
were been reinforced in light of the incident.
Tight Security
The US Transportation Security Administration has also said
it had stepped up pre-flight screening in the U.S. and Europe.
Airlines too have issued new in-flight restrictions, including a
ban on unescorted restroom access and carrying anything on a
passenger's lap an hour before landing.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said ’’the Obama
administration was investigating whether al Qaeda was involved
with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian charged with trying
to bring down the Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to
Detroit on Christmas Day.’’
She said Abdulmutallab's name was added last month, to a central
U.S. data bank, containing about 550,000 names of purported
terrorist sympathisers, after his father warned the U.S. embassy
about his alleged radicalism.
Dutch Probe
Dutch military police say they are also investigating the
possibility that an accomplice may have helped Abdulmutallab to
attempt to blow up an American airliner.
A U.S. couple on the flight, Kurt and Lori Haskell, told news
agencies that they saw a tall, well-dressed man, aged about 50
with the suspect on Friday morning at Amsterdam's Schiphol
Airport.
The Haskells have claimed the man spoke for Abdulmutallab and
attempted to get him aboard Northwest flight 253 without a
passport.
The military police spokesman said, ’’We are checking all clues
and information we get.’’
He added that the military police and the counter-terrorism
agency NCTb, were reviewing CCTV video and other evidence to see
if the accomplice story bears out.
The military police have already said Abdulmutallab did not go
through passport control at Schiphol when he arrived from Lagos.
The spokesman however said it would be unlikely the man could
board the plane without showing his passport at some point in
the boarding process.
PR/with additional reports from Reuters and NAN/Seun/Qasim/Yinka
