Security activities was on the high side on Tuesday as the entire Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, was put under intense screening and searchlight for several hours, as security agencies screened all vehicles and humans entering the cargo hajj camp of the complex.
The situation forced scores of passengers, especially those going on the international flights, to trek to the airport in order not to miss their scheduled flights.
The Nigerian Police, anti-terrorism squad, Air Force and soldiers were seen manning the major entrance to the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company area of the airport and screening all the movements into the area. The situation, which started around 6.00 a.m, lasted till around 1:30 p.m.
The gridlock started from the Arik Air headquarters end and stretched as far as the NAHCo area of the airport, which is almost two kilometres, while motorists were held up in the traffic for hours for a journey of five minutes’ drive.
The tightened security might not be unconnected with the fresh terrorism threat by the Al-Qaeda to attack the United States or any aircraft going to the US.
Many people coming into the airport were disallowed from gaining entrance while those with genuine reasons and valid identification cards were allowed to go in.
US Airlines that fly direct to the US were forced to step up checks on mobile phones and shoes in the light of threats of an al-Qaeda bomb attack. US officials said terrorists had found a way to conceal incendiary devices inside phones to avoid detection.
Passengers on flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa to the US were subjected to extra security checks.
According to Reuters, the undetectable devices are most likely to be hidden in smartphones, including Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones. The bombs could also be surgically implanted into an insurgent’s body or be embedded in cloth fibres.
