A bag of “explosives” intercepted in Lagos as it was being taken aboard an Abuja bound aircraft actually contains fireworks devices, a competent police source told Daily Trust yesterday.
Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, announced Sunday that Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) staff and security operatives foiled a terrorist plot to blow up a Bellview plane heading to Abuja.
Michael Dickson, named as the suspect, was said to be carrying over five kilog-rams of the “explosives” hidden in a microphone.
However, a reliable police source told Daily Trust yesterday the “explosives” were fireworks devices the type use at ceremonies.
All-the-same, the source said: “it is forbidden to carry such devices on planes, though they can not explode easily like bombs. They are also not as damaging as bombs”.
The State Security Ser-vice (SSS), confirmed to Daily Trust the suspect is in their custody. The spokesman of the SSS, Ado Mu’azu, told Daily Trust that; “it was too early to comment. Invest-igations have commenced, but there are no details for now”.
There was low turn out of passengers at the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed airport Lagos, yesterday following the arrest of a man who tried to smuggle explosive mate-rials into an Abuja bound aircraft on Saturday morning.
A visit to the domestic wing of the airport showed that few passengers were aro-und while security opera-tives were seen monitoring passengers and their lugg-ages.
Security was however tight around the terminal buil-ding of the airport as no air-line accept unaccompanied luggage from anybody.
The security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), were doing extra check of bagga-ges belonging to passengers while all passengers were also thoroughly screened.
The Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode, directed on Sunday that FAAN secu-rity should stop discretion given to some VIPs by not screening them before boarding their flights, adding that nobody should board a plane without being scree-ned.
The minister subjected himself for screening before boarding a plane to Abuja yesterday.
Meanwhile, a stakeholder in the aviation sector told Daily Trust yesterday that the Saturday incident was not new, alleging that FAAN offi-cials have been intercepting concealed dry cell batteries and generators alongside fuel inside jerry cans while some passengers were checking in their luggages.
The source who pleaded anonymity however appe-aled to relevant aviation auth-orities to enlighten the public more on what is allowed on board aircrafts.
Some passengers who spoke with Daily Trust vowed to continue to travel by air, saying their security is in God’s hand.
Meanwhile, the suspect, Dickson Joseph, is still helping the State Security Service (SSS) in an attempt to locate the person he clai-med gave the suspected exp-losives to him.
Personal Assistant to the Minister of Aviation, Bayo Oladeji, told Daily Trust in a telephone interview that the SSS is investigating the case, adding that the minister has not been briefed on develo-pments by the SSS.
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