Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has voiced his discontent regarding the Department of State Services (DSS) conducting searches of passengers’ bags at international airports.
In a recent interview, Keyamo expressed his concerns about the DSS’s actions, advocating that their focus should be on profiling passengers rather than rummaging through their belongings.
He stated, “The DSS should concentrate on identifying individuals traveling in and out of the country, especially those under security scrutiny, rather than searching through passengers’ bags. We’ll have discussions, but this step is necessary. DSS, you have no business searching people’s bags.”
Keyamo also highlighted the issue of long queues at airports, attributing them to the overlapping checks conducted by multiple agencies. He emphasized that customs officials should primarily focus on inspecting imported goods, not items being exported.
“The various agencies at our airports don’t operate directly under our control; you have multiple entities like the DSS, NDLEA, Customs, and Quarantine,” he explained. “These agencies were established before our administration, and we cannot simply remove them from the airport.”
The minister pointed out that the federal government has recently implemented measures aimed at reducing the harassment faced by travelers due to the involvement of these agencies.
While acknowledging the importance of security checks, Keyamo called for a more streamlined approach to minimize congestion and prevent issues related to extortion or corruption.
He noted that the current system, especially at Lagos International Airport, leads to unnecessary delays. After initial bag screenings, passengers often face a “joint inspection table” where multiple agencies inspect their bags individually, worsening congestion.
Keyamo criticized this outdated method, labeling it inefficient and unprofessional. He proposed that agencies like the NDLEA and Customs could manage any suspicious packages or security threats in private screening areas, rather than conducting public searches of bags.
He reaffirmed that the DSS should work in tandem with immigration officers at passport control to monitor passengers but should refrain from engaging in physical bag searches.
