By DANIEL  ETEGHE & OKEBUGWU CHINOMNSO
ABUJA— Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, Tuesday, said most criminal activities and attacks at the airports were traceable to involvement of insiders working as staff.

Speaking during the declaration of a two-day “Insider Threat Conference on Civil Aviation Security” in Abuja, Princess Oduah noted that such insiders give information on surveillance to those with intent to attack targets at airports across the country.

Princess Oduah, however, stressed that the Federal Government was committed to the safety and security of all the airports, noting that the conference was timely in addressing such challenges.

She said: “Nigeria has made a lot of efforts in enhancing security measures at all nation’s airports with the provision of necessary security equipment, especially since the December 25, 2009, incident of Umar Farouk Abdumutallab.”

She added that Nigeria would continue to work with the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, and the International Community in addressing the challenges in aviation security as well as ensuring that the bar of safety was improved upon.

Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, explained that the conference would evaluate the threat and measures in place to prevent attack from aviation insiders.

He said the conference would also evaluate measure of screening employees hundred per cent.

Affirming that aviation security experts can proffer solutions and recommendations to the current methods to reduce the vulnerability and the threat from the aviation insiders.

Enumerating the four main areas of the conference to include: understanding the threats from the Insiders, militating the threats, reviewing initiatives on insider’s threats and developing a regional approach to insider threats noted that to enhance security at the airport there was need to improve the level of vigilant at the airport.

“In order therefore to enhance safety and security, we need to increase our vigilance and information sharing for the improvement of aviation security in our respective countries” he added.