Lagos — The 3D full-body scanners procured for thorough body check of passengers at the nation’s major airports for security reasons are now being abused by security officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), THISDAY can confirm.
They use the machines, installed in the wake of the Farouk AbdulMutallab affair, to watch the naked images of female passengers for fun.
The controversial body scanners have been dubbed “e-stripping” in advanced countries because of the way they expose the nakedness of those being screened.
THISDAY discovered that during off-peak periods, the aviation security officials, who are trained on the use of the scanners, usually stroll from the cubicle located in a hidden corner on the right side of the screening area where the 3D full-body scanner monitors are located.
They do so to catch a glimpse of some of the passengers entering the machine and immediately go back to view the naked images, in order to match the faces with the images since the faces are blurred on the monitors while passengers are inside the machine.
The face that appears on the scanner’s monitor is usually blurred so that the operator viewing the full body will not recognise who passes through the machine.
But by coming out to see the passenger in person and then going back to see his or her image, the objective of protecting the privacy of the passenger has been defeated.
THISDAY observed this development first-hand when it visited the screening area, passed through the conventional screening machine at 3pm last Saturday and observed that passengers were reluctant to use the new 3D full-body scanner.
To compel them to use it, one of the conventional scanners was put out of service, leaving the ones at the left end and another very close to the new scanner.
A FAAN senior official expressed shock in an interview with THISDAY, saying: “It is a breach of privacy. I will deal with it immediately I return to Lagos.”
The official informed THISDAY that the actual passengers the scanner was meant for were US-bound passengers, who travel with Arik Air and Delta Air Lines.
But when THISDAY visited the airport last Saturday, these airlines were not checking in passengers.
In fact, it was only Emirates that had opened its check-in desk and passengers were just trickling in and passing through the screening machines.
“In Lagos, we ensure that passengers going to US through Arik Air and Delta pass through the full-body scanner. It is not compulsory for all passengers, but in Abuja all passengers meant for international flights pass through the full-body scanner,” said the FAAN official.
THISDAY also learnt that two out of the four scanners at the Lagos airport are working, while the other two are not working because of non-functional monitors.
So far, only one 3D full-body scanner is working at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
FAAN recently ordered and procured 10 of the machines, which would be deployed in the four major airports in the country.
Since the failed underwear bomb attempt of US airliner by AbdulMutallab, in Detroit, Michigan, major airports in the world have deployed the 3D full body scanners for total body screening of passengers and crew to ensure safety in air travel.
However, there is anxiety over passengers’ complete cooperation with the new screening method as some of them express fear that the radiation from the screening equipment is capable of causing health disorders like skin cancer.
Also, another class of passengers are resisting going through the screening machines for religious reasons, insisting that it is against their religion to expose their nakedness.
An aviation security expert told THISDAY in Lagos: “The scanner is capable of detecting and revealing substances that could pose security threats concealed on a person’s body that other screening devices, such as metal detectors, cannot detect. The scanner can even reveal very small quantities of liquid explosives, non-metallic weapons, and plastic explosives that could be inimical to aviation safety.”
The new device is expected to boost security operations at the nation’s airports, as it helps to eliminate the threats posed by terrorists, drug carriers, and it will help to improve the image of the country on security.
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These cameras were installed because of those who want to kill innocent people in the name of religion. For anybody to use religion as excuse not to use the cameras will defeat the purpose of installing them in the first place. The lunatics who call themselves Moslems have taken our freedom from all of us in the 21st century. We are all suffering from the activities of these lunatics. When the 'under pant' bomber attempted the blow up the US airline in the name of Islam, no sigle Moslem came out to protest against him for attempting to soil their religion, but what happens when somebody made a threat to burn copies of the Koran. There were protest and people were already being killed in some ppart of the world. Why can't Moslem come out to protest the killing of innocent people by their fanatics. Is there any thing like moderate Moslem? Why should some Moslem be regarded as moderate? Does that word not speak volumes about the religion itself.
I see your point as you present it but I think your view is not balance.One man terrorist is another man's freedom fighters. I think your views are baised.
This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.
The Murtala Mohammed international airport Lagos in my opinion is the most abusive airport as far as privacy laws are concerned especially, with the introduction of the body scanner.
On my recent trip, I had already walked through a scanner and was subsequently patted down on my way to my departure gate, but was approached by an airport security staff who requested that I follow him to a room where I will be searched and scanned for a second time
While in the room, I was asked to step in front of a giant scanner and have my legs spread apart which I did, the machine carried me through an x-ray snanning apparatus and soon after that, about 5 airport staff employees (3 men and 2 women to be exact) all gathered in front of a computer monitor to view my x-ray image, I couldn't figure out what they were looking for but I was asked to go on the machine again and I was scanned a second time, I didn't want to argue with them or question their motivation because I knew that this is Nigeria, I could easily miss my flight.
After I was scanned for the second time, they all gathered again in front of the computer monitor to view my second scanned image, suddenly one of the ladies sarcastically asked me, "what did you eat?", I replied to her that I ate some rice with fish prior to my coming to the airport, they all laughed and asked me to go and wished me a safe trip.
I felt humiliated while in the plane, I also felt that the Lagos airports employees should be educated on privacy and dignity laws, I have never been so humiliated in my life, I still think about it and I feel bad and angry each time I do. Thank you for writing on this issue, I feel better that some people have witnessed what I went through.