BAGGAGE THEFT ON THE RISE AT LAGOS AIRPORT

Incidents related to baggage theft at Nigeria's Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos are growing at an alarming rate, according to the complaints of numerous travellers.

“My luggage arrived in Lagos with the zip broken. $700 I had carefully placed at the bottom of the case was removed, along with other clothing items that had been tampered with,” explained a distressed Mrs Tukunbo, who arrived at Lagos with Virgin Nigeria from Accra, Ghana. It is a sentiment echoed by many others who spoke to Africa News upon leaving Nigeria's main airport, frustrated and irritated.

“I flew with South African Airways (SAA) from Johannesburg to Lagos last week,” said Mrs Schmidt, detailing her own experience with the thriving theft at Lagos Airport. “When I collected my baggage, I was shocked to discover a tear in the left side of the case and my new digital camera stolen. Somewhere between my luggage leaving the plane and coming to the conveyor belt, it had been tampered with.” She has heard no word of the missing camera since. Incidentally, a woman on the same SAA flight with Mrs Schmidt made a similar complaint. Her mobile phone and $200 had been taken.

The concern voiced by numerous passengers lay not just in the pain of stolen items, but in the lack of response from the affected airlines. “I complained bitterly to the Virgin Nigeria airline staff but it's almost a month later and nothing has happened,” said Miss Boateng, who had local currency to the tune of $2000 stolen during her flight from Accra to Lagos. “The very nonchalance of their attitude makes me wonder if they are in collusion with these thieves,” she added. Mr Gugulethu, who flew with SAA to Lagos and lost his newly purchased laptop, has a similar suspicion. “I believe they are working together. The spoil is equally shared, which explains the lack of action thereafter. You just fill out a form which you know will end in nothing actually happening. It's a sad scenario and really discourages people from visiting Nigeria.”

Speaking on the issue, Aviation analyst, Olumide Ohunayo said despite the claims of heightened airport security, it is surprising that baggage theft continues to take place with such regularity. “Stealing and pilfering of baggage and goods at our airports is an age-long thing that we have not been able to resolve, despite our heightened security at the airports and cargo areas. It is another wake up call for the airport authorities in Nigeria on the need to improve security in and round the airports, profiling of staff, and increase usage of security cameras.

He also decried the attitude of Nigerian handling companies such as NAHCO who preferred to point fingers rather than take responsibility. “It's appalling to hear the handling agents throw banters at each other, when they should be working together to resolve glaring security lapses in the cargo areas.”

Earlier in the year, both national and international news media reported the stealing of 20 of the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines imported for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2011 registration of voters' exercise at the Lagos airport. The machines were stolen at the cargo shed of the airport in the night and have not been seen since. The Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Muhammed Tukur suggested that connivance within the cargo area allowed for the equipment to be stolen with such ease. “Nobody has access to that sensitive area of the airport except with an On Duty Card (ODC). Our security is tight but it boils down to connivance among the security people, and cargo area personnel. It's an insider's job.”

One thing is clear, serious action is required on the part of airlines, baggage handlers and security personnel operating in Nigerian airports in order to curb the rising tide of baggage theft in a nation already tainted with a reputation for corruption.

Originating at www.africanews.com