Two new body scanners are to be installed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the coming weeks, all in an effort to encourage the fight against drug trafficking.
The position where the scanner would be installed at the Abuja airport was under construction and would be completed in about two weeks while the scanner for the Lagos airport would be installed before the end of September.
The installation will increase the number of body scanners at Lagos and Abuja airports to four. Both airports had been using one body scanner each, prolonging the time it takes to process passengers, especially at peak periods.
It was also gathered that the body scanners were donated to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency by the British and American governments while the Federal Government had also placed an order for more high-tech body scanners.
An NDLEA source said when installed, the new body scanner in Lagos would service people at the arrival area instead of one for both arrival and departure.
The source explained that to effectively control drug trafficking, both body and baggage scanners must be used, the former to detect ingested drug or those hidden in any part of the body.
The NDLEA had recently raised the alarm on the increase in drug trafficking in recent times. They also claimed that traffickers had become creative in concealing illicit products when travelling.
The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Elimination of Drug Abuse, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (RTD), had also recently said that the government planned to increase prevention of export and import of illicit drugs.
According to Marwa, Lagos airport is one of the biggest entry and exit points for drugs in the country. He said that the trend must be brought to an end.
