By Tahir Wali
Nigeria’s airports are more than transit points; they are gateways to our national reputation, economic future, and global standing. At a time when international mobility is increasing and criminal networks are becoming more sophisticated, tightening airport security is no longer optional – it is urgent.
Drug trafficking has become the most persistent challenge confronting airports. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reports almost every Sunday of arrests of traffickers mostly at Lagos, Abuja, and Kano airports. Perhaps because it is directly linked to money laundering, terrorism financing, arms proliferation, and organized crime. Strengthening airport security supports Nigeria’s broader national security architecture and aligns with ongoing counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts.
Recent years have shown a troubling pattern: drug trafficking syndicates increasingly exploit airports, pilgrims, first-time travellers, and even insiders within aviation systems. Each arrest of a Nigerian-linked drug courier abroad does not only affect the individual involved or their family; it reinforces negative stereotypes, creates diplomatic strain with host countries, and casts a long shadow over millions of law-abiding citizens who then face profiling, delays, and suspicion at foreign borders.
Tightened airport security is therefore not about harassment or inconvenience. It is about protection – of travellers, of national dignity, and of Nigeria’s international credibility. The issue becomes even more critical during high-volume travel periods such as religious pilgrimages. Events like the Hajj involve massive passenger flows, making them attractive targets for criminal exploitation. Enhanced security during such periods protects pilgrims from legal trouble abroad and shields the nation from diplomatic embarrassment.
Some newspaper reports from 2020 – 2025 on drug trafficking arrests indicate that four intending Hajj pilgrims were arrested with cocaine before departure in Lagos (Daily Post https://dailypost.ng/2024/06/06/ndlea-arrests-four-intending-hajj-pilgrims-with-cocaine/ Telegraph NG https://telegraph.ng/news/2024/06/06/ndlea-arrests-four-hajj-pilgrims-with-cocaine-consignments-in-lagos/ The Whistle), while seven pilgrims and nine facilitators were arrested at Kano/Saudi Arabia for planting drugs in luggage (The Guardian https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/metro/ndlea-dismantles-drug-syndicate-using-hajj-pilgrims-as couriers/ BusinessDay https://businessday.ng/news/article/ndlea-arrests-syndicate-sponsoring-pilgrims-to-hajj-with-cocaine/Punch https://punchng.com/saudi-arabia-frees-three-nigerian-pilgrims-arrested-for-drug-trafficking/ Vanguard https://www.vanguardngr.com/saudi-arabia-frees-3-nigerian-pilgrims-arrested-for-drug-trafficking/).
There are reports of criminal syndicates operating at airports that exploit large religious movements such as Hajj for smuggling due to high passenger volumes and emotional vulnerability. They use pilgrims as couriers by sponsoring them or tagging bags containing illicit drugs with names of unsuspecting Nigerians. For instance, the story of three Nigerian innocent pilgrims whose names were secretly tagged to the bags containing the drugs by operatives of a syndicate last year at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, was pathetic. They were arrested and detained in Jeddah. According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), they were released after weeks of sustained diplomatic engagements by Nigerian and Saudi Arabian authorities. Criminals have no place at sensitive places like airports.
All this underscores the need for enhanced interagency collaboration between NAHCON, NDLEA, Immigration, and airport authorities. Recommendations include pre-departure screening, baggage-chain audits, and bilateral cooperation with destination authorities. Once these measures are effectively and sustainably executed, it will deal a decisive blow against transitional organized crime using airport as a channel. Drug trafficking is rarely a standalone activity; it is intertwined with money laundering, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and terrorism financing.
Airports that are weakly secured become attractive corridors for these networks. Robust screening, intelligence-led profiling, and technology-driven surveillance can disrupt these criminal supply chains at their most vulnerable point, and also reduce secondary screening burdens at destination airports, and foster mutual trust. Strong compliance with international aviation and drug control obligations is vital. Nigeria is a signatory to multiple international conventions, including the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and ICAO aviation security standards.
Second, Nigeria’s global image is at stake. Countries known for lax airport controls often find their citizens subjected to blanket suspicion overseas. This undermines diplomacy, business travel, tourism, and people-to-people exchange. By enforcing high security standards at home, Nigeria sends a clear message: it is a responsible global actor that takes international obligations seriously. It also helps prevent severe legal consequences for citizens abroad.
Third, tightened security safeguards innocent travellers – particularly vulnerable groups. Young people, the elderly, less-educated individuals, the unemployed, and first-time international travellers are frequently targeted as drug mules through deception or coercion. Preventive screening and behavioural detection can save lives, futures, and families from irreversible consequences.
Importantly, effective airport security does not mean indiscriminate searches, ethnic or religious profiling. Modern aviation security is intelligence-driven, coordinated, and respectful of human rights. It thrives on collaboration and effective coordination – between the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service, Immigration Service, DSS, airport authorities such as FAAN, and international partners – rather than isolated agency actions. In other words, stronger screening, profiling, and intelligence-led checks reduce the use of passengers, couriers, and even airport staff for trafficking.
Beyond security, there is also an economic argument. Secure airports attract airlines, investors, and tourists. Confidence in aviation security strengthens Nigeria’s position as a regional hub for trade and travel in West Africa, and the wider continent.
Nigeria stands at a crossroads. We can either react to scandals and arrests after they occur, or we can invest in prevention, professionalism, and proactive enforcement. Proactive security prevents collective punishment of Nigerian citizens from stricter visa regimes or travel restrictions, and profiling of Nigerian travellers. Similarly, improved passenger education, profiling, and screening can protect travellers from manipulation and coercion. Tightening airport security is not a sign of distrust in citizens; it is a declaration of seriousness about national responsibility to protect citizens, uphold human lives, and disrupt transnational criminal networks. We must protect our international image and diplomatic standing.
Strengthened airport security will signal Nigeria’s commitment to responsible global citizenship. The world is watching who controls their borders and who looks the other way. Nigeria must choose leadership. The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is providing renewed hope leadership in that direction, and therefore, our hope is alive for tighter border security.
Tahir writes via walproent@gmail.com
