DHS Caught and Released 369 Nigerians in 9 Months After Flight 253 Attack; 15 Became Fugitives

Monday, March 07, 2011
By Penny Starr and Edwin Mora


(CNSNews.com) - Shortly after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian national, attempted to detonate an underwear bomb aboard Northwest Flight 253 as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam on Christmas Day, the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration mandated heightened security checks (including full body pat downs) for all nationals of Nigeria and 13 other countries who boarded flights bound for the U.S.

As the New York Times reported on Jan. 4, 2010, this heightened security screening was predicated on the U.S. government’s conclusion that the population of these countries “would more likely include terrorism suspects.â€