Passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)
BusinessHighlightTrending Story

Lagos airport shut over security breach as man’s mangled body found on runway

157

The mangled body of a man found on Runway 18R of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, has forced a temporary shut down in the early hours of Thursday.

The incident described by an aviation expert as a major security breach, has left tongues wagging how the unidentified man found his way into the sensitive area of the airport.

According to retired Group Captain John Ojikutu, former Military Commandant of the airport,  there is a need to investigate how the unidentified man found his way into the sensitive area of the airport.

“The authorities need to investigate how the man got to the airport. Nobody can say much now; but he may have been knocked down by the wingspan or undercarriage of a jumbo jet but it is too early to say anything like that now.

“But we need to examine the issue of houses that have been built too close to the Lagos airport. The rule says no building should be situated less than six metres to the airport structure or fence. However, we have seen cases of people crossing the runway before.

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and FAAN need to investigate this to ascertain what really happened. They need to find out the flights that landed before that incident.

Read Also: Aviation fuel scarcity: Airline Operators warn of flight rescheduling, cancellations

“The current airport perimeter fence is not a security fence and we need to do something about it,” he said.

it could not be immediately ascertained if the man was knocked down by an aircraft while taking off or landing on the runway.

Airport officials said the shutting down of the runway is to facilitate evacuation of the corpse by a team of officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police.

While it lasts, international flights were prevented from landing and taking off from the airport’s international terminal.

Among the flights that could not land due to the shutdown was an Ethiopian Airlines flight 3907, a Boeing 77F aircraft with registration number ETAVN, which was coming from Lome, Togo to Lagos, Nigeria.

The flight was later diverted back to Lome after holding for a while.

Airport officials said the corpse was suddenly found on Runway 18R during a routine runway inspection by FAAN personnel.

The spokesperson for FAAN, Mrs. Faithful Avokerie Hope-Ivbaz, could not immediately confirm the incident, saying she had yet to be briefed.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Airport Command, Olayinka Ojelade, confirmed the incident, saying the command was alerted in the early hours of Thursday to evacuate the corpse from Runway 18R.

Leave a comment

Related Articles

N5bn Intervention Palliative Impacting Lives Of Residents, says Akinmade

The N5 billion Ogun State Intervention Palliative meant to cushion the impact...

Defence Headquarters releases identities of Army commander, three other officers, 13 soldiers murdered in Delta

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed the identities of the Nigerian Army...

Gunmen storm palace, abduct, kill traditional ruler in Bauchi

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have kidnapped and killed the traditional ruler...

Release data of Nigerian users to EFCC, court orders Binance

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the cryptocurrency trading platform,...

Child, maternal mortality: Rotary International donates $2m to Nigeria

In a bid to tackle the pressing issue of child and maternal...

Nollywood veteran actor Amaechi Muonagor appeals for support amid health challenges

Nollywood icon Ameachi Muonagor has reached out to the public, pleading for...

FG approves N12.7bln for mass metering of army barracks nationwide

The Federal Government says it has released N12.7 billion to provide electricity...

Heirs Holdings tells story of transformational investment in Africa, launches its first-ever TV commercial

Heirs Holdings has launched its first-ever television commercial (TVC), showcasing the company’s...

Internet disruption: FG plans talks with Ghana, others to protect undersea cables

Following the damage to the undersea cables last week, the federal government...

Sports Minister advocates Nigeria’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2030

Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Enoh, has called for the...

The States And The Blackout Nation

Many Nigerians believe that restructuring the country or devolving powers from the...

NDLEA Nab Hairstylist, Dispatch Rider For Allegedly Selling Drug-Laced Chin-Chin To Students, At Parties

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has detained a 20-year-old hair...

Delta military killings: ‘Cowardly’ perpetrators won’t go unpunished, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the killings of some Army officers and...

Editor of FirstNews, online platform, abducted from Lagos home by gunmen in military uniforms

Segun Olatunji, the Editor of FirstNews and the former Chief of the...

Ogun Govt. begins distribution of food items

In order to cushion the effect of the current economic hardship in...

How K1 maltreated, seized my international passports—former drummer Kunle Ayanlowo

Former drummer Kunle Ayanlowo has come forward with troubling allegations of maltreatment...

Senate disowns report on exposing fraud in refineries’ rehabilitation

The Senate has dismissed media reports credited to it that it will...

Champions League Q/F: Arsenal face tough test against Bayern Munich, Manchester City play Real Madrid

The 2023–2024 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals draw has just been concluded at...

Ex-Rep. Oyebamiji bags 16-month prison sentence

A former member of the House of Representatives, Folaranmi Oyebamiji, was sentenced...