By Louis Iba.
There was pandemonium at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja in Lagos as a gun allegedly belong to a security personnel went off ‘accidentally’ and injured three persons.
The injured were those allegedly standing close to the gun-carrying security personnel, Daily Sun reports that there was no loss of life.
It was learnt that the security officer, who was either trying to buy an air ticket or check into a flight had not put the gun on safety catch, hence the explosion. Those who heard the sound of the gun thought it was a terrorist attack and fled for safety, but the fear was latter put to rest when it was discovered that it was gun shot was not intentionally fired. Regulatory agencies at the airports usually demand that members of the Police force, the military or secret service security officials bearing arms surrender such fire-arms to relevant airport security officer once they are inside an airport terminal building or prior to boarding an aircraft. This incidence it was learnt however happened at the ticketing section of the airport.
The General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, who confirmed the incident, said what happened was an accident and added that stowing the gun away with its magazine was a standard procedure because guns are not taken on-board an aircraft, but are usually checked in the luggage compartment.
Dati assured air travellers in Nigeria that all the airports are safe and secured. “In recognition of the security challenges in the country and in the world, security at the nation’s airports has been fortified,” he added.