Gunmen attack NAMA VOR site, kill guard at Kaduna airport

  • Action disrupts flight operation, Military repel attack  

One year after bandits stormed the staff quarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at Kaduna airport, bandits today again caused panic at the same airport.

The action prevented smooth operations of flight operation as the Military engaged them in a fierce battle.

The bandits were said to have prevented an AZMAN aircraft scheduled for Lagos from take-off owing to sporadic gun battle at the aerodrome as the Military repelled the attack from the criminals.

 

A source confirmed to Aviation Metric that a staff of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was shot and killed by the bandits around the runway area of the airport.

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The source said that the AZMAN aircraft could not take off at about 12.30 pm because of the presence of the bandits by the runways of the airport.

’Right now, there is a heavy military presence to beef up security, though most of the staff are scared with the killing of the NAMA staff, the source said.

Acting Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok confirmed the attack to our correspondent.

He said, “Yes it is true. bandits attacked our VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) equipment site at Kaduna Civil airport around 12noon today and shot our security man attached to the equipment and he later died from the gunshot. However, currently, the Air Force engaging the bandits in counter-offensive”.

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Very high-frequency Omni-directional range is a type of short-range radio navigation system for aircraft, enabling aircraft with a receiving unit to determine its position and stay on course by receiving radio signals transmitted by a network of fixed ground radio beacons.

March last year, suspected armed bandits,  stormed the staff quarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at Kaduna airport, having allegedly kidnapped an unstipulated number of persons.

It was gathered that some FAAN officials living in the quarters, who managed to escape, said some colleagues and their families were taken away by the gunmen.

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Wole Shadare