Intruder emerges from bush, climbs taxiing Air Peace Owerri bound plane
- Man mistook it for overseas flight
- Resisted arrest, FAAN called for reinforcement
Exactly six months after a Nigerien identified as Usman Adamu beat Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos security network to climb a parked Azman aircraft preparing for take-off, there was confusion and apprehension at the Lagos airport Friday morning when as a yet-to-be-identified man mounted a taxing Air Peace plane.
The man was later arrested by security operatives who were notified by the pilot of a private jet coming behind the Air Peace plane.
Airport sources could not immediately ascertain the reason for the man’s action
Air Peace, however, said the man was a stowaway who thought the plane was heading overseas.
The airline in a statement said the suspect was being held by the industry regulator for further investigation.
The statement read in part: “This morning, at exactly 9:10 at the MMA1 Lagos, an Owerri – bound Air Peace aircraft was taxing towards the threshold for take-off, when a man, in his twenties, emerged from the bush along the runway and tried to gain access into the aircraft through the wheel-well.
“There was a private jet behind the aircraft. The pilot-in-command of the private jet informed the Air Peace pilot-in-command that a young man obviously in his twenties, was trying to force his way into the aircraft.
“The security wing of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria was alerted and the man was accosted and whisked away. He is currently in the regulator’s custody. When interrogated on why he took the action, the man stated that he thought the aircraft was headed overseas.”
The latest incident is happening barely six months after a suspected madman found his way to the Lagos airport and climbed a Port Harcourt-bound Azman Airlines plane. The mentally ill man was later identified as Usman Adamu from Republic of Niger.
The Police said the Nigerien could not speak or understand English Language
The authorities said then that investigation was still ongoing to ascertain how Adamu gained access to the heavily restricted area at the airport.
They also promised to beef up security in order to ensure a repeat breach does not happen again.
Reacting to the incident in a statement by FAAN’s spokeswoman, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, “At about 0850hrs of 27th December 2019, a young man of about 25 years was sighted around the air field by FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel manning the Charlie One (C1) link/holding area.
In a swift response, the AVSEC personnel on static guard duties at the area rushed to stop his further movement towards a taxiing Air Peace aircraft numbered APK 7252 and with registration number(CS-TQU) and a struggle ensued. All efforts to stop the intruder by the unarmed AVSEC personnel failed as the intruder continued to resist arrest”.
She explained that while the struggle was ongoing, the AVSEC personnel called for reinforcement and alerted the pilot of CS-TQU of the intrusion and to delay the aircraft to allow for a successful apprehension of the intruder.
“The intruder was eventually apprehended by the AVSEC personnel with the support of the reinforcement and has been taken into custody for investigations”.
Yakubu further stated that the aircraft was also advised to return to base for necessary safety/ security inspections in line with standard procedure. Subsequently, The aircraft departed lagos at 10:16, with 171 passengers, and 6 crew
The Managing Director of FAAN in company with the Directors of Aviation Security services, and Airport operations, ,the Regional General Manager (SW) and the Airport Chief of Security (MMA) inspected the site of the incident and discussed with the Captain of the aircraft, who commended the action of the Aviation Security team.
According to him, it was timely and professional in protecting the flight as he was not even aware of any intrusion until they alerted him.
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