There was pandemonium at the General Aviation
Terminal (GAT) of Murtala Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA) on Friday following a gunshot which
was believed to be an accidental discharge.
Terminal (GAT) of Murtala Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA) on Friday following a gunshot which
was believed to be an accidental discharge.
Two people were injured in the incident when a man
identified as an orderly of a Senator accidentally
fired the gunshots, it was learnt. He was trying to
remove the magazine of his gun when the discharge
occurred leaving him and another woman injured.
The incident also caused panic within the terminal
as travelers and airport workers scampered for
safety on hearing the gunshot.
Eyewitness report indicated that the security man
was to travel on Arik Air and he wanted to dislodge
the magazine from the gun in line with standard
practice in air travel but incidentally the gun
released its bullet. It hit him and the woman on the
leg, it was gathered.
An eyewitness said, "It is a standard practice in air
travel for anyone with a gun to pull out the bullet.
This is what the security man was trying to do but
incidentally the gun released the magazine which
splattered and hit him and the woman on the leg as
he bent down to pull out the magazine from the
gun".
They, however, trekked out of the terminal to the
vehicle that conveyed them to the hospital without
any assistance. According to the source, the injury
was not that severe.
General Manager, Public Affairs of Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati,
confirmed the incident. He said what transpired was
an accident which occurred while the man was
trying to remove the magazine from his gun as a
standard procedure because guns are not allowed
onboard aircraft but they are usually checked in, in
the luggage compartment.
Dati, who described the incident as minor, assured
air travellers that all the airports are safe and
secure, adding that in recognition of the security
challenges in the country and around the world,
security at Nigerian airports has been fortified.
