Videos as man climbs Azman Air aircraft at Lagos Airport, FAAN suspends security heads

Passengers aboard a Port Harcourt-bound Azman Air flight were thrown into panic on Friday after a yet-to-be-identified man climbed the aircraft while it was about to take off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to viral videos shot by one of the passengers in Lagos, the man illegally gained access to the airside with a hand luggage.
The video also showed that the man illegally climbed the aircraft wing and deposited the bag inside one of the engines.
The aircraft was at the holding bay expecting clearance for take-off when the incident occurred.
The action caused panic and frenzy as some of the passengers immediately demanded the pilot and cabin crew to open the aircraft doors for them to disembark due to safety concerns.
Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, who confirmed the development to newsmen, said the man had been arrested.
According to her, the stowaway was arrested by Aviation Security Personnel and was taken to Tango City, a FAAN security unit domiciled at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Also, the spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Alabi, however, said the case had not been transferred to the Command from Tango City, adding that further information would be released in due course.
A reliable source, however, told NAN that the individual, upon arrest, claimed he wanted to travel to Ghana but refused to disclose how he managed to gain access to the restricted airside.
Meanwhile, following the incident, FAAN has suspended indefinitely the Aviation Security unit heads who were on duty when the incident occurred, pending completion of ongoing investigation into the regrettable security infringement.
The affected officers are the Airport Chief of Security, Mamman Mohammed Sadiku; International Terminal Security Officer, Oni Adedamola Abiodun; Head of Department, Domestic Terminal 2, Owotor Kenneth Okezie; and Head of Department, Domestic Terminal 1, Badejo Adebowale Ayodele.
In the interim, a General Manager of the Authority, Dr. Anne Enyinnaya-Egbadon, has been detailed to take charge of security at the airport.
Other affected officers have also been replaced.
A statement by FAAN said the current arrangement is aimed at ensuring an efficient and thorough investigation towards the recovery and sustenance of the airport’s proactive security integrity.
The statement added: “FAAN views this breach as a serious security concern and has commenced investigation to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of this incident to forestall future occurrence.”