Stakeholders in the nation’s aviation sector have described the vandalisation and theft of the recently reinstalled airfield lighting systems at the domestic runway 18/36L of Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos, as an act of terrorism.
LEADERSHIP reports that on July 8 2022, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), shut down runways 18L and 36R at MMA in Lagos to install an airfield ground lighting system. The authority, however, re-opened the runway on 11th November 2022.
However, the disappearance of the approach lighting systems had raised security and safety concerns as stakeholders said, the regular incursion and stealing of safety components at the airports are carried out by a syndicate.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the director of research, Zenith Travel Consult, Olumide Ohunayo, said FAAN needs to review and overhaul the aviation security network.
He further stressed that, removing critical aviation safety equipment should not be treated with kid gloves but as an act of terrorism.
“This is an act of terrorism. I am not seeing it as just robbery because it is an act of terrorism to remove critical safety equipment for aircraft landing in an airport as cosmopolitan as Lagos. That’s horrible and FAAN needs to look at the aviation security network. The use of security cameras among others should be introduced.
“This is a big embarrassment for Nigeria as a country and they can’t use those lights on other things other than a runway, invariably, they have an insider who brings back the light for FAAN to buy. They must go after the cartel selling it.”
He also stated that the act has impacted negatively on the reputation of the country in the global aviation sector.
“This is a big damage to the reputation of Nigeria. The management of the runway lightning needs to be looked at. The contract and management is currently under FAAN. This period should be used to look into that but as far as the security of the airport, FAAN must take responsibility for what happened,” he stated.
Also speaking, a former Military Commandant at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (retd.), said the act was being carried out by insider who resell to the authority.
To him, “this is not new at MMA. I wish the FAAN management could go back to 1990 when similar things happened in the airport. I was convinced that it was an ‘insiders threats’. What did I do? I positioned soldiers on the runways and ensured that no FAAN maintenance staff went near the runways for anything without my approval; otherwise, it was shoot at first sight.
“It stopped completely. Runway lightings were being stolen and my conclusion then was that runway lightings can only be useful for runways and not roads or houses. Those stolen items were being sold to FAAN by the same workers. That is why I am not in support of the unions carrying the picketing of their employers to the airport’s security controlled areas.”
However, effort to speak with the the director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, FAAN, Yakubu Funtua, proved abortive as several calls and messages sent to his phone are not replied as at the time of filling this report.