2 passengers with firearms arrested at Lagos airport

By Daniel Eteghe

LAGOS—FEDERAL Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, security officials, have arrested two passengers with firearms at both wings of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.

Disclosing this development to newsmen yesterday, General Manager Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said both passengers were arrested at separate intervals upon arrival at the airport.

He said the firearms were found in their luggage, explaining that one of the passengers was arrested with a pistol in his luggage at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos on Wednesday while the other passenger was apprehended on his way from Lagos to Port-Harcourt aboard Aero Contractors flight at the Domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA2, Lagos on Thursday.

According to Dati, the passenger who was arrested at the international wing of the airport, MMIA, Lagos flew in from Maryland en route Atlanta Georgia, USA about 4.00pm on February 6, 2013 on Delta Airlines.

He said: “The passenger claimed that the gun was brought in from the USA for his personal protection while in Nigeria. He claimed to have declared the gun to the airline before checking in his luggage at the airport of departure.”

Dati, however, explained that the pistol did not pose any threat to the passengers at the airport at the time of its seizure.

On the other hand, Dati explained that the other passenger who was apprehended with a pistol in his check-in luggage on an Aero Contractors flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt on Thursday, also claimed that he brought the pistol from the USA for his personal protection during his stay in Aba, Abia State where he would spend his holiday.