Gunshot At Lagos Airport Leaves Two Injured

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.

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.