Police: Man Who Climbed Azman Aircraft at Lagos Airport Not a Nigerian

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Police
Command, has identified the man who climbed an Azman Air aircraft
at the airport on Friday as Usman Adamu from neighbouring Republic
of Niger.

The spokesperson for the Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, disclosed
the identity of the 32-year-old Nigerien to the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

Alabi said the Nigerien, who is currently being held by the
command, could not speak or understand English Language.

He, however said investigation was still ongoing to ascertain
how Adamu gained access to the heavily restricted area at the
airport.

NAN reports that passengers aboard a Port Harcourt-bound Azman
Air flight were thrown into panic on Friday after Adamu climbed the
aircraft while it was about to take off at the MMIA.

According to video clips taken by one of the passengers, Adamu
was seen entering the fuselage of the aircraft with a hand luggage
and also climbing one of its wings.

He was later apprehended by Aviation Security Personnel of the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and taken to its
detention facility, before the case was transferred to the Police
for further investigation.

Following the development, FAAN gave an indefinite suspension to
the Aviation Security Unit heads who were on duty when the incident
occurred.

FAAN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu,
had in a statement, said the agency viewed the breach as a serious
security concern.

She said FAAN had begun investigation to ascertain the remote
and immediate causes of the incident to forestall future
occurrence.

Yakubu said the suspension of the personnel was pending the
completion of investigation into the security infringement.

NAN reports that the affected officers include the Airport Chief
of Security, Mamman Mohammed Sadiku, and International Terminal
Security Office, Oni Abiodun.

Others are Head of Department, Domestic Terminal 2, Kenneth
Okezie, and Head of Department, Domestic Terminal 1, Adebowale
Ayodele.

Yakubu disclosed that in the interim, a General Manager, Dr Anne
Enyinnaya-Egbadon, had been detailed to take charge of security at
the airport.

She explained that other affected officers had also been
replaced.

She said the current arrangement was aimed at ensuring an
efficient and thorough investigation toward the recovery and
sustenance of the airport’s proactive security integrity. (NAN)

Chief Judge Frees 56 Awaiting Trial Inmates in
Anambra

The Chief Judge of Anambra State Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu has
visited the four prisons in the state in exercise of the powers
conferred on her to conduct gaol delivery exercise.

The exercise which took her four days to complete, saw her
discharging twenty-one(21) deserving inmates and admitted
thirty-five(35) others to bail in the most liberal terms.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the exercise in Awka Prison where
seventeen persons received their freedom from custody, the Chief
Judge thanked all her brother Judges, magistrates the Prisons,
police and the media for their assistance in ensuring that the mid
year exercise was a huge success.
Onwuamaegbu applauded the records department of the prisons
especially that of Awka prison for their ingenuity in making sure
that an inmate whose lawyer subtly forged information on his
release order was detected and brought to the court’s knowledge.
She admonished the released inmates to be good citizens and to
refrain from anything that will bring them back to the prison as
inmates.

The Controller of Prisons Barr. Nwakeze Emmanuel thanked the
Chief Judge for her assistance in the decongestion of the
prisons.

DSP EKEZIE FRANCIS
COMMAND PRO
NIGERIAN PRISONS SERVICE
ANAMBRA STATE COMMAND