March 17, (THEWILL) — The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the Akure Airport security breach in Ondo State.
According to the Minister, the report of the investigation of the incident involving all relevant aviation and security agencies is being collated from multiple agencies, including aviation security units and law enforcement, to establish an accurate account of events and identify any lapses in duty or coordination.
This is just as Keyamo clarified that the recent security breach at Akure Airport did not involve a direct attack on aviation infrastructure, insisting that the facility was never the intended target of the intrusion.
He made this known in an exclusive interview on Frontline, a public affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Tuesday, where he addressed growing public concerns over safety within Nigeria’s airport system.
THEWILL recalls that on Monday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) reported that four suspected bandits were arrested around the Akure Airport following a joint security operation triggered by a distress alert over suspicious movements near the airport perimeter.
However, the Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, dismissed the claim as misleading, insisting that no such arrest took place at the airport. The police clarified that only two suspected logistics suppliers aiding kidnappers were apprehended along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis, not within the airport facility.
On the ongoing investigation, Keyamo said, “When these things happen, you have the station managers of various departments there. You know, you have NCA on the ground, NCA, you have FAN on the ground, and NIMED is also present at the airport. So, those reporting lines, they’ll report to their next superior. Maybe you have an AGM, they will report to a DGM, DGM will report to AGM, AGM will report to their directors, directors will report to the FAN ND or the CEO, either FAN ND or the DG of NCA and all that, and I will not get a report from all of the CEOs. I will get a report from all of them. So, as of this morning, you have yet to get a report from them? We have, they have forwarded their press statements to me. They forwarded their press statements and then, of course, I then saw the press statement by the police and I escalated this issue as of yesterday evening back to them and they were saying, they were trying to clear the discrepancies and said, look, I now have mandated them to get the true report because we cannot also sit down and take that, take the statement from the police also as 100% correct.
“Of course, the police came up with their statements, but is this 100% correct? We are not here to, of course, rub shoulders or to try to compare who is more, to be holier than thou, okay, or compare within government agencies who is, who is saying the truth also. But in between them, in between them, I’ve told my AVSEC people, AVSEC Insider Security, to, of course, link up with the ground, link up with the police or compare notes and come out with the true situation, and I’m waiting for that.
“I’ve given those directives already. Okay, it’s not just a matter of giving the directive alone. It’s about, you know, setting a standard to prevent, you know, something that could compromise national aviation security”, Keyamo explained.
According to him, if it is discovered that personnel failed to perform their responsibilities or that there were lapses in surveillance or reporting, appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken. He stressed that accountability is essential in maintaining high standards within the aviation sector and ensuring that public trust is not eroded.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
