An airport in Nigeria recently had its runway lights stolen. Authorities have begun an investigation and are trying their best to get to the bottom of the situation. The incident took place at Nigeria’s Murtala Mohammed International Airport or the MMIA in Lagos. The Federation Airport Authority Of Nigeria or the FAAN has initiated inquiries regarding the situation. Here is all the information that is available regarding the incident as of now.
Nigeria Airport’s Runway Lights Stolen
According to an article recently published by the WION, there are speculations that certain insiders are involved in the theft. The WION article cited the Nigerian newspaper PUNCH as its source. According to the article, PUNCH quoted an unnamed source who said that the theft is carried out by a syndicate.
This syndicate, said the unnamed source in PUNCH, has members from the organisation who have access to certain restricted areas. However, a spokesperson for FAAN stated that it would be unfair to put the blame on its members.
The spokesperson, Yakubu Funtua, told WION that FAAN is doing all it can to get to the bottom of the situation. The WION article also stated that the domestic runway at this particular international airport has been closed for maintenance purposes since the 13th of March.
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Lights Installed After 16 Years
The lights were installed last year in November. WION cited another news source which stated that the domestic runway, from where the lights were stolen, has been operating without runway lights for around 16 years. The lighting system installed was CAT III Airfield.
This is not the first time that such an incident is taking place at the Lagos airport. Arik Air, a Nigerian airline reported that there was an attempt to steal its taxiing aircraft. The report was lodged with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority or the NCAA.
The domestic runway from which the light system got stolen was a total of 2.7 kilometres long. The WION article also stated that the FAAN suspended many officials after the incident.
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