FAAN orders investigation into robbery of private jet at Lagos airport

By Louis Ibah 

miffed by the recurring security breaches at vital points in Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, robbery and stowaway incidences the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has called in the Nigerian Police to assist  in the investigations of a case of a burgled private jet, alleged to have occurred on the night of December12, 2017.
The incident was reported to have occurred on a Vista Jet aircraft with Call Sign VJT 584, while taxiing on the night of the said date to the hangar of  Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) Limited. The aircraft was arriving Lagos from Istanbul, Turkey.
It was alleged that some unknown persons had gained access into the airside of the private jet terminal of the Lagos airport and attacked the aircraft while it was taxiing after touching down at the airport. The attacker had forced open the rear door of the aircraft and made away with a  big black bag belonging to the air hostess, Francesca Louis.
But a source at the airport told Daily Sun that he was certain that those who stole the items were not outsiders, but airport workers as it was impossible for any external person without any form of identification to gain access to that section of the airport.
For security and safety reasons, aircraft that touch down at runways in airports in Nigeria are normally escorted by a vehicle that monitors its movement up to the point that it disembarks passengers and off loads baggage.
“Those who trailed the aircraft as it was taxiing can’t be outsiders. It’s an insider-organised crime. No external person gains access into the airside of the airport; it’s not just possible,” said the source who wouldn’t want to be named.
Spokeswoman for FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, in a statement on Sunday said a combined team of FAAN Aviation Security Department, Airport Police Command and other relevant security agencies have swung into action to unravel the perpetrators of the act and to prevent future reccurrence of such incident.

Stakeholders have continued to decry the security lapses at the Lagos airport, a trend that has led to several stowaway incidences in the last six years with some ending in the tragic deaths.