A man was arrested on Monday (September 2), having managed to breach security to get airside at Benin City airport.
The 25-year-old was discovered lying down close to a Arik Air flight bound for Abuja. The man, later named as Leroy Ugaga, admitted he was intending to board the flight, claiming he was a psychiatric patient and was tired of life, resulting in his desire to travel to the capital.
General Manager, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Corporate Communications, Yakubu Dati, explained that the trespasser was spotted and observed for a few minutes by airport security. He was apprehended and handed over to police as soon as his intentions became clear.
“A joint perimeter patrol by FAAN’s security staff and men of the Air Force at Benin Airport is one of the additional security measures taken by the FAAN to forestall runway incursions at all Nigerian airports, following the stowaway incident that occurred at Benin Airport on August 24,” said Dati, alluding to a 13-year-old boy who stowed away in the wheel gear of a Lagos-bound Arik Air flight from the airport a week earlier.
Dati added: “FAAN hereby appeals to all members of the public, especially youths, to avoid the risk of attempting to gain unauthorised entry into restricted areas of the airports, across the country, as doing so is now extremely dangerous. Trespassers are likely to be severely dealt with if the security patrols have cause to suspect violent intentions.”
