The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has clarified that the recent security breach at Akure Airport in Ondo State did not involve a deliberate attack on aviation infrastructure, stressing that the airport was never the intended target.
Keyamo made the statement during a radio programme in Ogun State on Tuesday, addressing concerns about safety within Nigeria’s airport system. The comments come after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) reported on Monday that four suspected bandits were arrested around 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, through spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh, dismissed the claim as misleading, clarifying that no arrests were made within the airport. Instead, two suspected logistics suppliers assisting kidnappers were apprehended along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis.
Keyamo explained that the incident, which generated conflicting narratives between aviation authorities and the police, involved an external security situation that spilled into airport premises rather than a deliberate attempt to compromise aviation safety.
“There are two angles to this. The first is the conflicting statements and the second of why they will gain access in the first place… Sometimes you are bound to have discrepancies because you are not physically there,” Keyamo said.
According to the minister, individuals, suspected to be fleeing a security situation involving bandits or kidnappers, gained access to the airport through a vulnerable section of the perimeter fence, rather than targeting passengers or airport operations.
Keyamo emphasized that clarifying this distinction is critical to preventing unnecessary panic and maintaining public confidence in Nigeria’s aviation sector. He attributed the discrepancies in reports from aviation agencies and police to bureaucratic communication gaps, noting that statements from headquarters often rely on information relayed by personnel on the ground.
“The airport was not a target. Let us be very clear about this. In all the accounts, the airport was never a target. Passengers were not a target,” he reassured the public.
