Not less than two persons were on Friday injured when a police orderly attached to a Senator had an accidental discharge from his gun at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Airport Airport, Ikeja Lagos.
Eyewitness account stated that the accident happened while the policeman was attempting to remove the magazine of his gun
Travelling armed personnel are, according to air safety and security regulations to remove magazines from the arms before handling them to airline officials who would return it to them at their destinations
This was what the police officer was about to follow when a bullet fell off, splinted and in the process hit him and a woman. The woman was injured on the leg..
The police orderly who was billed to travel on an Arik Air flight, as well as the woman, were quickly taken to the airport clinic for treatment.
Confirming the accident, general manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, explained that what happened was an accident.
He noted that storing the gun away with its magazine was a standard procedure because guns are not taken on-board aircraft; as they are usually checked in the luggage compartment.
“All our airports are safe and secured and in recognition of the security challenges in the country and in the world, security at the nation’s airports has been fortified”, Dati assured air travellers.
The Commissioner of Police Airport Command, Mrs Victory Menta was not available for comment when our correspondent went to her office, but a reliable police source in the airport told African Business Travel that the accident would be investigated.
“ What happened was an accidental discharge. But since it happened in a public place. the issue would investigated. There is no cause for alarm,” the source assured..
