Nigerian airports and security breaches are Siamese twins. No time-tested surgeon, personified by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, or any of the numerous security agencies at the airports has yet been able to separate them. A few years ago, 196 passengers aboard an Air France Airbus 330 on a flight from Paris, France, to Port Harcourt, had a close shave with death when the aircraft crushed seven cows crossing the Port Harcourt International Airport runway. The busy airport had no perimeter fencing at the time of the crash. The lucky passengers are yet to come to terms with the bizarre incident, which occurred when the aircraft with registration number FGZCF was taxiing on the runway towards the arrival gate after landing, when another of the nation’s major airport witnessed yet another unusual security breach.

This time, FAAN and security agencies at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, Cross River State, watched helplessly while a yet-to-be identified taxi driver rammed his car into an Abuja-bound Boeing 737-800NG airplane belonging to Arik Air. The blue Audi car with Cross River registration number XA254KAM missed hitting the engine of the aircraft. The 98 passengers aboard the aircraft escaped unhurt when they ran off the plane following the car’s impact against it. In a Commando-like manner, the taxi driver whose intention is yet to be ascertained, got onto the tarmac through the Nigerian Air Force section of the airport, knocking down the two gates blocking access to the airport through the Air Force section and sped towards the aircraft while passengers were already aboard, ready to take off.

The real intention

of the driver of the vehicle was not immediately known. However, there were speculations that he was a suicide bomber. Although, no explosive was found either on him or in his car by security operatives, he was believed to be on a specific mission to blow up the plane which perhaps, explained why he accelerated towards the fuel tank. He, however, missed his target and got stuck under the belly of the plane. What, perhaps, saved the lives of the 98 passengers who would have died had the aircraft been blown up on the impact of the car was the state-of-the-art facilities in the aircraft. Unlike the normal aircraft with single fuel tank, the Arik Boeing 737-800 NG airplane involved in the incident is equipped with two fuels tanks, one of which is anti-explosive.

A team of engineers from Arik have since started work on how to lift the plane to pull the car out. The aircraft would be transferred to Lufthansa Technic, the technical partners of Arik based in Germany, for structural checks. Routine checks on Arik’s fleet are usually done by Lufthansa Technic engineers in Nigeria, but because of the gravity of the impact of the car on the aircraft, a comprehensive structural check in Lufthansa’s maintenance facility in Germany was necessary. The magazine learnt that a structural check of this magnitude cost as much as $1 million, about N150 million. When added the cost of flying in another Arik plane from Lagos to pick the stranded and terror-struck passengers at the Calabar airport, the loss to the airline to that single incident is indeed, huge.

Simon Robinson, pilot of the aircraft, expressed shock over the incident. He was in the coc

cockpit steaming the engine of the aircraft when he heard the crash. On realising what happened, he directed that the passengers be evacuated. Some of the panic-stricken passengers said they were jolted by a big bang when the car made contact with the plane. Some passengers, who disembarked from the plane and ran for safety, added that they had expected the worst following fears that they were being attacked by a suicide bomber. “We were afraid this was another act of terrorism. We were just settling in for the flight when we heard a very loud bump. Then we heard the alarm and were asked to disembark. At first, we thought it was a fire and when we found out that a car on full speed had ran into the fuel section of the plane, pandemonium ensued and everybody scurried down the gangway to the relative safety of the departure hall,” one of the passengers said.

Since the incident occurred last week, there has been widespread anxiety and apprehension by stakeholders in the  aviation sector and Nigerians in general over the porous security situation at the nation’s airports and its implications. An aviation expert, who spoke with the magazine on condition of anonymity, argued with the persistent security lapses at the nation’s airports, Nigeria’s hopes of attaining the Category One certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, would not be realised. The FAA’s Category One certification essentially approves direct flights from Nigeria or any other country to America based on the attainment of certain aviation safety and security standards. The FAA, which is based in the United States, has since done the audit of Nigerian

airports while the aviation authorities hopes to get the certification this year. The aviation expert expressed worries that that the Calabar incident, like the previous one in Port Harcourt in 2005 could jeopardise the country’s attainment of the Category One status.

Others were curious over how the cab driver gained entrance into the airport’s tarmac right under the nose of security agencies. None of the officials of the Air Force, Police and FAAN on duty at the airport could lift a finger to stop the man, who appeared to be insane when he was arrested as he called everyone around a sinner, saying they all deserved to die. He said people in the world have turned away from God, and threatened to commit more atrocities if given the opportunity. “Jesus is the redeemer. Everyone should repent and follow him because I will come back and complete the attack,” the man said, in vernacular.

A confused Mahmud Sani of FAAN said everyone was taken unawares by the incident as the taxi came through the two Air Force gates leading to the tarmac. An equally confused and embarrassed Tonye Ebitibituwa, deputy commissioner of police, and O. G. Akonye, Air Force intelligence and security officer, as well as other officers at the Air Force Base, were also at a loss how the irate taxi driver beat all security details at the airport to carry out his attack. None of them could explain the serious and unfortunate security lapse at the airport. As usual, investigations of the incident have started, according to the security officers.

However, whether or not the result of the investigation, (if it would see the light of day), would avert similar occ

occurrences in the future, remains to be seen. 

 

Robinson: Shocked

The Abuja-bound Boeing 737-800NG plane