Gunshot At Lagos Airport, Two Injured

There was panic at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Friday, July 8, as the gun of an orderly attached to a Senator accidentally discharged when he tried to remove the magazine before boarding a flight.

The orderly and a woman standing by were injured on the legs, Sahara Reporters reports.

According to eye witness account, the orderly who was to travel on Arik Air wanted to dislodge the magazine from the gun in line with standard practice in air travel but incidentally the gun released its bullet and hit him and another woman on the leg.

On hearing the gunshot within the terminal, travelers and airport workers scampered for safety. The orderly and the woman were said to have trekked out of the terminal to the vehicle that conveyed them to the hospital without any assistance as the injury was not that severe.

Confirming the incident, Yakubu Dati, the general manager, Public Affairs of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said it was an accident and stowing the gun away with its magazine was a standard procedure because guns are not taken on-board aircraft but are usually checked in the luggage compartment.

Describing the incident as minor, he assured air travellers that all the airports are safe and secure, adding that security at Nigerian airports has been fortified in recognition of the security challenges in the country and around the world.

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