The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have taken action against the head of security in Akure in response to the incident that saw a number of cows make it to the runway impeding a flight that was set for touchdown.
The incident made national news after an Air Peace flight from Lagos was unable to land due to the cows on the runway.
According to Eyewitnesses, it took the efforts of airport security and and others to clear the runway.
According to the PUNCH, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu stated that the FAAN are aware of some security concerns at airports around the country and were ready to tackle them.
She said; “We have taken various initiatives and measures to guard against breaches of any sort at all our airports nationwide. It will be recalled that there had been serious allegations of security breaches at some airports recently, the latest being the incursion of the Akure airport runway, which led to a temporary disruption of landing procedures of an inbound Air Peace flight.
“While we apologise for the incident, we want to state that officers of the security department quickly dispersed the cows from the runway to allow for a successful landing of the flight. We have taken other steps like the query issued to the Akure airport manager, while the head of security at the airport has been suspended even as a team of engineers from FAAN are already working to ensure that all gaps responsible for this incident are promptly closed.”
She added; “We also have a joint patrol arrangement involving military officers, men of the Nigeria Police Force and aviation security at our airports at all times. These efforts will help in no small measure at bringing to the barest minimum security infractions at our airports,”