Uche Amunike
Lifeandtimes News Writer
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has assured Nigerians that the recent security breach at the Akure Airport was neither targeted on the facility, the airport, nor the passengers.
Keyamo made this clarification during an interview on a public affairs program on Eagles 102.5 FM in Ogun State as there were growing concerns about the safety of Nigeria‘s airports after conflicting reports surrounding the incidence flooded the airwaves.
This controversy started after the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) announced that four people suspected to be bandits, were arrested close to the Akure Airport.
However, the claim was dismissed by the Nigerian Police Force in Ondo State, who explained that only two suspected logistics suppliers that were aiding kidnappers were apprehended along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis, and not within the airport premises.
While addressing the discrepancies, Minister Keyamo said that the situation showed communication gaps that are usually associated with large institutions, rather than deliberate misinformation.
He also stated that preliminary findings show that the individuals involved were on the run, from a separate security situation and inadvertently gained access to the Akure Airport through a vulnerable section of the perimeter fence.
His words: ‘Okay, there are two angles to this. The first is the conflicting statements, and the second is why they will gain access in the first place. Sometimes you are bound to have such discrepancies because you are not physically there.’
He called on members of the public to remain calm with the assurance that the Akure Airport was not a target and that the passengers were never targeted as well.
Hear him: ‘The airport was not a target. Let us be very clear about this. In all accounts, the airport was never a target, and passengers were not a target.’
He further explained that the breach highlights infrastructural gaps, with particular reference to a porous section of the airport’s fence, which provided access into the facility, noting that such weaknesses are part of broader challenges affecting aging infrastructure across airports in the country.
He also stated: ‘It’s just that there was a porous part of our fence at the back of the airport. These are some of the infrastructure we are trying to rebuild and it takes a lot of money and time.’
The minister also disclosed that he has ordered a full scale investigation into the incident, instructing aviation security personnel to collaborate with law-enforcement agencies in order to establish the true sequence of events. He also warned that any lapse in duty or security oversight discovered during the investigation would attract sanctions, noting that accountability remains critical to maintaining confidence in the aviation sector.
He further pointed to bureaucratic bottlenecks as a factor contributing to delays and inconsistencies in reporting, stating that information often passes through multiple layers before reaching decision makers, unlike in the private sector, where communication is more direct.
Keyamo has however, reassured travelers that Nigeria’s aviation system is still safe, describing the breach as an isolated case linked to external security pressures, not systematic failure.
