Airport Not Targeted, Security Breach Under Probe, Keyamo Clarifies Ondo Incident

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has clarified the recent security breach at Akure Airport in Ondo State did not involve a direct attack on aviation infrastructure, insisting the facility was never the intended target of the intrusion.

He made this known while speaking in an exclusive interview on a public affairs program at Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he addressed growing public concerns over safety within Nigeria’s airport system.

Recall that on Monday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) reported that four suspected bandits were arrested around the Akure Airport following a joint security operation triggered by a distress alert over suspicious movements near the airport perimeter.

However, the Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, dismissed the claim as misleading, insisting that no such arrest took place at the airport.

The police clarified that only two suspected logistics suppliers aiding kidnappers were apprehended along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis, not within the airport facility.

The minister explained the incident, which generated conflicting narratives between aviation authorities and the police, must be properly understood within context, noting what occurred was an external security situation that spilled into airport premises rather than a deliberate attempt to compromise aviation safety.

According to Keyamo, “Okay, there are two angles to this. The first is the conflicting statements and the second of why they will gain access in the first place. Of course, the first one, the conflicting statements; you know, when people sit down in Lagos and Abuja and rely on information of their lieutenants on the ground, sometimes, not all the time; sometimes you are bound to have them such discrepancies because you are not physically there,” he said;

He emphasized that available accounts indicate that individuals, suspected to be fleeing from a security situation involving bandits or kidnappers, gained access to the airport through a vulnerable section of the perimeter fence, rather than targeting passengers or airport operations.

According to him, the distinction is critical in preventing unnecessary panic and preserving public confidence in the safety of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Keyamo acknowledged discrepancies in reports issued by aviation agencies and the police, attributing the inconsistencies to bureaucratic communication gaps rather than deliberate misinformation.

He noted that in large institutional structures, especially within government, reports often pass through multiple layers before reaching decision-makers, which can sometimes result in variations in the details presented.

The minister explained that officials issuing statements from headquarters in cities like Lagos or Abuja often rely on information relayed from personnel on the ground, which may not always capture the full picture in real time.

“The person issuing a statement in Lagos at the headquarters in Lagos is not physically on the ground, and I think maybe that’s what happened. I’m also trying to get the full reports from all parties.

“Now, being the minister, I’m trying to get from all sides, but obviously what happened was that, of course, there was an intrusion into the airport in Akure, Akure airport, not that they were targeting the airport. The airport was not a target. Let us be very clear about this.

“In all the accounts, the airport was never a target. There was a problem, obviously, somewhere, and I think they ran into the airport, whether they are bandits or kidnappers and all that, but they ran into the airport. So, the airport was not, let me just assure the public, that the airport was not a target. Passengers were not a target.” he clarified.

As a result, he said, discrepancies in initial reports are not unusual, particularly in fast-evolving situations where agencies are working simultaneously to respond and communicate developments to the public.

Keyamo emphatically assured Nigerians that the airport itself was not under threat, stressing that in all accounts reviewed so far, there is no indication that the airport or its passengers were targeted by the individuals involved in the incident.

Rather, he explained that the intrusion occurred as a result of individuals attempting to escape from a separate security situation, which led them to breach airport boundaries unintentionally.

He reiterated that it is important for the public to understand that the integrity of airport operations was not compromised in a deliberate or coordinated manner, and that the incident should not be interpreted as a failure of aviation security architecture in its entirety.