Drama as madman enters MMIA tarmac

The porous state of the nation’s airports was again laid bare on Monday evening as a man believed to be mentally unstable beat all security points and gained access to the restricted area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The mad man broke the glass at the boarding gate after beating all security checks, according to sources at the nation’s flagship airport.

After getting to the airport tarmac, the mad man was said to have started shouting “I want to go abroad; I want to go to Europe. Please give way for me to go.”

Sources at the scene said intending passengers feared the man was a terrorist and started scampering for safety.

The noise, it was gathered, alerted security operatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria who came to the scene and overpowered the intruder.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, FAAN, Mr. Akin Olukunle, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

He said the man had been arrested and handed over to the police for interrogation.

Olukunle stated that if it were established that the ‘passenger’ was mentally challenged the police would take him to the rehabilitation centre for treatment.

He said, “The arrested person was a lunatic who wanted to travel out of the country by all means. But, he was immediately overpowered by the security operatives attached to the airport.

“After investigation, and if confirmed he was mad, he would be taken to a rehabilitation centre.”

Culled from PUNCH