At about 1:35 a.m. on Friday, Nigeria Air Force guards on duty at the HQ NADC gate apprehended a cable thief along the airport road by the NADC perimeter fence.
Three criminals were spotted using a digger, shovel, and cutlass to excavate the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s underground armoured cable.
They fled the scene when they saw the guards. However, a guard opened fire on them, aiming for the shoulder of one of the criminals, later identified as Usman Musa.
A statement signed by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua, said, “Usman Musa, 28 years old, a native of Adamawa State, residing at Ijora sustained gunshot wounds. He was subsequently arrested and taken to 661NAFH Ikeja.
“He is receiving treatment at General Hospital Oyingbo while his other two accomplices escaped. Usman Musa will be properly interrogated after he has stabilised.
“The Authority believes that this incident could be a relevant clue to unravelling the theft of the runway lighting at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.”
This happened after days after unknown persons carted away the recently reinstalled airfield lighting systems at the domestic runway 18/36L of Murtala Muhammad Airport.
The disappearance of the approach lighting systems had raised security concerns in Nigeria’s busiest airports.