The recently reinstated airfield lighting systems at the domestic runway of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, have been carted away by unknown persons.
According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, those who carted away the lighting systems were able to do so as a result of the closure of the runway for over three months.
The source alleged that some Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) workers connived with outsiders to steal the airport lighting equipment.
“The criminal took advantage of the closure to commit the crime. I cannot give the actual worth of the theft, but almost all the lighting was removed. The permanent secretary came around to see for himself the huge damage done. A lot of FAAN officials have been suspended,” the source confirmed.
It was also gathered that some heads of relevant departments at FAAN in the airport have been suspended over the missing lighting equipment on the directives of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Dr Emmanuel Meribole.
The source also disclosed that investigations had since commenced to unravel those responsible for the missing safety equipment.
For fifteen years, the Lagos Airport domestic runway was shut down to night operations due to the absence of airfield lighting, making domestic airlines to use runway 19 at the international airport.
The stolen equipment, which aids aircraft to take off and land at the domestic airport at night, was installed on the 2.7 kilometres long runway in November 2022.
