By Chuks Okoh
There was fracas Monday at the international terminal wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos when two airmen in charge of traffic control at the departure section of the terminal beat a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) staff to coma.
It was learnt that the FAAN staff, Mohammed Shuaibu who works at the protocol and passages of the agency told his friend to come and pick him at the airport, but when he arrived the airmen moved to remove the plate numbers of his car for parking longer than necessary. But at that moment Shuaibu came in and begged the Nigerian Air Force personnel not to take away the plate numbers.
According to an eye witness account, Shuaibu who was wearing FAAN staff uniform introduced himself and showed his identity card but an argument ensued and there was confrontation and the airmen descended on him.
Shuaibu was beaten by the airmen until he collapsed with blood oozing from his nostrils and he began to lose his breath as his heart beat slowed,sources said.
An official of FAAN who craved anonymity told our reporter that Shuaibu was first taken to the FAAN clinic at the airport but because of the grave injury he sustained, he was taken to the airport hospital where he has beenn treatment .And at the time this story was filed he was yet to regain consciousness.
“Shuaibu who is one of our staff at the protocols and passages section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos asked his friend to come and pick him. When he came he parked at the departures and called our staff who went to meet him. By the time he arrived ,he saw two airmen standing with him and insisting to remove his plate numbers.
“Shuaibu begged them and introduced himself as a FAAN staff, but they seemed not to care, so argument ensued; then they started beating him. By the time other people arrived the scene, Shuaibu had collapsed and blood was flowing from different parts of his body. We first moved him to FAAN clinic where they said his heart beat was slowing and he was finding it difficult to breathe, so we have to rush him to the airport hospital,” the FAAN official said.
About three months ago a trolley operator at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Lagos airport died after sustaining grievous injuries from attacks by a naval rating.
The FAAN official said there have been series of unprovoked attacks on civilians by the military at the airport.
