Reports have it that Bandits on Saturday invaded the Kaduna Airport.
It was gathered that the bandits prevented an AZMAN aircraft scheduled for Lagos, from taking off.
According to the report, a staff of NAMA was shot and killed by the bandits around the runway area of the airport.
A source said that the AZMAN Air aircraft could not take off at about 12.30 pm because of the presence of the bandits by the runways of the airport.
“There was a military presence to beef up security, though most of the staff were scared with the killing of the NAMA staff, the source said.
The source said more than 10 trucks of the military are at the airport presently for reinforcement.
Other sources said that attackers, numbering over 200 took over the airport.
The development caused panic at the airport as the suspected terrorists reportedly killed one security official of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
The attack, it was gathered forced the authority to temporarily shut down activities while the military battled the suspected terrorists.
A source said the terrorists insisted on shutting down the airport.
Following the presence of the terrorists on the runway area of the airport, workers attached to the airport left their duty posts.
The source said, “They started attacking the Airport around midnight. The soldiers were able to repel them that midnight and we thought that was all. In fact, our workers resumed work this morning as usual till around 12:00 pm.
“Then, shortly after that, some NAMA workers went to check some of their equipment, then these bandits appeared and started shooting.
“The NAMA engineers scampered for safety, they could not even go and enter the vehicle that took them to the site. It was in the process that their security man was shot in the head.
“The security man was rushed to the hospital and he was confirmed dead.
“As I am talking to you now, the soldiers are still battling those bandits, and they are proving difficult to be repelled. Now, they had shut down the airport.”
Confirming the development in a telephone interview, Amina Salami, the airport manager, denied reports that travellers were held, hostage.
According to her, the gunmen fired shots into the runway from the fenced area.
“The Azman flight had long taken off at the time the bandits started shooting. In fact, the Azman flight may have forgotten that they came to Kaduna at the time,” she said.
“It wasn’t clear whether they wanted to come into the airport, but they shot a security guard on runway 05. Unfortunately, on their way to the hospital, he died.
“I don’t know whether they wanted to come to the airport. Unfortunately, they shot at the runway and the bullet hit the security guard on the head.
“But the two flights we had taken off. There are military personnel in the airport and they gave it to the terrorists.
“They seized some of their motorcycles. The military succeeded in chasing them away.”
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