Guards of the Nigeria Air Force who were on duty at the HQ NADC gate, caught a cable thief along the airport road by the NADC perimeter fence at about 1:35am on Friday.
Three thieves were sighted digging the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s underground armoured cable with a digger, shovel and cutlass.
On sighting the guards, they ran from the scene. A guard however opened fire on them, aiming at the shoulder of one of the thieves, who was 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 PUNCH gathered that the disappearance of the approach lighting systems had raised security concerns in Nigeria’s busiest airports.
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