Air travels through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos has recorded an increase, following the large turnout of passengers travelling from one part of the country to another.

The increase, also being experienced on the international scene, had been attributed to the coming presidential election slated for Saturday across the country.

The development, even as Nigerians have started withdrawing cash from banks.

The large turnout of air travellers, which became noticeable early this week, became alarming on Wednesday, when Nigerian Tribune went round the airport.

Business had increased for International airlines like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Ethad, Emirates, South African Airways and Kenya Airlines, in view of the full load capacity they have been enjoying since, Monday.

A top official at British Airways who confirmed the upsurge in passengers’ traffic, attributed the increase to the forthcoming Easter celebrations and vacation in schools.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that some of the airlines, especially British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, had overbooked their capacities in the past four days, a situation, which led to some of the passengers being rescheduled by the airlines.

Some of the foreign travelers were said to be leaving in view of anxiety over what may become the outcome of the elections, as they don’t want to be caught in the web of election crisis.

Meanwhile, various motorparks in the ancient city of Kano, were on Wednesday, besieged by exodus of people, especially non-indigenes, travelling out of the state to their respective states of origin over palpable fear of Saturday election.

However, as a result of mass exodus of many passengers, fares had been jacked up by 20 per cent, as there were a few vehicles to convey the large number of passengers.

Aside that, at the luxury buses motorpark, there was no more space for passengers, as most of the passengers had booked for seats since last Monday.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the luxury buses motorpark located on New Road, Sabongari, many passengers were seen begging for attachments, but could not get any.

As people from South-West were carrying their lugages, so their counterparts from the South-East and South-South were not left behind.

While the people were seen travelling out of the state, many other passengers who were indigenes of the North also arrived the state with their families from the Southern part of the country, where they resided.

However, many passengers who could not afford the high fares were seen moving to the popular outskirts motorpark at corner Dawaki, where most of them resorted to boarding 911 Mercedez or turntable trailer.

When most of the passengers were asked the reason for the ‘mad rush’, they said it was because of the forthcoming general election, saying “we want to go and rest at least for a week.

“So when the election tension goes down, we will come back,” as according to them, it is far better to be at home than to be in a place, where there is fear of being attacked during or after election.

Also, many Nigerians were observed moving from some of the northern states to the West, in fear of election violence. Many corps members who will not be participating in the election were also relocating to their states.