The international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos was thrown into chaos yesterday as heavily armed officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force, acting on security intelligence, stormed the offices of some contractors operating at the terminal.
The officers, who arrived the terminal about noon sealed the offices and shops, confiscated wares, disrupted activities and created fear and panic among passengers as they scampered for safety.
The Air Force personnel also harassed some passengers, as they were busy conducting searches on some persons at the terminal.
One source told aviation correspondents that the raid came following a tip off of a possible attack on the airport by terrorists using any of the kiosks or bureau de change as a hideout.
However, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) decried the raid as unauthorized, even as they lamented airport security personnel were not carried along.
The Air Force officials were led by the Airport Commandant, Group Captain Victor Ajiboye, and the search team focused on operations at the departure and arrival halls of the terminal.
Apart from the Chief Security Officer of the international wing of the Lagos Airport, other senior officials in the aviation security department of FAAN, as well as other security agencies including the Nigeria Police, Immigration, Customs were taken aback by the military operation.
Some airport workers who lamented the raid said it was wrong for the Air Force to raid offices at the airport without carrying its security unit along, adding that it was the business of FAAN to protect its concessionaires who are its business partners.
While the raid lasted, many passengers and other airport workers not wearing their On-Duty duty cards fled the halls to escape the harassment of the Air Force officials.
Offices belonging to some bureau de change operators, eateries, pharmacies have remained shut on account of the raid.
Recently, the federal government had ordered that security be tightened around the Lagos Airport to ward off attempts by the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram, to bomb the airport.
