Thieves steal runway lights from Nigeria’s busiest airport months after installation

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) suspended several officials after thieves managed to steal the light system of one of the runways of the country’s busiest airport. The light system at the 2.7km long domestic runway of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) was installed in November last year. Light systems help aircraft land and take off during nighttime.

Meanwhile, the FAAN has also initiated an investigation into the matter and efforts are underway to “arrest the criminals [and] recover what's missing", according to a FAAN spokesperson.

It must be noted that the domestic runway at the international airport was closed for maintenance since March 13, capitalising on which the thieves made their move.

FAAN workers involved in theft?

Nigeria’s PUNCH newspaper quoted a source as saying that FAAN’s own officials were involved in the theft, who had exclusive access to the restricted areas at the airport.

“The regular incursion and stealing of safety components at the airports are carried out by a syndicate, consisting of some workers of the agencies, who have access to the restricted areas and accomplices from outside,” The PUNCH wrote quoting the unnamed source.

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However, FAAN’s spokesperson Yakubu Funtua questioned the claim, adding that it would be unfair to put the blame on FAAN members. He said, “FAAN is doing all it can to get to the bottom of this. You are very aware that there are many agencies within the airport, including the different ones that are supposed to be taking care of security there. So, it would be unfair to put this (the theft) on our (members of) staff and I don’t think there is any FAAN (member of) staff that wants the agency to crash.”

Airport had waited 16 years for the light system

According to a report by ICIR news outlet, the domestic runway of the MMIA Lagos operated for almost 16 years without airfield lighting. However, in November 2022, FAAN reopened the runway for flight services after successfully installing the CAT III Airfield ground lighting system.

Notably, the Lagos airport has experienced incidents of theft in the past as well. In December 2021, Arik Air reported an attempted robbery of its taxiing aircraft to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Unknown individuals encroached on the runway during the incident.

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