The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has rejected reports of stolen luggage on taxiing aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The Authority described such reports as “baseless and practically impossible”.
The FAAN was reacting to reports that Tiwa Savage and other passengers’ luggage aboard a chartered flight from Uyo to Lagos on Boxing Day was pilfered while the aircraft was still taxiing on the runaway.
The singer also called out the FAAN for the security breach, wondering how unauthorized persons could gain access to such sensitive areas of the airport without being spotted by security.
In a statement last night by its spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, the Authority insisted that it was not possible for anyone to burgle an aircraft in motion.
“Furthermore, because aircraft are highly technical machines, it is practically impossible for anyone who does not have the requisite training and competence to operate or tamper with the baggage compartment”, she said.
Debunking insinuation that theft of luggage from the aircraft was becoming a frequent occurrence following previous reports that another private jet arriving from Istanbul, Turkey was burgled, FAAN insisted that in both that instance and the Boxing Day incident, preliminary findings from investigations conducted by an inter-agency committee set up to probe the allegations could not substantiate the claims.
“The purported victims in the said cases also did not make themselves available for questioning, in the quest to unravel the case”, the statement read.
While investigations were still ongoing, FAAN reassured travelers and the general public that with the level of safety and security systems on ground at the airports, “it is practically impossible for an aircraft to be burgled within our Runways and Aprons”.