Again thieves burgle Air Peace aircraft at Lagos airport

As the dust was yet to settle over the robbery incidents involving two private jets at the Lagos airports last December, another one was again recorded at the same airport on Friday.

The latest involved an Air Peace aircraft which had its cargo hold force open by suspected thieves.

According to the image maker of the airline, Chris Iwarah, the pilot in command of the plane alerted the control tower when the light in the cockpit came on which suggested that the cargo hold had been forced open.

“Pilot-in-Command, Captain Adesola Arasi had to contact control tower when he was alerted by the light that came on in the cockpit suggesting that the cargo hold was opened for about 15 seconds and was immediately shut.

“In line with our high security standards and the huge value we place on the lives of our guests and crew, Captain Arasi insisted on having  the   Explosive Ordinance Disposal quad check Flig APK 7138 before takeoff to be doubly sure nothing was deposited in the cargo hold by the suspected thieves to endanger the lives of our guests and crew.

“Our guests, who were fully briefed of the development by the pilot-in-command, were advised to disembark from the aircraft and board an Air Peace bus while the joint security operation by EOD,the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) aviation security and our security team lasted.

“ The Lagos-Abuja flight was cleared by the security experts after exhaustive screening of the aircraft lasting about 30 minutes.

“The flight eventually took off at 9.30pm and safely landed in Abuja at about 10.23pm. Our satisfied guests commended the professionalism of Capt. Arasi and his team as well as the high safety standards of Air Peace.”

It will be recalled that on December 12, 2017, the security apparatus of the Lagos Airport was queried with the poaching of a Vistajet aircraft on the 18 Right runway of the Lagos Airport.

Reports claimed that the aircraft with the registration number 9H-VFA was poached by unknown persons while taxiing to apron, a report the management of FAAN debunked.

Two weeks later, another aircraft carrying two Nigerian musicians, Tiwa Savage and Wizkid from Uyo to Lagos, was again poached at the same airport.