Bandits didn’t shut down Kaduna Airport, we killed 12 of them — Military

The military authorities have cleared the air on the reported attack on the Kaduna International Airport by bandits.

The military claimed the incidents happened six kilometres away from the terminal and outside the airport parameter fence.

It also said 12 of the bandits immediately given a hot chase were killed through airstrike.

Kaduna Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, Garrison Command 1 Division Nigerian Army, Brig-General Uriah Opuene and Air Force Base Commander, Air Commodore, Ademuyiwa Adedoyin led journalists on an assessment tour of the attack scene.

Briefing journalists at the scene of the attack, Brig-General Opuene said the Kaduna International Airport is secured adding there are several layers of security at the airport that the bandits could not have dared to attack it.

According to him, preliminary investigations have revealed the bandits were just passing through back of the Airport towards Riyawa village when they sighted the security man engaged by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to watch over their metrological equipment around the axis.

“As you can see, this place is about six kilometers away from the Airport terminal. The bandits were only passing behind the airport parameter fence when they saw the security man engage by NAMA and they fired at him. They just took advantage of that to pass a message that they have attack the airport.

“There are several layers of security at the Airport, this is the first layer and even this first layer was not breached because from the moment of hearing that shot, it took our men just about three minutes to get here from the next layer of security.

“On arrival, the bandits were already running away. So we engaged them through the use of ground forces. Then we called for air strike and helicopter was deployed and from the air report, about 12 of the bandits were killed.

“So, as you can see from the distance, the insinuation outside that, the terrorists took over the Airport is not correct. If the terrorists had entered, they would have met us there,” he said.

Air Commodore Adedoyin said security around the Airport general area has been beefed up since the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) was breached last year, adding bandits don’t have the audacity to attack Kaduna Airport.

The Security Commissioner while assuring the Airport is safe and secured, said the State Government was engaging citizens in communities around Airport to scale up intelligence gathering. (The Nation)