Security Team Arrests Four Suspected Bandits at Akure Airport

Security Team Arrests Four Suspected Bandits at Akure Airport

Four suspected bandits have been arrested around Akure Airport following a joint security operation by multiple security agencies.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire.

According to the agency, the suspects were apprehended after security operatives received a distress alert about suspicious individuals sighted near the airport’s perimeter fence toward the Eleyewo community.

Agbebire said the alert triggered an immediate coordinated search operation involving aviation security personnel, the military, the police and other local security outfits.

“Four suspects were eventually apprehended by the joint security team and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Area Command for further interrogation,” he said.

The FAAN spokesman commended the collaboration among the various security units involved in the operation, describing the swift response as critical in preventing potential security threats around the airport facility.

He said, “FAAN commends the swift collaboration among aviation security personnel, the military, the police and local security groups, including Amotekun and community vigilantes, whose joint efforts led to the arrest.”

The development comes amid growing concerns over a new wave of insecurity spreading across different parts of the country, with security breaches increasingly reported near critical infrastructure and communities.

In Ondo State recently, armed men reportedly attacked a community in the Owo axis, leaving several residents injured and forcing many to flee their homes.

Similarly, reports circulating online indicated that suspected gunmen abducted travellers along a highway in the North-Central region, confirming the widening security challenges facing the country.

Agbebire noted that the Akure airport incident had further highlighted the need for stronger security around aviation facilities.

He added that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, with the support of the Presidency under Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had accelerated plans to install modern perimeter fencing and upgrade security infrastructure at airports nationwide.

According to him, work on the project has already commenced in phases to ensure that airports managed by FAAN are better protected against unlawful access and other security threats.

FAAN also reassured travellers and host communities that it remained committed to maintaining the safety and security of airport facilities across the country.