The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has assured passengers of their safety at the airports and smooth airline operations as the hunger protests continue nationwide.
However, train services were suspended on Thursday as a precautionary measure against damages at train stations, particularly on the Abuja-Kaduna route.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, insisted that there was adequate security at the airports while speaking on the situation at the facilities.
According to Achimugu, the airport’s security is adequate. Right now, I’m speaking with you from the airport. With my team, I’m out on a path-finding expedition. We have just departed from local and are on our way to global. Everything is running properly.
He noted that “security is tight. Security agencies like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Aviation Security and NCAA made adequate preparations and planning before today. So we are assuring passengers of security so long as the airlines are operating.”
However, Achimugu noted that two domestic airlines, Overland and Valuejet, announced that they would not be operating for the day.
“One or two domestic airlines have announced to their passengers that they will not be operating today. Overland and Valuejet are not operating today. All other flights have been on schedule and everything is under control,” he explained.
The reasons behind their non-operation remain unclear but are speculated to be related to the protests or other factors.
In contrast, train services have faced more significant disruptions. The Operations Manager at Idu Train Station, Abdul Azeez, confirmed the halt in train operations, citing security concerns.
“To the best of my knowledge, we are not operating today. The security officers are on the ground. You only know where you are starting from. You don’t know where you are going to end up,” Azeez stated, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the situation.
The suspension affects not only the Nigerian Railway Corporation but also the metro services, reflecting the widespread impact of the current unrest.
