Reporter’s Diary: Inside Lagos Airport Where Drama Begins Before Flights

On Thursday night, October 10, 2024, I joined several aviation correspondents from different Nigerian media organisations on an assignment to Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos. The purpose of the visit was to cover the inaugural direct flight operated by Neos Airline into Nigeria.

The arrival ceremony was originally scheduled to commence at 9:30 p.m., coinciding with the aircraft’s expected touchdown. However, unforeseen operational delays altered the plan. The aircraft eventually landed at approximately 11:30 p.m., barely thirty minutes to midnight.

Rather than leave the airport after the coverage, I made a personal decision to stay back. It was my first time remaining at the facility so late into the night, and I wanted to observe the atmosphere of the airport after most travellers and staff had departed. As the terminal gradually emptied and people headed home, I felt the experience was incomplete. I chose to spend the night within the airport premises.

I spent hours moving around the terminal halls. When fatigue finally set in and I considered resting, a junior staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria noticed my colleague and me. He kindly offered us a more comfortable seat where we could sit. During that quiet moment, my colleague, whom I will refer to as Dare for anonymity, began sharing stories of unusual and dramatic encounters he had witnessed over time at the airport. According to him, many of the most memorable episodes involved passengers and airline officials, particularly in situations where flights were missed.

That night, we were seated opposite the Royal Air Maroc service desk. The Moroccan national carrier had earlier completed its direct flight operation into Lagos and its staff were already closing operations for the night when a woman rushed into the terminal. She was desperate to board the airline, even though the boarding process had officially ended and the gate had been shut.

Ground handling personnel firmly informed her that she had arrived too late and that the flight could no longer accommodate her. What followed was an unexpected and emotional reaction. The woman sat directly on the terminal floor and began speaking loudly in pidgin English, drawing the attention of everyone around. She repeatedly claimed that unseen forces from her hometown had followed her to the airport and ruined her opportunity to travel abroad.

She removed her cap and pleaded with anyone within sight to help appeal to the airline staff still present in the early hours of the morning. Her distress escalated as she alternated between shouting religious exclamations and blaming her “village people,” insisting they were spiritually responsible for her predicament. When her appeals failed, she redirected her anger toward a nearby security officer, questioning why he was laughing while she cried.

The situation attracted laughter from onlookers, making the episode both uncomfortable and pitiful. Wanting clarity, I approached the woman and tried to understand the issue calmly.

I asked her to relax and explain what had gone wrong. She responded that she had spent nearly two years saving money to travel, after her sister refused to sponsor her journey to Morocco. According to her, once she finally gathered the funds, she was informed that she had arrived too late for the flight.

I explained that missing a flight did not permanently end her chances of travelling and advised her to speak with airline officials for rescheduling. She complained that the staff were hostile and had even threatened physical action against her. I suggested accompanying her to speak with them.

With the assistance of the officials, discussions were held regarding her placement on a subsequent flight. That conversation effectively resolved the incident.

Scenes similar to this play out regularly across Nigerian airports. However, occurrences at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos are notably more frequent and intense due to its status as the country’s busiest aviation hub.

From the moment passengers arrive, they are confronted with a military checkpoint. Minor misunderstandings at this point often escalate into heated verbal exchanges between travellers and security officers, particularly involving female passengers.

Moving toward the terminal entrance, especially at Terminal 2, experienced travellers usually proceed without difficulty. First-time passengers, however, often pause to ask for directions. At this vulnerable stage, some fall victim to individuals posing as helpers, who eventually collect money under misleading claims.

Just beyond the entrance, travellers place their luggage on scanning machines that display bag contents on monitors viewed by security personnel. Despite this screening process, Customs officers frequently demand additional manual inspections. In several instances, passengers are still pressured for money.

Complaints against Customs personnel have intensified over time. One particularly troubling incident involved an officer demanding duty payments for clothing and perfume that a passenger identified as personal belongings. The officer reportedly requested the payment be made into a personal account with a modern commercial bank.

In many situations, refusal to comply with extortion attempts leads to intentional delays, which often erupt into dramatic confrontations within the terminal.

Over the years, the leadership of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has attempted to address these challenges. However, corruption has remained persistent. Investigations revealed that FAAN sought intervention from the Office of the National Security Adviser, although progress from that engagement appears limited.

In November of the previous year, following public criticism by Senator Osita Izunaso, who described conditions at Nigerian airports as a “national embarrassment” due to touting and begging, FAAN introduced a wide-ranging reform agenda aimed at improving passenger experience across major terminals.

Details of these reforms were outlined in an internal document titled Position Document on Measures to Address Corrupt Practices and Enhance Passenger Experience at MMIA and GAT. The document bore the signature of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The plan emerged from an emergency meeting involving FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, alongside heads of security and operational agencies working within the airport. Central to the strategy was an initiative known as “Operation Air Clean,” designed to curb corruption, strengthen transparency, and enhance operational efficiency at both Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the General Aviation Terminal.

Expressing deep dissatisfaction with ongoing issues, the FAAN Managing Director stated in 2024 that arrangements were being finalised to establish magistrate courts within airports nationwide. The aim was to directly address extortion, touting, and loitering, which were identified as major obstacles to passenger comfort and safety.

Despite these layered interventions, touting remains widespread and has, in some cases, worsened. Unsuspecting members of the public continue to lose money and personal items, highlighting the persistent gap between policy and reality at Nigeria’s busiest airport.