A Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant Adam Muhammad Yerima, has been accused of breaching aviation security protocols at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to reports, Lieutenant Yerima attempted to board a commercial flight with a pistol without undergoing the mandatory passenger screening.
The incident reportedly occurred when Lieutenant Yerima, who is known for previously confronting the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, gained access to the boarding terminal through the military wing of the airport, bypassing standard civilian security screening procedures. He was stopped by airline security officials when he attempted to board a ValueJet Airlines flight with the firearm.
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Sources familiar with the incident said that Lieutenant Yerima completely skipped standard passenger screening by entering the boarding terminal through the restricted military wing of the airport, rather than passing through the designated civilian security checkpoints.
This is a clear breach of aviation regulations, which require all passengers to undergo screening before boarding commercial aircraft.
Industry insiders say that this incident is far from isolated and reflects a recurring pattern at major Nigerian airports, where military personnel frequently refuse to subject themselves to standard boarding procedures.
A senior ValueJet official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that such incidents were common and often involved intimidation of airline staff.
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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has also come under scrutiny for allegedly failing to address repeated complaints about such security breaches.
Multiple sources told SaharaReporters that reports submitted to FAAN over similar incidents have gone unanswered, with the authority often accused of siding with military officers rather than enforcing aviation safety rules.
Aviation experts warn that these practices pose grave security risks in a sector where uniform enforcement of rules is critical to passenger safety.
Allowing any category of passengers to bypass checks undermines the entire aviation security framework and exposes aircraft, crew, and passengers to avoidable risks.
[Adapted from SaharaReporters @ https://saharareporters.com/2026/01/31/naval-officer-yerima-known-confronting-fct-minister-wike-allegedly-bypasses-airport
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