FAAN apologises as air passengers injured due to faulty escalator at MMIA

By Seun Ibiyemi

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken full responsibility for the incident that occurred at the Lagos airport which led to passengers sustaining injuries due to a faulty escalator on Saturday.

In a press release issued on Monday by FAAN signed by Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, its Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN took full responsibility for the incident and tendered an apology to those involved.

Recall on Saturday, an air passenger took to her Twitter page @elvikioup, posting videos and photos describing how her family and travellers sustained injuries while trying to use the escalator at the Lagos airport.

According to her, it took about 40 minutes before first aid arrived after travellers have sustained injuries.

She wrote, “Life-Threatening Experience with Escalators at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.

“On Saturday 3rd September 2022, I returned to Nigeria with my family. My excited 5-year-old wanted to use the escalator instead of the stairs.”

“We travel around the world and escalators are normal to him. However, in the past, I’d warned my kids not to use escalators in Nigeria (how sad). On this day, he wanted to and I insisted I hold his hand (there’s no place in the world we go that I’ve held his hand on an escalator).

“I noticed the razor-sharp edges of the escalator and it was going very fast. I looked down and the very fast escalator had people tumbling on themselves. Humans started piling on each other. My reflex, I lifted my 5yr old in the air, he spread his legs high while I lay on my back.

“I joined the pile of humans at the base of the escalator. The only defense I had for myself was to raise my head so that only my back was bearing the grind of the escalators. A passenger snatched my 5yr old from me.

“My 9 yr old son, behind me jumped over the railings and other passengers caught him. My husband was behind me had managed to take a grip that only his back was scratched by the sharp edges. My daughter and Gloria who were behind my husband were running back up the escalators.

“Eventually some people lifted me up at the base of the death-trap called escalators. The immigration officers that were looking at us, looked away while continuing with the job at hand on which passengers will be in a net, ‘catch for the day.”

In the statement, FAAN noted that it is currently reviewing the operating procedure for the escalator to ensure the incident never occurs again.

FAAN stated, “With respect to the above-mentioned incident which occurred at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Saturday, September 3, 2022, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria takes full responsibility for the unfortunate incident, and we hereby tender our apology to the family involved.

“Accordingly, we have also reached out to actively participate in the care for the injured.

“FAAN is reviewing the operating procedure for the equipment, to ensure that such sudden mechanical faults do not occur again.

“FAAN is committed to her core values of Safety, Security and Comfort.”