A senior official of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport has accused ValueJet Airlines of peddling false information regarding a recent incident at the airport, in which a naval officer was accused of trying to board a flight with his service pistol.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to publicly speak on the matter, the official debunked what they described as false and misleading information emanating from ValueJet Airlines, intended solely to cast a negative light on airport authorities and the military while whitewashing the airline’s image.

The official insisted that the naval officer in question, Lieutenant Adam Muhammad Yerima, was not booked on any ValueJet flight, or any other flight, on that day, and that the scenario of the officer attempting to board a flight with a gun did not even arise.

“The story being peddled is totally false and designed to put the airport and FAAN in bad light while making ValueJet look like heroes,” said the official. “They are saying it was their airline security personnel who stopped him from boarding, which is completely false. Lieutenant Yerima was not even a passenger on any flight that day. What he did was escort his principal, a senior retired naval officer, to the airport in his capacity as a security officer, and they utilized the Nigerian Air Force wing of the airport, in line with established protocol that allows senior military officers to use the military wing.”

The airport official challenged ValueJet to publish evidence proving that Lt. Yerima was booked as a passenger on their airline. “They cannot release any information to that effect, because they know it will show that they’re lying. Every airline has a manifest for all its flights. Show the world proof that he was a passenger on the said date. How then can you accuse military personnel who is not flying of trying to board a flight with a pistol? It doesn’t make any sense.

The official added, “If you look at the narrative being peddled by ValueJet Airlines, they are trying to come across as heroes, falsely claiming a breach happened and that it was their airline personnel that prevented the breach. This is most unbecoming of the airline. What they leaked to the media is a big and self-serving lie that makes it seem like FAAN is not in control of security at the airport. There was nothing that happened that day to warrant the peddling of such lies. The truth is that FAAN always ensures that no passenger is able to carry a gun onto a plane. We do not compromise on this, and we do not abdicate this responsibility to the airlines. The military personnel all know this and comply.”

Another source recalled that it was a ValueJet pilot who attempted to use a plane to run over KWAM1 a few months ago at the same Abuja airport.

“ValueJet has to do more to caution their staff and ensure appropriate conduct within the airport premises, and not undermine the airport working environment. And this business of running to the media to leak lies is unacceptable. Where breaches happen, FAAN will do the needful and issue appropriate statements.”