Flight operations at terminal one of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have been diverted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the D Wing following a fire outbreak at the facility.

Obiageli Orah, director, public affairs and consumer protection, FAAN, said the incident happened in the early hours of Thursday.

In a statement, Orah said at “05:29 hrs, smoke was detected billowing from the E54 Bridge, leading electrical engineers to immediately cut off power to the entire E Wing”.

“The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 05:30 hrs. Initial suspicions point to sparks from an electrical unit as the cause, but a thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire,” she said.

“The incident, which had escalated into a fire, was brought under control by 06:41 hrs. Efforts to ventilate the smoke from the building are in progress.”

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) says 118 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state on Wednesday, during a downpour.

In a statement on Thursday, Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the federal capital territory (FCT) command of the NCoS, said the rainfall ravaged parts of the prison.

He added that the command, in collaboration with security agencies, has apprehended 10 of the fleeing inmates, while raising concerns over the weak walls of the facility which he said were built during the colonial era.

“A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024 has wreaked havoc on the medium security custodial centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility,” the statement reads.

“The service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while we are in hot pursuit to recapture the rest.

“The service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak.

“The service is making frantic efforts to ensure that all aging facilities give way to modern ones.”

He said Francis John, controller of corrections, FCT command, has called on the public to carry on with their normal activities, adding that the service is working to address the situation.

Muyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has ordered the arrest of officers seen in a viral video bashing a moving car.

Adejobi condemned the incident and called for the identification and summon of the officers involved.

On Wednesday, an X user quoted a video with the words: “Can we agree finally say na animals una carry guns and uniforms give?… The Nigerian Police is the most UNPROFESSIONAL in the entire solar system.”

Reacting to the video, Adejobi wrote: “This is condemned totally. How can human beings be behaving in this unholy manner. #BenHundeyin, #LagosPoliceNG, #PoliceNG_CRU take necessary action. Fish out and invite the men immediately. Thanks.”