What appeared like a terrorist attack took place at the Akure airport in Ondo State on Friday as some suspected internet fraudsters and thugs also invaded the airport in a reprisal attack on the aviation security operatives at the airport.
It was gathered that the suspected fraudsters stormed the airport with about 15 powerful vehicles and held the officers on duty hostage for several hours.
In a free for all that erupted following the attack, a security operative on duty was seriously injured while other staff of AVESEC also sustained minor injuries.
In a video obtained by AFRIPOST, officers of AVESEC made frantic effort to rescue their colleagues from the stronghold of the suspected thugs to no avail.
In what had a semblance of terrorist attack, the Yahoo boys stopped all official and commercial activities at the airport for several hours.
The police officers who were supposed to supposed to back the aviation security looked on without a single action, exposing the airport to more danger.
It, however, took the intervention of the Department of State Security, DSS, who storms the scene to calm the situation.
A security operative told newsmen that what happened was likely to be a terrorist attack and not just a reprisal launched against the officers in duty.
“What happened yesterday here was not just an ordinary attack. We were attacked by some terrorists.
“The whole issue started a few days ago when the main suspect, and some of his friends tried to block the emergency exit of the airport. Having sensed their intention, we told them to leave but they insisted.
“When my colleague tried to clamp his vehicle, he collected the clamp chain from him and injured him badly. This led to a serious struggle between our man and their man.
“But we thought it was all over, only to be attacked by the same man and his gang. The entire airport was shut down for hours, posing a seriousness security threat.
“We tried to manage the situation until the DSS mobilized to the scene. The police officers who were supposed to render support disappointed us. They left us at the mercy of the attackers. But thank God that that the DSS came to the rescue and took the attackers away.
” As we speak, they are in the custody of the DSS even as their vehicles have been impounded at the airport.”
Effort by reporters to reach the DSS failed. But as at press time, the suspects are still with the DSS.