Two people were injured in the incident when a man identified as an orderly of a Senator accidentally fired the gunshots, it was learnt. He was trying to remove the magazine of his gun when the discharge occured, leaving him and another woman injured.
According to reports, the incident also caused panic within the terminal as travelers and airport workers scampered for safety on hearing the gunshot.
An eyewitness reported that the security man was to travel on Arik Air and he wanted to dislodge the magazine from the gun in line with standard practice in air travel but incidentally the gun released its bullet. It hit him and the woman on the leg.
The orderly and the woman were said to have trekked out of the terminal to the vehicle that conveyed them to the hospital without any assistance as the injury was not that severe.
Confirming the incident, Yakubu Dati, the general manager, Public Affairs of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said it was an accident and stowing the gun away with its magazine was a standard procedure because guns are not taken on-board aircraft but are usually checked in the luggage compartment.
Describing the incident as minor, he assured air travellers that all the airports are safe and secure, adding that security at Nigerian airports has been fortified in recognition of the security challenges in the country and around the world.