Members of the National Assembly have said they will withhold comment on the cause of Monday’s fire outbreak at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport until investigations being conducted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, are concluded.

The lawmakers stated this after a joint delegation from the Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on Aviation carried out an on-the-spot inspection of the damaged Terminal 1 wing of the airport.

The visit followed public concern triggered by the inferno, which caused extensive damage to part of the facility.

The delegation arrived at the airport at about 3:07 p.m., toured the affected areas, and later held a closed-door meeting with FAAN’s management team led by the Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku.

Speaking after the inspection, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Abdulfatai Buhari, said the lawmakers were encouraged by the swift response of airport authorities and the fact that no lives were lost.

He explained that the visit was aimed at firsthand assessment rather than speculation, noting that the lawmakers had earlier been engaged in budget defence sessions.

“We thank God that there was no loss of life, which is the most important thing. Despite the scale of the incident, FAAN and other agencies rose to the occasion,” Buhari said.

He added that emergency measures were promptly activated, allowing flight operations to continue with limited disruption.

“Flights were diverted appropriately. Some landed in Malabo and Accra, while others, including Emirates and Lufthansa, still arrived in Lagos later that night. This shows the level of preparedness and response,” he noted.

Buhari stressed that the National Assembly would not draw conclusions while investigations were ongoing.

“The investigation is still in progress, and we do not want to pre-empt the outcome. Issues such as sabotage or otherwise will only be addressed after the relevant authorities complete their work,” he said.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, said the legislature would rely strictly on official findings before taking any further steps.

“Just like my senior colleague said, the investigation is ongoing, and we will wait for the same before anything can be done on this development.

“For the MD, she has done very well because within just three hours she was able to achieve stability; that is a very good one,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of FAAN’s Board, Abdullahi Ganduje, praised the airport management for what he described as a timely and effective emergency response, saying it helped prevent casualties and ensured continuity of operations at the nation’s busiest airport.

Eze Chidiebere Paul

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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