Unattended Bag Causes Bomb Scare At Lagos Airport

The arrival wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos was thrown into pandemonium as an unattended bag at the hajj and cargo area of the terminal caused scare. The incident followed an alarm raised by workers arriving at the hajj and cargo terminal area who discovered an unattended bag. The bag, which was neatly tied was said to contain bomb, planted at the area where pilgrims process their travelling documents before being taken in a bus to the international airport for departure to Saudi Arabia.
According to sources, the terminal manager to whom the discovery was drawn, immediately placed a call to the security agencies at the airport, leading to the arrival of the Bomb Disposal Unit which opted to destroy the bag. But the equipment used blasted a hole in one of the terminal buildings and shattered the roof. The big bang which accompanied the blast threw a scare into users of the terminal and had everyone running in different directions for safety.
After the blast, however, it was discovered that the bag only contained booklets of the Lagos State Pilgrims Welfare Board, normally issued to pilgrims from the state. Observers said the event meant that despite the seemingly sophisticated equipment of the Bomb Disposal Unit, they adopted a crude approach that could have cost lives, as they neither analyzed the bag nor took it away from the area for safer disposal.