Flight operations have resumed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos after severe flash flooding temporarily disrupted activities at parts of the terminal, causing delays for passengers and forcing airport officials to carry out emergency safety checks.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed that the affected sections of the airport have been cleared and normal flight operations have resumed following the heavy rainfall. Engineers inspected critical infrastructure and restored services after floodwater inundated parts of the terminal earlier in the day, delaying several domestic and international departures.
The disruption came amid heightened aviation security measures across Nigeria following the recent arrest of seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders at Katsina International Airport. Authorities said the suspects were identified through the upgraded National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) biometric database after returning from the Hajj pilgrimage.
In response, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has announced stricter passenger profiling and enhanced screening for all inbound flights from the Middle East, particularly those carrying pilgrims and passengers arriving from high-risk transit routes. Security agencies will work alongside immigration, customs and aviation authorities to strengthen identity verification and intelligence sharing at Nigeria’s international airports.
Officials stressed that the enhanced checks are preventive measures and are not intended to discourage legitimate travel. Instead, they are designed to improve border security and prevent individuals linked to terrorism or transnational crime from entering the country undetected.
Security experts have welcomed the move, saying Nigeria’s expanding biometric database has become an important tool in identifying persons of interest and improving airport security.
