MY REMARKS ON THE ENUGU AIR RUNWAY EXCURSION AT BENIN AIRPORT I received, with profound relief, the news of the runway excursion involving an Enugu Air aircraft during its landing at Benin Airport today. First, I join all Nigerians in expressing heartfelt gratitude to God Almighty that all 68 passengers and crew members on board disembarked safely, with no injuries or casualties recorded. The safety of human lives must always remain our highest priority. I commend the pilot, the flight crew, and the airport emergency response teams at Benin Airport for their swift and professional handling of the situation, which averted what could have been a major tragedy. Their calmness and decisiveness under pressure are deeply commendable. While we celebrate this safe outcome, the incident serves as a sober reminder of the critical need for strict adherence to aviation safety protocols, rigorous routine maintenance, and continuous infrastructure upgrades across our airports nationwide. I urge the relevant regulatory and investigative bodies—particularly the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB)—to conduct a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation into the root cause of this incident. Learning from occurrences such as this is essential to strengthening public confidence in our aviation sector and ensuring that our skies remain consistently safe. May God continue to guide and protect all travellers across our nation. – PO
Opening the record…