Residents of Benin City, the Edo State capital, were
panic-stricken on Saturday when an Arik Airline aircraft carrying over 50
passengers and which hovered for about 15 minutes in the airspace failed to
land at its Benin Airport destination.
The incident, which occurred at about 7.30 a.m., sent
shivers down the spines of residents as some people living around the airport
hurriedly left their homes for fear that the aircraft might crashland.
The aircraft, however, flew back to Lagos after it
failed to land in Benin.
A passengers aboard the aircraft who pleaded anonymity
said some “passengers fainted due to fear. We thought it was going to be
another serious crash. We were hovering round Benin, but we could not land.
People were shouting the name of Jesus until we were taken back to Lagos.”
A source at the airport said there was a possibility
that the pilot failed to get landing clearance from the Control Tower.
The Airport Manager. Mr. Segun Ayodele, told journalists
that he was not aware of the incident.