The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Tuesday informed airline operators and other airport users that a bush fire incident has been reported at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri.
According to the authority in a statement, officers of the Air Rescue and Fire Fighting Services are presently on ground and fire fighting is in progress.
Some observers close to the airport alleged the fire started after host communities around the airport started burning bushes.
The authority said the incident did not affect flight operations as normal flight operations continued unhindered.
“The Authority will like to appeal to host communities around airports to please desist from burning bushes around the airports as this act is capable of jeopardizing safety of flight operations because of the prevailing weather condition in the country,” FAAN stated.
IFEOMA OKEKE
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.
She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.
She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.
As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.
She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.
Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the
prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category.
She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.
She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.
Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
