Asaba Airport ‘Invasion’ Was Security Simulation, Delta Government Clarifies
By GEORGETTE CHIDI
Delta Government Clarifies Airport Incident
THE Delta State Government has dismissed reports alleging that armed men invaded the Asaba International Airport on Friday morning.
The government described the online report as misleading and urged residents to disregard it.
In a statement, the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Kingsley Eze Emu, explained that the security deployment at the airport formed part of a planned simulation exercise.
Security Agencies Conduct Rapid Response Drill
According to Emu, the National Security Adviser organised the exercise at the Asaba International Airport and Ogwashi-Uku.
The drill simulated a rapid response by security operatives and other emergency responders.
It aimed to demonstrate how security agencies could coordinate their response to threats such as terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and similar attacks.
The exercise ended on Thursday, according to the statement.
Residents Had Been Notified
The SSG said the authorities gave adequate publicity ahead of the exercise.
Residents across the Delta State Capital Territory and surrounding areas, he added, received notifications from the government and security agencies before and during the drill.
Emu therefore urged residents, particularly those in Asaba and its environs, not to be alarmed by reports suggesting that armed men had invaded the airport.
Government Reassures Residents
The SSG described the online report as false and urged the public to ignore it.
He stressed that the government would continue to prioritise the safety of residents and citizens across Delta State.
The clarification followed the circulation of the report online, which presented the security deployment as an actual invasion rather than a coordinated emergency-response simulation.
