DISASTER nearly struck at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri yesterday when a plane full of passengers had to take an emergency detour because it could not land due to the fact that the runway was taken over by cattle.
Over recent months, the issue of cattle grazing has become a vexed issue in Nigeria as opposition to the menace of Fulani herdsmen moving their livestock around willy nilly has grown. This has resulted in numerous communal clashes across the country , often ending in bloody battles that leave hundreds dead.
Yesterday, the dangerous phenomenon took a further twist when cattle on the runway forced an Air Peace plane to abort its landing. Due to the presence of cattle, the pilot was forced to hover around the airport until the runway was cleared by the airport security.
Panic-stricken passengers, who initially thought the pilot deliberately aborted landing, later applauded him after being told the reason behind the incident. This is not the first time a major airport runway was invaded by cows as the Port Harcourt International Airport runway was invaded by cattle earlier this year and an approaching Air France plane collided with some of them.
Back then, the expertise of the pilot saved what would have been a tragic incident as the plane was only slightly damaged with passengers suffering shock. Consequently, Nigeria's federal government was saddled with the burden of repairing the damaged plane.
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