Pandemonium broke out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday when two sisters engaged in a heated fight after missing their United Airlines flight, leaving one of them unconscious during interrogation by airport security officials.
The sisters, whose identities had not been released as of press time, reportedly arrived late for their scheduled flight and were denied boarding, leading to a verbal altercation that quickly turned physical in the presence of shocked passengers and staff.
An eyewitness said that the disagreement started when one sister accused the other of being responsible for their late arrival.
“They began shouting and exchanging insults. Before anyone could separate them, punches were flying. Their belongings were scattered all over the floor,” the witness said.
The fight, which disrupted activities at the departure hall for several minutes, was brought under control by operatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC), who whisked the women away for questioning.
However, the drama reportedly continued inside the FAAN interrogation office. According to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesperson, Mr. Michael Achimugu, the sisters resumed fighting during interrogation before one of them suddenly collapsed.
In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Achimugu wrote, “Perhaps one blamed the other for missing the flight, but they began fighting again inside the office until one fainted.
An ambulance was called immediately, but the other insisted her sister’s problem was spiritual, not medical.”
Despite her protest, FAAN medical personnel rushed the unconscious woman to the airport clinic, where she was reportedly stabilised. Her condition remained unknown at press time.
Airport sources said that the altercation caused panic among officials and passengers, while FAAN management has yet to confirm whether disciplinary action will be taken against the sisters for breaching airport peace and safety regulations.
Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s operational guidelines advises passengers to arrive at least two hours before departure time for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.
The incident has since drawn mixed reactions from travellers online, with many calling for stricter enforcement of airport conduct regulations.
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