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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, says the airspace at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal One has reopened following a fire outbreak.
Managing Director Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku told journalists on Monday that there were no fatalities, but six people sustained injuries during the incident.
She said three international flights were diverted, including those operated by Emirates, British Airways, and Lufthansa.
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According to Kuku, “Some of our operations were affected; however, they will be back up and running in the next half an hour.”
She said the immediate priority was containing the fire, while investigations into the cause are ongoing.
“What is important is that we activated our emergency procedures and evacuated everyone with no fatalities due to coordinated efforts by all agencies,” she said.
Kuku said the airport’s Emergency Operations Centre had been activated, led by the airport manager as Chief Safety and Security Officer.
“He is taking charge. There is a standard procedure we follow when it comes to emergencies,” she added.
She noted that coordination among agencies followed established protocols, with support from relevant state authorities where necessary.
On renovation works, Kuku said projects were ongoing within the airport, but not in the area where the fire reportedly began.
“In the area we believe the fire started, nothing was happening at the time. People were only moving items out.
“The fire started from the ground floor, according to our investigations so far. We are awaiting confirmation and cannot say more at this time,” she said.
She confirmed the fire escalated to the roof, adding that police and helicopters supported rescue operations swiftly.
“We have professionals, including civil and structural engineers, to assess the building’s integrity and determine the next steps,” she said.
Kuku said most departures and arrivals had been moved, with departures largely relocated to Terminal Two.
She added that four airlines were scheduled to move into the temporary terminal, which she described as ready for use.
“In terms of the full operations affected, I would say not a lot,” she said, adding that the temporary terminal would be active within days.
Addressing lingering smoke, Kuku assured passengers that firefighters would remain on the ground as a precaution.
In other news, The increase in admission deposits for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by the management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), from N500,000 to N1 million, has sparked reactions among residents in Edo State.
The Eastern Updates reports that the increase represents a 100 per cent hike in the cost of accessing critical care services at the hospital.
The office of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), disclosed this in an internal memorandum dated January 30, 2026. The memo approved an upward review of ward consumables and admission deposits across the hospital.
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Other new admission deposit increments include: N150,000 for medical wards, N200,000 for private wards, N100,000 for day-case admissions, N150,000 for orthopaedic wards, N200,000 for neuro wards and N150,000 for obstetrics and gynaecology wards
Ward consumables were also reviewed upward to N20,000 per week for patients in the Labour and Emergency Complex, while ordinary wards will now attract N15,000 per week.
The memo said the review became necessary in view of prevailing funding realities and the need to promote efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance the maintenance and procurement of medical consumables.
It added that under the revised structure, ICU admission will now require a deposit of N1 million, while the Labour Ward Complex deposit has been fixed at N200,000. According to the memo, the adjustments are aimed at ensuring sustainable hospital operations and improving service delivery.
Meanwhile, the development has sparked reactions among residents, many of whom took to social media to criticise the teaching hospital authorities.
In their responses, residents decried what they described as an astronomical increase in hospital charges and the reported privatisation of laboratory services at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit.
Reacting, the Head of the Public Relations and Information Unit of the hospital, Osaretin Iyen, said the private laboratory service engaged at the A&E unit was introduced to complement the hospital’s existing diagnostic services.
Iyen explained that the laboratory is intended to function alongside UBTH’s laboratories to augment capacity and efficiency, not to replace or supplant the hospital’s core laboratory services.
He added that there are over ten functional laboratories across the hospital.
He further stated that the decision was taken strictly in the overriding interest of patient care and safety, particularly for critically ill patients whose survival depends on immediate and uninterrupted access to laboratory investigations.
