The Federal Airports Authority Of Nigeria (FAAN) has condemned the invasion of the runway of Sultan Abubakar International Airport, Sokoto, by political loyalists in the state.

The supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday, broke through the airport fence and invaded the airport in a bid to receive former governor Aliyu Wamakko, who was on a visit to the state.

FAAN in a statement signed on Monday by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs Yakubu Henrietta, described the incident as a violation of the security and safety arrangements at the airport.

“The unfortunate incident, which occurred on Friday, August 3, 2018, is a gross violation of the security and safety arrangements at the airport, as thousands of political loyalists violently accessed restricted areas at the airport, breaking down the airport fence in the process and resisting all security machinery in place,” the statement read in part.

The situation was, however, curtailed by a team of aviation security officers at the airport who were able to restore normalcy at the airport.

FAAN then urged politicians and their supporters to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations at the airports even as the 2019 general elections are drawing closer.

Members of the APC and loyalists of Senator Wammako had on Friday besieged the airport in a bid to welcome the former governor into the state.

The event occurred days after the defection of the state governor Aminu Tambuwal, from the APC to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

•Text (excluding headline) cullued from a Channels TV report