The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, despite an earlier emergency response after smoke was observed inside the facility. The clarification came after the authority initially alerted the public to an incident at the terminal. It also confirmed there were no casualties or injuries.
The incident initially caused concern after FAAN announced that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service (ARFFS) had been deployed to Terminal 2 following reports of a possible fire. Emergency responders immediately secured the affected area as a precaution, while passengers and airport users were informed that efforts were underway to contain the situation. At the time, FAAN confirmed there were no casualties or loss of life and promised to provide further updates as investigations progressed.
Subsequent checks by emergency responders and technical personnel, however, showed there was no fire inside the terminal. Instead, the smoke resulted from the discharge of the FM-200 fire suppression system, prompting FAAN to issue a revised statement explaining the cause of the earlier alarm.
Fire: FM-200 System Discharge Triggers Investigation
In an updated statement, FAAN explained that preliminary investigations found no evidence of a fire inside the terminal. Instead, the smoke was traced to the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system, which activated for reasons yet to be established.
According to the authority, the activation of the suppression system remains under investigation. Technical teams are working to determine what triggered the discharge and whether any equipment malfunction or other factor was responsible.
FAAN said: “Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated.”
Meanwhile, airport operations have fully resumed at Terminal 2 following the incident. FAAN assured passengers, airlines and other airport users that the situation had been brought under control and that normal activities were restored without delay.
The authority stressed that the incident did not affect safety beyond the temporary disruption caused by the smoke. Therefore, flight operations and passenger processing continued after the affected area was declared safe by emergency responders and technical personnel.
In addition, FAAN expressed appreciation to passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their patience and cooperation during the incident. The authority noted that the swift response by its emergency teams helped ensure the situation was managed without injuries or damage from fire.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining high safety standards across Nigeria’s airports. It said emergency response procedures remain a critical part of airport operations and are regularly deployed whenever unusual situations occur.
FAAN added that investigations into the unexpected activation of the FM-200 suppression system would continue until the exact cause is established. The findings, it said, will help prevent similar incidents and strengthen safety procedures at airport terminals.
Terminal 2 Back to Normal
The statement was signed by Henry Agbebire, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN. He reiterated the authority’s commitment to the safety and security of passengers, airlines and all airport operations, adding that further updates would be provided if necessary.
Following the incident, normal operations have resumed at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Passengers are being processed without disruption, while airlines have continued flight operations according to schedule. The development followed safety checks by airport authorities after the smoke incident was brought under control.
