Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, along with over 100 passengers, narrowly escaped tragedy when a Max Air aircraft caught fire in one of its engines shortly after taking off from Maiduguri International Airport.
Security expert Zagazola Makama disclosed in a post on X that the incident occurred around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, as the aircraft was heading to Abuja and suffered engine failure due to a bird strike approximately 10 minutes into the flight.
The pilot and crew successfully executed an emergency landing back at Maiduguri Airport, preventing a disaster.
After the emergency landing, passengers were reportedly in a state of panic, with many choosing to retrieve their luggage and return home instead of boarding another flight.
However, Max Air management quickly arranged for another aircraft from Kano to safely transport the willing passengers, including the Deputy Governor, to Abuja.
Borno deputy governor, over 100 passengers escape death as Max Air engine catches fire
