By Abbas Nazil
Tragedy struck on Sunday as a hefty wild antelope was maulled in a collision with an aircraft taxiing on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria.
Sources said the accident resulted in the temporary grounding of the Air Peace aircraft and disruption of the airline’s scheduled flight operation.
NatureNews notes that while flight delays and aircraft inspection dominated initial headlines, the incident has sparked concerns over wildlife conservation, biodiversity protection, and airport safety protocols in Nigeria.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu said the collision resulted in the grounding of the airenable engineers assess its condition.
In a public post on X (formerly Twitter), Achimugu stated, “Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft on ground”.
He said that “as a result of the accident, flights meant to be operated by this aircraft would naturally be disrupted.”
However, beyond the disruption of flight operations, biodiversity conservationists are calling attention to the broader implications of the airport incident.
The presence of an antelope – a potentially endangered wild species – on a secured runway has raised concerns about biodiversity protection, human-wildlife conflict, and legal obligations under international treaties.
NatureNews gathered that, depending on the species of antelope involved, its killing could have implications under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), to which Nigeria is a signatory.
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A source also noted that the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a legally binding UN treaty aimed at conserving biodiversity, could be invoked to protect wild animals from harm caused by human beings.
The source disclosed that Nigeria is bound by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates the protection of threatened species, including certain antelopes.
While the specific antelope species has not yet been identified by airport officials or wildlife authorities, many African antelope species are classified as vulnerable or near-threatened due to habitat loss, poaching, and land-use change.
Conservation experts argued that the incident reflects a need for improved monitoring of airport surroundings, better fencing, and strengthened wildlife management systems to ensure that biodiversity is not compromised by human infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the NCAA has promised a full investigation into the accident to douse public tension.
“This is beyond flight delays; it is a wake-up call on environmental governance and the need to respect wildlife in shared spaces,” said a conservation advocate based in Abuja.
According to him, the unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder that airports, often located near natural or semi-natural areas, must develop integrated plans that prioritise both aviation safety and biodiversity conservation an imperative under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 15 (Life on Land) and 13 (Climate Action).
In a swift reaction, Air Peace airline management says the aircraft had been inspected and certified fit for normal passenger operations.
as the airlines carefully observed the standard aviation protocols in the circumstances.
Obsersers, however, argue that aviation authorities are under pressure to ensure that security lapses that allow wildlife onto runways are addressed swiftly.
