A Saudi Airline cargo plane which developed a mechanical fault in Nigeria's capital city forced aviation authorities to halt flights on early Thursday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the airport.
The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) closed the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja to air traffic as the faulty cargo plane blocked its runway.

According to aviation officials, the plane landed at the Abuja airport at 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday before developing a minor problem.

The Nigerian airspace agency issued a notice on Thursday announcing the airport had been closed to inbound and outbound planes.

Thousands of passengers waiting to take flights to different parts of Nigeria were stranded at the airport.

Authorities said efforts to fix the malfunctioning plane and clear the runway were ongoing.

Thousands of local and international passengers travel through the airport every day.