A
teenager beat airline and airport security at the Benin Airport and
sneaked into the tyre compartment of a Lagos-bound Arik plane, where he
flew safely to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Saturday morning.
There was, however, pandemonium at the
airside of the Lagos airport when passengers disembarking from the
aircraft saw the teenager as he emerged from the undercarriage (aircraft
tyre hole) to join fellow travellers.
The adolescent stowaway, identified as Daniel Ihekina, was immediately arrested by security officials at the airport.
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and Arik Air confirmed the incident.
Although the General Manager, Corporate
Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said full and urgent
investigation had commenced into the mysterious circumstances that led
to the huge breach in airport and airline security, the situation has
continued to beat the imagination of aviation authorities in the
country.
The situation, which has become a major
source of worry among the authorities, has also led to a blame game
between FAAN and Arik.
FAAN, in a statement on Saturday, said
it held “Arik Air liable for the circumstances leading to the stowaway
of a teenage boy on its aircraft at the
Benin Airport.”
In a statement signed by Dati, FAAN,
said, “Arik Air acted with impunity by not stopping the aircraft to
check when the crew and ground personnel’s attention was drawn to an
abnormality on the tarmac.”
According to the FAAN spokesman, the
procedure for such infraction is for the crew to abort the flight and
return to the apron for check-up.
He blamed the airline for the alleged
impunity, warning that the airport authority would not tolerate such
infraction from any operator.
He said, “This is arrant display of
impunity. The aircraft should not have taxied further, but return to the
apron until a proper check is carried out on all parts of the
aircraft. FAAN will not tolerate such impunity henceforth from Arik or
any airline. Any violation would be met with applicable sanctions.
Dati, however, said the teenager was already giving useful information to unravel this ‘misnomer.’
In a swift reaction, Arik, in a
statement, blamed FAAN for the huge breach in security, noting that the
incessant cases of security breaches at the nation’s airport had become a
major source of concern to the airline.
The statement quoted Arik’s Managing
Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, as saying, “We are worried by the incessant
security lapses at our airports. We are appealing to the management of
FAAN to immediately address the problem.
“The management of Arik Air has
expressed shock over the incident, wondering how the teenager beat the
aviation security personnel at the Benin Airport to get to the runway.”
Arik said its pilot had reported to the
control tower the presence of a strange boy in the bush about 200 – 300
metres at the end of runway before leaving the airport.
Ndulue said the control tower had told its pilot that they were sending security men to the place to arrest the boy.
Ndulue, however, said, “As the captain
was making his final turn, preparatory for take-off, a cabin crew called
his attention to the information by some of the passengers that they
saw a boy running towards the airplane. The First Officer confirmed
that they had observed it earlier and alerted the control tower which
responded that they had sent the patrol team to arrest the boy. The
captain again reported to the control tower and was informed that the
situation was under control and that he had been cleared for take-off.
“On arrival at the domestic wing of MMA,
Lagos, a teenage boy, who apparently had sneaked into the aircraft main
wheel well jumped out and was arrested by Arik personnel and handed
over to FAAN security.”
The Arik aircraft with registration
number, 5N-MJG Flight 44, which left the Benin Airport around 9am for
Lagos, was said to have on board top officials of the Edo State
Government.
A passenger aboard the flight, who spoke with Sunday Punch
on the telephone said, “We felt the signs in Benin when the plane was
about leaving and as it was moving slowly, we heard a loud noise as if
the tyre crushed somebody on the ground and we all started shouting. It
means the boy was already inside that tyre compartment before we left.
We left for Lagos, but when we landed at Lagos Airport, the boy came out
from the tyre hole, everybody started shouting.
“But speaking seriously, this shows that
we have a serious problem as regards securing our airports. This is a
serious security breach. If that boy was carrying bomb, it means he
would have succeeded in blowing up the plane. How can somebody be in an
aircraft without being detected; we are in trouble in this country.”
Though no official at the Benin Airport
volunteered comment on the issue, it was gathered that the teenager may
have gained entrance into the airport from the Akenzua road axis, where
perimeter fencing is non-existent at different points.
Culled form the punch
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