NCAA To Sanction Arik Air Pilot Over Stowaway Incident

stowaway teen

Pilot of the Arik Air aircraft which took 13-year-old boy, Master Daniel Ohikena to Lagos from Benin, in its main wheel well may be punished by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, for alleged professional negligence while on duty, reports have said.

Daniel had beaten airport security to hide in the wheel well of the Arik aircraft he thought was flying to the United States, but officials of Arik Air found him after the aircraft landed in Lagos, and handed him over to airport security.

This came as FAAN, introduced new security measures in all the nation’s airports to prevent the re-occurrence of runway incursions, especially those without perimeter fences.
The apprehended teenager who stowed from Benin.

Earlier comments on the issue have blamed porous airport security for the incident, but indications have now emerged the pilot may be sanctioned over the incident, with Director-General of NCAA, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu, said to have set up a committee to investigate the incident.

Having questioned the teenager’s mother and ascertained his motive, with many organisations sticking up for the teenager – a group supporting Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, DeRaufs, has even offered the teen scholarship; one would expect the boy to be released to his family, but it was learnt that the teenager is still being held in the custody of the Department of State Security, DSS, five days after he was arrested at MMA, Lagos. Security sources however said it would be wrong to release him, as the case was still under investigation.

The committee which was set up, Tuesday, sat up till yesterday probing the stowaway incident and alleged professional negligence of the pilot of the Arik Air’s aircraft.

According to a source who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, the panel was set up to handle the issue professionally especially when it was confirmed that some passengers onboard alerted the cabin crew of spotting a strange element who passed under the aircraft, but who was not seen coming out of the the plane in Lagos.

Besides, it was confirmed that the cabin crew informed the pilot of the development and rather than handle the issue professionally, he ignored the information even though he contacted the control tower on the issue.

The source alleged that it was already established that the pilot was in a hurry to airlift the passengers to Lagos and airlift other passengers to Abuja Airport same day.

“The committee has already established that the pilot didn’t handle the issue professionally because as a professional who was contacted on such danger, the onus was on him to abort the flight and ensure total screening of the aircraft and the pilot, but he didn’t do that. Rather, he wanted to beat the time and pick up passengers in Lagos. That was unprofessional. If he’s found wanting, NCAA will deal with him according to the law in the sector. We need to establish what really happened. That was why the committee was inaugurated by the Director-General,” the source said.

7 COMMENTS

  1. They are just trying to redeem themself. FAAN,NCAA and all the relevant Aviation Ministries should be held responsible for this Security breach,instead of shifting the blame to the Pilot and beside he reported this development to the Towers or are they saying the Pilot is responsible for checking the body compartments of a Plane apart from Cork-pits before take off. Its unfortunate in this country that the boy is still in costudy, that boy is an instrument use by God to tell our stupid Goverment officials how porous our Airways can be. This is a domestic issue which should be sorted out without much noise since no link have trace the young man to any Terror Group. He should be seen as a Hero while the relevant authority found ways to stop such occurrence both in Air Land and Sea. Look at the way the youngman was manhandle by our Law Enforcment Agents, will they try such if that Child is from our Political Elites. Politics is our Doom if we are not carefull with it. God help us….

  2. God has used this little boy to expose Nigeria. The falling down of a dry leave is a signal warning to the green once. The pilot is not the problem & shouldn’t b punished. from top to bottom should have themselves to blame. Security is not all about carrying guns, arms & amunation on the streets but how intelligence or technical know how. Our leaders & rulers should know this that, they are not management oriented pple & d youths are going 2 take their own future by surprise. This is a wake up calls. This young boy should be released & be awarded.

  3. I beg the pilot shouldn‘t be blame too much on this.. What about the securities? Or where are they when the little boy enter into the airport & head straight to where the plane is & hide. God will help us….

  4. I am shock to hear that youngman is still in costudy and the pilot is to blame, it is so unfortunate. Nigeria is facing a big security challenges all of a sudden this youngman foolish but Educative actions should be able to teach our Armed Forces areas that should not be neglected. The Political,Business and Favoured classes who are oppurtuned to use the Airways should be greatful to this youngman. He should be awarded for bringing this to our knowledge, though parents should be caution the way they desipline their children,a young mind like that could attempt anything when parents are too harsh even suicide.

  5. lie at the highest level fr my failed oga at the top, at least somebody has to be blamed, because in Nigeria the plane is like a toyota corolla car that the driver has to check the engine oil, water, Tyre pressure, wheel alignment etc before a journey, and failure is a professional negligence, also in Nigeria, the passenger can see something pass under the plane ” it was confirmed that some
    passengers onboard alerted the cabin crew of
    spotting a strange element who passed under
    the aircraft, but who was not seen coming out
    of the the plane in Lagos.” liars! Hmn, my country, if the guy was not cleared by the control tower to take off,will he try it? if the pilot is in a hurry, what will ABC transport driver do? why not blame d driver that killed d president ‘s mother in-law. it’s just a character of a failed system,pray God. will help d the pilot that did not check his planes boot!