Aviation industry regulator, the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority has started probing the ArikAir pilots and officials of the Federal
Airports Authority of Nigeria over alleged security breaches that led to the
arrest of a 15-year-old stowaway, Daniel Oikhena, at Lagos Airport on Saturday.
This is even as the boy on Wednesday landed a scholarship to
study free to university level and fulfil his dream of flying to the United
States of America.
The pilot, The PUNCH learnt, might lose his licence or be
fined huge sum of money if ongoing investigation by the regulators found him
guilty of not aborting the flight for
safety checks, following the alleged passenger’s report of presence of a
strange boy some metres from the plane.
Already, the regulatory authority has commenced full
investigation into the matter, the Director-General, NCAA, Captain Fola
Akinkuotu, disclosed to our correspondent on Wednesday.
Although the NCAA boss declined to specify the nature of
penalty it would impose on Arik Air, its pilot or the Federal Airport Authority
of Nigeria if they were found guilty, he however said, “If at the end of the
day we discover that somebody has not done what it should do, then the
appropriate sections of the law will take its full course.”
Akinkuotu stressed that there were penalties and sanctions
for breaches in the sector’ and assured that the regulatory agency would not
shy away from upholding safety and security regulations in the aviation sector.
On the blames being traded by Arik and FAAN, the NCAA boss
said the investigation would reveal whoever was liable.
He said, “Arik might say that FAAN did not provide adequate
security, but safety challenges are assuming new trends everyday. The
responsibility of any flight lies with the operator. Arik too has
responsibility. It was reported that a passenger raised an alarm. If there is
merit in that, it means there was a possibility of doing something about it.
All these our investigation will unravel.”
The NCAA boss however said that the agency, in the meantime,
had put in place measures to stop future re-occurrence.
“Every aircraft that is departing will be followed until
take-off. FAAN security will follow them. On our part, we have to continue to
monitor everything. There will be greater monitoring at the perimeter fence and
access control now.”
Akinkuotu said that the issue of stowaway was age-long and
not peculiar to Nigeria and the aviation sector.
“Stowaway has been age-long since the time when ship was
invented; those with criminal intent will also be looking for ways to break the
law,” he said.
Aviation security expert and former Military Commandant of
the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retd,
said the Benin incident had shown that the NCAA needed to audit and investigate
the Arik Air security programme and the Benin Airport security programme.
Ojikutu said, “That boy could have been a courier for
terrorists. The NCAA needs to find out how the boy knew part of the aircraft
and where to enter. How are we sure somebody did not assist him. If the Benin
Airport access control and perimeter fencing is not porous, how did he get into
the aircraft.”
Meanwhile, Oikhena has been offered a scholarship by the De
Raufs’ Volunteer Group, a group of supporters of Osun State Governor Rauf
Aregbesola.
The Director-General of the group, Amitolu Shittu, in a
statement on Wednesday, said the scholarship was offered to the stowaway to
enable the boy to achieve his target of travelling through the air.
Culled: Punchng
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