The suspected stowaway, Emmanuel Ugochukwu arrested last week on board an aircraft belonging to Med-View Airlinene at Murtala Muhammed international Airport, Lagos, may be charged to court today.
The 21 year old Ugochukwu was arrested after he allegedly found his way into a compartment of the aircraft.
The aircraft had been used to operate a return flight on the Lagos – London route of the airline shortly before the arrest.
When asked to confirm why the suspect remained in police custody and when he would be charged to court , Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Airport Command of Nigeria Police, Joseph Alabi , a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said he was yet to be briefed on the issue.
However, investigations by our correspondent revealed that the case which was handled by a senior police officer at the command level while the legal department of the command was perfecting the case file before proceeding to court.
Meanwhile, an unconfirmed report said the lessor of the aircraft in which the suspected stowaway was arrested has given Med-View Airline 24 hours within which to submit a comprehensive explanations on how the security breach happened.
A source which disclosed the information to African Business Travel News (ABTN) under the condition of anonymity, said the outcome of the explanations submitted may lead to a review of the lease agreement on the aircraft.
when contacted to comment of the development a spokesperson of The Med-View Airline Chief Obuke Oyibotha declined saying he would not make any comment on the issue.
However, many industry watchers are expressing surprises why the suspect did not died of oxygen deficiency, which normally sets in at a height of about 10,000 feet, during the flight.
They are also raising question on why there was no sign on the suspect’s skin to show that he had stayed inside a cold compartment of an aircraft for over 12 hours.
Other puzzles which the industry stakeholders want managements of Med – View Airline and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to unravel are:
(1) How did an unauthorized person get into the airside of the airport, accessed the aircraft and maneuvered his way into a compartment of the aircraft.
(2) Did engineers at Med-View carry out thorough inspections on the aircraft before departures and on arrivals? If yes, why were they not able to spot or detect that a human being was hiding inside the aircraft?
(3) Apart from the many layers and levels of security networks put in place within the airport, there is an understanding in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards practices, that airline operators must secure their aircraft by providing at least three guards while the aircraft is on the ramp. Did Med-View put this in place and how did the suspect beat that critical line of security?
They also raised questions on surveillance. The stakeholders are anxiously waiting to know what has become of the surveillance equipment such as Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras which were expected to have been installed around the airport almost three years ago.
While it is however agreed that cases of stowaways abound globally, even in the most fortified airports, there is need for improved security because no system is 100 per cent perfect, stakeholders however believe that airline operators must on regular basis, look more inward to address the cases of enemies within while reviewing their security systems
It would be recalled that Nigeria like many other countries of the world, has had her share of the global problem of stowaways.
About four other cases of stowaways who either survived or died during their attempts have been linked to Nigeria in the last seven years
In 2010, the mangled body of one Emeka Okeke was found on a Delta Airlines flight, when ground staff in the United States discovered pieces of flesh and blood smeared on one of the tyres of the plane.
In October 2012, a dead body of another stowaway was found in the undercarriage wheel compartment of a plane operated by Arik Air. The man’s body was found when the Airbus A340-500 plane returned to Lagos from London, but it was unclear when or how he gained access to it.
In September of the same year, a suspected stowaway was found dead on a London street, after it was believed that he fell from the undercarriage of an incoming flight to Heathrow Airport.
On August 24, 2013, many were left marvelled at what desperation could push 13-year-old Daniel Oikhena, who hid under the undercarriage of the aircraft from Benin to Lagos. He actually thought the plane was on its way to the United States, but the plane was heading for Lagos from Benin and he was immediately apprehended at the airport by security personnel.
In March 2016, the body of a stowaway was discovered in the undercarriage of an Arik Air jet flying from Lagos to New York.
Similarly in other climes, in April 2014, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said a 16-year-old boy survived a five-and-a-half-hour flight from California to Hawaii at altitudes of up to 38,000 feet.
In October 2007, a 27-year-old man was charged with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit, after stowing away on a 35-minute flight from Kuala Lumpur.
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