Airport Official Apprehended Over Attempt to Smuggle Suspected Drug Onboard Ibom Air
A representative from Partfinder International Limited, an aviation security firm, was apprehended at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for allegedly attempting to send a suspected illegal substance on a departing Ibom Air flight bound for Accra, Ghana.
According to a statement from Obiageli Orah, the Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, the employee sought assistance from a passenger to transport a parcel on the flight. However, the passenger grew suspicious and raised an alarm, fearing that he might be unwittingly involved in drug trafficking.
Obiageli Orah, the Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, released a statement addressing the incident: “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has been made aware of a circulating video on social media depicting an individual claiming to be a staff member of the Authority.
This person is seen kneeling down and being slapped by a passenger who suspected an attempt to involve him in drug trafficking.”
“It has been identified that the incident took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at about 14:30 hrs at gate 2, the boarding gate at ITZ2.”
“The Authority wishes to set the records straight by stating that the officer being manhandled in the video is not a staff of FAAN. He has been identified as a member of the staff of Pathfinder company.”
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“The employee approached a passenger to help him convey a parcel through the flight. When the passenger became skeptical, he raised an alarm, alleging that he was being set up for drug trafficking.”
The spokesperson for FAAN, however, revealed that the passenger in question was apprehended for additional questioning, even though they managed to board their flight to Ghana.
“The employee was immediately arrested for questioning by the Crime Investigation and Intelligence Unit of the Aviation Security Services. The passenger involved has since departed on Ibom Air to Accra while the medication with the name ‘NEW AGE GLUCOSAMINE CHONDROITIN SULFATE COMPLEX’ has been taken to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
“FAAN is dedicated to a drug-free society and has zero tolerance for drug peddling through her airports.”
