Emirates incident: Security expert gives NDLEA areas of interest

Following last week’s forced landing of an Emirates aircraft in Lagos due to  cocaine ingestion, a security expert, consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Securities, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd) has advised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to beam its search light on flights from East and South Africa as well as incoming and outbound flights from Enugu in Nigeria.

An Emirates flight, flight EK 262 from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Dubai, United Arab Emirates had to make an emergency landing at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos when a suspected drug trafficker’s health started deteriorating mid-flight.

According to Ojikitu, the NDLEA search light on cocaine traffickers should not be on Emirate flights alone or on passengers coming from Brazil;  but should be focused on all flights from Middle & Far East, East and South Africa, especially, Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopian, Kenyan Airlines, etc.

According to him, proper attention must be given to those on Ethiopian Airlines especially the flights to Enugu.

He posited, “The NDLEA search light on cocaine traffickers should not be on Emirate flights alone or on passengers coming from Brazil; focus should be on all flights from Middle & Far East, East & South Africa, especially, Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopian, Kenyan Airlines, etc.”

Proper attention must be given to passengers on Ethiopian Airlines especially the flights to Enugu, adding that these are the airlines and their routes for more than four decades.

In his words, “I knew this way back in 1987 on my way to Kenya and 1990/94, when l was the Military Airport Commandant for MMIA. That was the reason for approving Ethiopian airline flying to Enugu by the minister that did it and at the time it was done.”

Ojikitu pointed out that Ethiopian airline was the original trafficking flight, wondering how many traffickers has d NDLEA interdicted at Enugu airport since Ethiopian airlines has been operating to Enugu airport

“Compare the passengers’ traffic on that flight to Enugu Airport with the traffic on same flight to Lagos.

Recalled that NDLEA Commander at the international wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos, Mr. Ahmadu Garba had disclosed that an Emirates flight left Sao Paulo, Brazil to Dubai was forced to come to Lagos due to the health condition of a passenger on board, who ingested cocaine.

“A passenger complained of severe abdominal pains and later suffered three recurrent seizures thus necessitating an emergency landing in Lagos. Upon arrival, four passengers tested positive for narcotic ingestion. They are Okeh Desmond, Ezeanya Nnaemeka, Christopher Nonso and Chibusi Promise.”