Deranged passenger causes bomb scare on Arik Air flight

There was pandemonium yesterday on an Arik Airline flight from Maiduguri, Borno State, en route Abuja, when a passenger, Mallam Aminu Galadima, stood up mid-air and shouted 'Allah Akbar' (God is great). Suspecting Galadima to be a suicide bomber linked to the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, other passengers panicked, triggering a melee on board the aircraft.

Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, is the major operational base of the sect that has killed close to 2,000 since 2009 when it began its terror attacks.Some of the passengers, alarmed by the behaviour of Galadima, who is said to have a history of mental disorder, rushed to apprehend and possibly disarm him.However, nothing dangerous was found on him after he was thoroughly searched by passengers and crewmembers.

On arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the pilot immediately radioed air traffic control and airport security operatives who whisked him away. Galadima was later handed over to security operatives, who swung into action to verify his mental state.

The State Security Service (SSS), Ministry of Aviation and Arik in different statements Tuesday, dismissed rumours that the plane was about to be bombed and assured the public of safety.

The SSS in a statement by its Deputy Director, Public Relations, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, said Galadima was allowed on the flight due to negligence by his guardians who failed to notify airport authorities as previously agreed, before he boarded the plane.

Ogar said: “On Friday, October 19, 2012, the wife of the SSG (Secretary to the State Government) to the Borno State Government, Hajia Yachilla Jidda, travelled to Maiduguri in company of one Aminu S. Galadima, an interior decorator based in Abuja, to do some interior decoration work.

“On arrival in Maiduguri, he was lodged at Greenland Hotel. During the course of his stay, he exhibited unusual behaviour by smashing a window, and ended up with lacerations on his hands.

“The SSG was contacted, and in collaboration with the hotel management, the subject was taken to Atal Hospital, also in Maiduguri, where he received treatment.

“His family in Abuja was contacted and they gave confirmation that Galadima has been mentally unstable. In addition, his elder brother who lives in the UK was contacted and he requested that the subject be returned to Abuja for medical attention.

“On Sunday, October 21, 2012, he was taken to the airport to be returned to Abuja, but he missed the flight. However, the airport management was informed of his state of health, and they advised that whenever his return is scheduled, the management should be notified.

“Unfortunately, when Galadima was taken to the airport on October 23 (yesterday) for his return trip, the management of the airport was not informed, and 10 minutes into the flight, due to slight turbulence, his condition was triggered off. Meanwhile, Galadima is in the custody of security forces.”

The Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, through her spokesman, Mr. Joe Obi, in another statement, corroborated the SSS narration and described the rumour of a bomb attempt on the flight as a hoax.

The statement said Galadima, an indigene of Minna, Niger State, boarded the Maiduguri-Abuja bound Arik Air flight with registration number 5N MJE after going through all mandatory security screening and nothing incriminating was found on him.

“However, mid-air, the passenger began to act strangely, loudly screaming ‘God is great’. The plane landed safely at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at exactly 1253 hours and the suspect was handed over to the SSS at about 1445 hours where he is currently being interrogated.

“We wish to reassure the flying public of the continued focus of the Federal Ministry of Aviation on the safety and security of the nation's airspace, while cautioning fellow Nigerians on spreading dangerous rumours. These rumours do not help to make our airspace either safer or more secure,” he said.

The airline, in its statement, explained that the passenger was not caught with any bomb or dangerous object. It also disclosed that all the passengers on board the flight, including Galadima, had all gone through the normal security checks at the Maiduguri International Airport and nothing incriminating was found on anyone.

“However, when the aircraft landed in Abuja, another security check was conducted on the passenger and nothing incriminating was found on him. A further security search was conducted on the operating aircraft, a Boeing 737-700 NG (Next Generation) and no trace of bomb or explosives were found. The aircraft went back to service immediately.

“Arik Air wishes to assure guests that all its flights undergo strict security checks and passengers have nothing to fear.

“The airline’s Aviation Security Department is one of the most sophisticated in the industry and its commitment to security and safety of passengers is second to none in Africa,” it said in the statement.

This Day

Top buyers of stolen Nigerian oil are in the Balkans and Singapore

The main buyers of the 180,000 barrels of oil that thieves steal from Nigeria each day are organised criminal networks in the Balkans and refiners in Singapore, according to a former Presidential adviser, who launched a campaign against the practice on Monday.

Mr. Patrick Dele Cole, a politician from the oil-rich Niger Delta, at the heart of Nigeria’s two million barrel a day industry, toldReuters that 90 per cent of oil snatched was sold on world markets, based on estimates from oil firms and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Just 10 per cent was being refined locally by gangs operating in the creeks and swamps of the delta, he said.

Oil companies say so called bunkering or tapping into oil pipelines to steal the crude, and other forms of oil theft are on the rise in Nigeria, despite an amnesty that was meant to end a conflict there in 2009 over the distribution of oil wealth.

Yet while local gangs hacking into pipelines to steal small quantities for local refining are the most visible sign, it is industrial scale oil theft involving collusion by politicians, the military, Western banks and global organised crime that is the real drain on Nigeria’s resources, he said.

“International theft is diverting huge quantities … and the sophistication of the exercise –from breaching the pipeline, to having barges, to knowing when ships are at the port, to being paid – is major,” he said.

Cole, who has passionately argued for a global solution to the problem in the past, opened a campaign on Monday to raise awareness and try to nudge the government into action.

“It’s been a problem for a long time, but when it was 50,000 barrels, people thought that was tolerable. Now we’re at a totally different level,” he said.

Nigeria relies on oil for more than 95 per cent of government revenues. The figure of 180,000 bpd stolen comes from the upper end of an estimate by Shell, the biggest operator in the country, which frequently complains about the practice.

“Some estimates go as high as 25 per cent of oil revenue. The oil companies are going to realise they’re working for these bunkerers and the government that is losing revenues to them.”

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said in May that the government lost a fifth of its oil revenues to theft in April.

Cole said much of the oil sold had been traced to criminal networks in the Balkans, especially Ukraine, Serbia and Bulgaria, better known for things like cigarette smuggling or trafficking sex workers.

“On the evidence we have, the Balkan mafia organisations are well represented in Nigeria … You can’t chase these guys easily. They’re as slippery as the proverbial eel,” he said.

Singapore, the world’s top refiner, was also taking a large chunk. He urged Nigeria to confront the Singaporean authorities.

The 2009 amnesty sharply reduced militancy in the Niger Delta, a network of creeks and wetlands where the River Niger tips into the Atlantic, but bunkering has worsened since then.

Part of what facilitates it, Cole said, was that neither the state oil firm, nor the government nor the oil companies were publishing transparent figures about how much oil they produced, making it much harder to detect missing cargoes.

PUNCH

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Dana Airline wins best domestic carrier award after plane crash disaster that killed all passengers

In what families of the June 3 Dana Airline plane crash victims may find offensive, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the weekend named the airline as the best domestic carrier for 2011.

According to FAAN’s Regional General Manager, Mr. Chris Bature, while the airline was chosen for its good customer relations and prompt payment of dues, Lufthansa Airlines was also selected as the best international carrier for the same period.

The Dana plane crash killed the entire 153 passengers and crew members on board, in addition to other victims in the residential area where the doomed plane slammed into. Various buildings were also destroyed. The Federal Government promptly seized its license, but restored it 93 days after the crash, provoking outrage across the country.

Speaking at the occasion, Bature stated that the airline was selected because of its outstanding performance. His words: “Mode of selection includes passenger capacity, frequency of the landing and take-off, their response to payment of bills. Among the domestic carriers, they were the best. They had the best volume, they were punctual in their operations.”

Reacting to a question on the timing of the award, Bature explained that the award would have taken place earlier in the year. He also observed that the reward came after the operator’s license had been restored. “In all fairness, they did their best and we need to recognise that and encourage them to get back to their feet,” he added.

Dana’s Station Manager at the Abuja airport, Mr. Kayode Adeniran, stated that the airline’s commitment to best customer service and timely departure earned it the award. He said: “We have this policy in our company that we must not delay passengers and we introduced another type of system. If your flight is delayed by 40 minutes, we give refreshments to all passengers that already had their boarding passes. So people were so impressed by our service.”

However, he lamented over the loss of lives occasioned by the crash, stressing that the operator visited and commiserated with the families of the deceased.

To prevent a recurrence, the station manager revealed that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has embarked on an investigation to ascertain when the airline would be allowed to commence operations.

He said the airline has commenced demonstration flights as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He also said that the operation would run until NCAA certifies the carrier fit to resume full operations.

Guardian

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Q&A with Nigerian football legend Kanu Nwankwo

What is the latest about the now popular Kanu Heart Foundation?

The Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation is doing great. We are trying to raise funds for that is what the foundation needs to achieve its set goals. I want to build a heart hospital in Nigeria. It is not going to be easy. Right as I am talking to you, we are waiting on the Federal government to confirm a date for us to do the launching because we want them to be involved. We are trying to see how we can help our people.

You also have an ongoing bonanza in which a car is up for grabs. How successful is the exercise?

Yeah people who know about it are responding. They are doing but it is not really hundred percent the way we want it. We want to create more awareness. You the media should help us spread the message. It is still going on. But like I said, the major target now is to have the launch and then build the hospital.

Most people now talk about Kanu Heart Foundation in all heart related problems. How does this make you feel?

If you are doing a good job for a good cause, it speaks for itself. The foundation is there to help people. There are a lot of people who do not know the symptoms. So we have to let them know. It is not every sickness that is malaria or typhoid. That's the big problem with us in Nigeria. Whenever we are suffering from any ailment, it is either typhoid or malaria. The heart problem is a big one. This is where I have to play my part to make sure that I educate people in Nigeria and the world so that I can help others.

Should this be considered to be Kanu's contribution to humanity?

Definitely. I am UNICEF ambassador so I have a lot to contribute. So far as I am breathing and alive, I would use my name, my fame and who am I to help others. Not only in health, in sports, not only football, but all other sports. In fact any avenue I can create to help others, definitely I will.

What is your take on the comprehensive victory the Eagles have just recorded against the Lone Star of Liberia?

That's all we have been waiting and looking for. A good performance like what we have just witnessed is what Nigerians want to see. I came on Thursday and I spoke to the boys. The coaches are doing a great job. The Federation is doing a great job. We, which is me and you and others have to believe in this team and support them hundred percent. We do not have to be panicking. They are very good players. They are rebuilding and we have to support them. We have to be behind them. What happened is what everybody wants to see. Football at the highest level, good football, skills and entertainment and then we qualify. It is good for the country. So what we have to do is to pray for them, put the team together, make sure that we have enough time to prepare. You don't have to go and sleep that we have beaten Liberia.

Looking at the talents you are talking about, how far do you think we can go in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa?

Like I said we have to believe in ourselves. I believe that we are going to do well in the nation's Cup. In anything you do you have to prepare very well or u cannot achieve anything. For me this is the time for the federation to sit up, the coaches to sit up and all Nigerians to sit up. We do not have to wait until when we are in South Africa, we start murmuring and talking and such stuffs. We have to push them now. Let them start immediate preparations.

Most Nigerians will like to know if Kanu Nwankwo is still playing active football. Is kanu still playing actively?

If you look at me you will tell. If I am playing you can tell. Do I look like someone who is still playing football?.

But you look fit.....

Do I look fit? (Laughing) which is to say my position in the national team is still there. I can come and train for a shirt. (Laughs).

Whenever you are watching the Eagles, do you have moments you feel you could have done better?

That's life. You can't play football forever but you know your quality and what you can do and when you see things like that you wish you were still there to do it better but you can't and that's life. It comes stage by stage. Now I am not there but I have to perform other duties. I am an ambassador I have to encourage them, motivate them, tell them things that will make them feel good and perform better.

You made a name playing for Arsenal. Do you still follow the club with passion?

Definitely. I follow the club. I wish they are going to win the league but all the same you have top teams like Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Well, this is just the beginning. After December you can then say who is going to win the English Premier League.

Daily Trust

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