FAAN unravels luggage pilferage syndicate at NAHCO, others

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has unravelled the mystery surrounding the disappearance of passengers’ luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with the arrest of a member of the gang perpetuating the act, Okereobede Chiwendu, 38.
Chiwendu was caught in the act on September 2, 2013.
The pilfering at the nation’s main airport, which had generated a lot of controversy, had continued unabated for some time, led to the Crime and Investigation unit of FAAN’s Aviation Security Service being put on the alert and directed to investigate the issue.
The investigation got a major lead when AVSEC officials received a report of pilferage from Emirate Airlines on its flight of July 19, 2013 and CIB officials embarked on an inspection of the photo footage from the aircraft’s bulk hold’s closed circuit television showing the reported pilfering in progress.
The suspect, an employee of Check Port Security (the official security company of Emirate Airlines), was identified in the footage, and apprehended.
He later confessed to giving Oriola Afeez, a NAHCO staff, who is still at large as at press time, the permission to go ahead with pilfering on the parked aircraft, while Okeke gave him protection inside the aircraft bulk hold.
The culprit confessed to aiding and abetting the NAHCO staff in removing an I-pad computer and other valuable items belonging to passengers, which were sold and proceeds from the sale, N8,000, was given to him.
This discovery has confirmed that pilfering gangs are mainly cargo handling agents and airline security officials who have been operating from inside parked aircraft, contrary to the wrong assumption that pilfering was done inside the terminal.
Meanwhile, Chiwendu, who was charged for conspiracy and stealing, was on Friday sentenced to six months imprisonment, while police officers are on the trail of the NAHCO staff involved.
FAAN, in a statement on Sunday, assured all travelling passengers of safety of lives and property throughout the nation’s airports.