A young teen has survived a 35-minute domestic flight in Nigeria after sneaking onto a runway and stowing away in the wheel arch of an Arik Air flight bound for Lagos, Associated Press reports.
The teenager beat airport security staff onto the runway at Benin Airport and climbed into the wheel compartment of a passenger jet on Saturday (August 24), emerging from the undercarriage at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where he was arrested.
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched a full investigation into the incident, which has raised concerns about the country’s airport security.
"We have launched an investigation into the incident. This is a clear case of security breach," Yakubu Dati, corporate communications manager, FAAN told AFP.
In a statement signed by Dati, he went on to blame Arik Air for the incident, stating that the carrier “acted with impunity” and should have abandoned the flight as soon as the boy was spotted on the tarmac, as protocol dictates.
In response, Arik Air cited frequent airport security breaches as the problem and expressed concerns about how a teenager beat aviation security personnel at Benin Airport.
“We are worried by the incessant security lapses at our airports. We are appealing to the management of FAAN to immediately address the problem,” Arik Air managing director, Chris Ndulue, said in a statement.
It is thought that the stowaway, identified as 14-year-old Nigerian Daniel Ihekina, managed to survive the flight because of its short duration and low altitude, Associated Press reports.
